HCMC: Wide open doors to public 10th grade

TP - The increase in the rate of students entering public schools, along with the investment plan to build thousands of new classrooms, shows Ho Chi Minh City's determination to ensure the right to education for all students after junior high school, aiming at the goal of training highly qualified human resources.

Private schools, continuing education... "failure of production"

The 10th grade admission season for the 2025-2026 school year in Ho Chi Minh City has seen many unexpected changes. In contrast to the "sold out" situation at continuing education centers (GDTX) or private schools in previous years, this year, the number of students registering to study at these units has decreased sharply. Meanwhile, the rate of students entering 10th grade at public high schools has increased.

Students taking the 10th grade entrance exam in Ho Chi Minh City for the 2025-2026 school year. Photo: Anh Nhan

At the Phu Tho Hoa Vocational Education and Continuing Education Center (GDNN-GDTX) (Phu Tho Hoa Ward), Mr. Luu Thanh Tong - Director of the center - said that the unit only recruited 8 10th grade classes with 360 students, nearly half of the 640 quota last year. In previous years, the center was "full" after only a few days of enrollment, but this year it had to extend until early July to meet the quota.

According to Mr. Tong, the enrollment scale this year has decreased because it must be consistent with the structure of teachers for each subject; facilities, teaching equipment and classrooms available at the center. A positive sign is that many parents have proactively registered their children for vocational training after junior high school, partly thanks to the tuition exemption policy under Decree 81. However, in general, the decrease in the number of applications at the Continuing Education Centers shows that students and parents still prioritize public schools if they still have the opportunity.

The same situation also occurs at many private schools in Ho Chi Minh City. Dr. Pham Hong Danh - Principal of Vinh Vien High School informed: The number of students applying this year has decreased significantly, partly because the students entering grade 10 this year are born in the year of the Tiger, the number is less than previous years, leading to the scale of grade 9 students being lower than the normal cycle.

Streamlining should be flexible.

For many years, the issue of student streaming after junior high school has always been a controversial topic. In fact, Ho Chi Minh City has recognized this early and proactively adjusted its streaming policy. From 2018 to 2023, the city implemented streaming with about 70% of students entering public grade 10, the remaining 30% studying at continuing education centers, vocational training-continuing education centers, private schools or vocational training. In 2024, the rate of students entering public grade 10 reached nearly 80% - the highest level in many years.

According to Dr. Danh, applying rigid ratios such as 60-40 or 70-30 (i.e. 60% of students attend high school, the rest study vocational training or continuing education) is unscientific and unrealistic. “Streamlining must be a flexible orientation, not an imposition. If forced, it will hinder students’ dreams and right to study,” Dr. Danh emphasized.

At the first meeting with officials, civil servants and employees of the agency after the merger in early July, Mr. Nguyen Van Hieu, Director of the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City, affirmed that building classrooms and investing in facilities is a continuous and regular responsibility of the education sector of Ho Chi Minh City.

This expert further analyzed: Ho Chi Minh City is the largest economic and technological center in the country, and cannot lack a highly qualified workforce. If we want to develop information technology, biomedicine, engineering, etc., students must study until grade 12 to have a sufficient foundation. When public school doors are narrowed, forcing students to go to vocational school from grade 9, this will in the long run create a workforce that does not meet the development requirements of society. The jobs that students learn in vocational schools will at some point be replaced by AI. "Policy must come from the interests and actual needs of students, not from rigid allocation numbers. If students and parents are clearly advised, they will have the confidence to choose the right path, whether it is high school or vocational school," Dr. Danh emphasized.

Mr. Nhan

Source: https://tienphong.vn/tphcm-rong-cua-vao-lop-10-cong-lap-post1758597.tpo