When will the exam cool down?

Before 2015, Vietnam had 2 national exams (from 2002 to 2014), the high school graduation exam for graduation, and the 3 common exams (common questions, common sessions, common results) for university admission. At that time, the high school graduation exam was entirely organized by the locality. The 3 common exams were mainly played by universities under the assignment and direction of the Ministry of Education and Training . The role of the Ministry of Education and Training was only as a supervisory agency, creating exam questions.

From 2015 to 2019, the two exams were combined into the national high school exam for both graduation and university admission. The role of the Ministry has taken a new step when it has the right to mobilize tens of thousands of university lecturers as authorized inspectors (on behalf of the Ministry) to participate in the exam. The national high school exam has reduced exam time and costs. However, when the weight of the exam increased, it was organized locally, and was associated with the rights and opportunities for university admission of candidates, so even though there was an authorized force on behalf of the Ministry of Education and Training, serious violations still occurred in the three provinces of Son La, Ha Giang , and Hoa Binh (in 2018).

In 2020, the Ministry of Education and Training announced that the national high school exam would be converted into a high school graduation exam with the main purpose of considering graduation, assessing the overall qualityof education nationwide, and possibly being a reliable basis for universities to consider admission. Thus, the role of the exam has decreased. The pressure on students and parents has cooled down. But this year, the Ministry of Education and Training turned 180 degrees by affirming that the high school graduation exam has 2 purposes, considering graduation and considering university admission by strongly differentiating the exam questions.

Exams have never cooled down and have become a “specialty” of several Asian countries, including Vietnam. When it comes to exams, the whole society is in a trance. The strange thing in Vietnam is that students take entrance exams from grade 1, and then again in grade 6. While in reality there are only two important exams: the 10th grade entrance exam and the high school graduation exam for university admission.

At the recent question-and-answer session with Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son, National Assembly delegate Nguyen Cong Long (Law and Justice Committee) wished to end the "horrific exam" of millions of students and parents every summer, which is the 10th grade entrance exam. The Ministry does not deeply intervene in this exam, only issuing admission regulations, and the organization and decision on exam subjects are decided by the People's Committees of provinces/cities.

For the high school graduation exam, the Ministry sets the questions, appoints inspectors to check the exam, decides on the exam date, decides on the exam subjects, and the locality is responsible for organizing the exam, including facilities, invigilators, and graders. It can be seen that the Ministry's role still accounts for 50% of the high school graduation exam, so whether the exam has 1 or 2 purposes is in the hands of the Ministry and whether it is "heavy or light" is decided by the Ministry.

Should the high school graduation exam be completely handed over to the locality and there should be a national testing center, independent of the education sector, to organize the exam to help universities recruit students? At that time, the Ministry of Education and Training will return to its role as the agency managing learning and ensuring quality, while universities will rely on the assessment results of an independent unit to recruit students.

Nghiem Hue

Source: https://tienphong.vn/bao-gio-thi-cu-ha-nhiet-post1753854.tpo