Positive changes in the education sector

Not taking scores as a goal, nor considering titles as the final destination, a new generation of students is growing up with the spirit of learning to understand, learning for passion. They are living proof of the positive changes in Vietnamese education, but also set the requirement for continuous improvement for the education sector.

Tran Thuan Hieu (third, from right to left) and the Vietnamese team received the Silver Medal at the WICO 2025 Innovation Olympiad, South Korea.

A new generation of students

Tran Thuan Hieu - an 11th grade IT student at Hanoi-Amsterdam High School for the Gifted, got an SAT score of 1,570/1,600 on his first attempt (a standardized test used by most American universities for admission); won the National Third Prize in IT; won a Silver Medal at the World Invention and Creativity Olympiad (WICO) and many medals in domestic IT Olympiads...

Hieu does not fit the stereotype of “studying day and night”, cannot study continuously for a long time, but when studying, he is absolutely focused. From a boy who was the weakest student in the class, Hieu has surpassed himself, not the best student in the class, but he will probably be the most persistent student in the class.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tung, homeroom teacher of the 11th grade IT class at Hanoi -Amsterdam High School for the Gifted, commented: “Hieu is not one of those students who tries to do everything. He knows how to choose the right strengths to invest in. He knows how to balance between studying, playing and resting. Most importantly, he always goes at his own pace and learning method.”

Teacher Nguyen Thi Hong Lan (Hanoi Star Primary and Secondary School), who taught Hieu in secondary school, still remembers the student who was "sometimes a bit contrary", but very special in his self-study and determination.

Hieu is not an isolated case. A new generation of students is growing up in a new educational ecosystem where STEM, research, innovation and project-based learning are no longer foreign concepts.

Also in 2025, two students from Viet Duc High School (Hanoi) won Second Prize at the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) with the topic of lithium battery recycling - a project originating from the school's STEM club.

Or at the 2025 National Artificial Intelligence Olympiad, the TOP 10 most outstanding students honored were all high school students from many different regions. They have in common the early access to technology, STEM and in-depth academic projects.

Notably, many students come from public or private schools outside the specialized system, a fact that shows that students' potential does not depend on the reputation of the school, but on whether the system provides the right development opportunities.

In the last three years of the International Olympiad in Informatics, Vietnamese students have consistently been in the top with Gold and Silver medals. Youth innovation, STEM, and artificial intelligence (AI) competitions have also witnessed the breakthroughs of hundreds of high school students from many regions.

According to Professor, Dr. Nguyen Dinh Duc, Chairman of the Board of Directors, University of Technology, if Vietnam wants to integrate education, it cannot continue to maintain the old assessment method. When the world is shifting from "teach evenly, learn enough" to "teach deeply, learn truly", uniformity is no longer the highest ideal. Not chasing scores, not being confined to the expectations of the majority, being flexible enough to create conditions for each student to develop differently while still having equal opportunities, that is the spirit of modern education.

Tran Thuan Hieu teaches programming to children in Mu Cang Chai.

Need to accelerate changes in education

Teacher Nguyen Thanh Tung acknowledged: Many students study out of curiosity, passion, and the future, not for grades or honors. They know their strengths, proactively explore new technologies, and confidently step out into the world through international exams. Thus, if the education system does not change in time, it will become a bottleneck.

On a more macro view, Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son once emphasized: “Education and training are facing great demands and great opportunities. The greater the assigned mission, the higher the requirements and expectations, the more education needs to innovate faster.”

Teacher Nguyen Thi Hong Lan believes that teachers today not only teach but also inspire, create space for students to try, make mistakes, and discover themselves. This reality is posing a clearer requirement than ever: It is necessary to accelerate changes in education, from program content, assessment methods, teacher training methods to flexible learning policies. This is not just a technical reform roadmap, but a necessary step so that Vietnamese education does not miss a beat and keeps up with the generation that this education system is helping to shape.

THU TRANG

Source: https://nhandan.vn/buoc-chuyen-bien-tich-cuc-cua-nganh-giao-duc-post897376.html