To strengthen Vietnamese mathematics

A number of math talent training centers should be opened by individuals or non-public organizations, creating healthy competition and working towards the goal of making math not only a subject but also a pillar of national strategy.

MATHEMATICS IS THE KNOWLEDGE INFRASTRUCTURE AND LEVER FOR DEVELOPMENT

Currently, the whole country has about 80 specialized high schools, which means there are more than 80 specialized math classes and each class will have at least 1 specialized math class. Thus, the number of specialized math students is quite large, with thousands of students studying at public schools in high school and at university.

Students are excited about practical math playgrounds

PHOTO: TUE NGUYEN

This is the result of the great attention of the State to nurturing mathematical talents from a very young age. It must be said that the force of specialized mathematics students after leaving high school, continuing to study will significantly supplement the team of scientific researchers as well as contribute to the high-quality labor force of Vietnam and the world.

Since 1974, after 51 years of participating in the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO), the Vietnamese delegation has ranked 7th in the total number of gold, silver and bronze medals, just behind China, the US, Russia, South Korea, Hungary and Romania. Vietnam has been in the world top 3 3 times, with 71 gold medals. This is considered a remarkable achievement among the countries participating in the IMO.

Many people believe that IMO results do not only reflect individual student abilities but also the results of the country's mathematics development strategy. This is absolutely correct. China and many other countries with developed education systems in the world always promote the concept of comprehensive education.

However, teaching cannot be equalized, but requires effective solutions to discover and develop the maximum potential of each student. It is not about learning everything, but about developing harmoniously so that each student has the opportunity to shine in their own unique way.

Vietnam should choose mathematics as a pillar of its national development strategy, acting as a "common language" of knowledge. Mathematics is the foundation for science and technology, a tool for policy and economic planning, a driving force for innovation and creativity, and the culture and intellectual identity of each country.

STRATEGIC PERSPECTIVES ON MATHEMATICS EDUCATION OF MANY COUNTRIES

It can be said that mathematics is both the intellectual infrastructure and the lever for the development and even the political position of a country. In the new era of artificial intelligence and big data, mathematics has an extremely excellent position. Therefore, specialized mathematics students are the first and foremost beneficiaries of this national strategy.

In this context, the IMO target is just the tip of the iceberg of a comprehensive national mathematics strategy. Having a policy to invest in mathematics education from a very early stage will make a long-term difference in the country's competitiveness and talent development.

Many countries in Asia consider mathematics education as the key to human resource innovation for Industry 4.0 and international status.

China aspires to become a world math power; the US has identified poor math skills as a major risk to global competitiveness and national security. The UK has highlighted the role of math education and how underinvestment in it will undermine its AI capabilities and the national and global economy.

The results obtained from the IMO exam have proven that the strategic view on mathematics education of many countries is completely correct.

All 6/6 Vietnamese students participating in IMO 2022 won medals, of which Ngo Quy Dang (left cover) won the gold medal for the second time and achieved a perfect score of 42/42.

Photo: MOET

SHOULD WE OPEN A NON-PUBLIC MATH TRAINING CENTER?

The IMO results show that Vietnamese students have great potential in mathematics. If we know how to come up with appropriate strategies for mathematics and implement them creatively, Vietnam will succeed in the world's 21st century technology race.

We have the Institute of Mathematics under the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology; the Institute for Advanced Study in Mathematics; mathematical research centers under universities; associations and clubs specializing in mathematics; especially centers for nurturing mathematical talents... forming a rich national mathematics education ecosystem. However, there is no clear connection, so it cannot create significant power for the enlightenment of young mathematical abilities.

From here, it is necessary to change the perspective on training in specialized schools, especially specialized math blocks. Abandon the traditional concept of "training fighting chickens" to apply mathematics in practice and self-study capacity for students. Learning math to solve real-life problems is to train critical thinking and systematic thinking.

Mathematical competence must be assessed through the assessment of mathematical problem solving, mathematical communication, mathematical modeling, and mathematical thinking and reasoning. Mathematics education always goes hand in hand with education in personal discipline, academic ethics, positive emotions, and improving mental and physical health.

To strengthen Vietnamese mathematics, in addition to the public school system specializing in mathematics, should some centers for nurturing mathematical talents be opened by individuals or non-public organizations, creating healthy competition and working towards the goal of mathematics not only being a subject but also a pillar of national strategy?

Need to improve training and selection of math teams

On December 22, 2020, the Prime Minister signed Decision No. 2200/QD-TTg approving the National Key Program for Mathematics Development for the period 2021 to 2030, in which the Ministry of Education and Training is assigned to preside over the implementation of the program, and the Institute for Advanced Study in Mathematics is the permanent unit coordinating the implementation of the program. The general goal of the program is to continue to develop Vietnamese mathematics sustainably and strongly in all aspects: research, application and training, commensurate with the intellectual potential of Vietnamese people, meeting the requirements of the country in the fourth industrial revolution; making mathematics an organic part of the general development of science, technology and socio-economy; enhancing the position of Vietnamese mathematics in the region and in the world.

In terms of the key points, Vietnam has participated in the IMO for 51 years, the results have contributed to raising Vietnam's position in the international arena. Many former IMO students have grown up to be great teachers and scientists both at home and abroad. However, there are also challenges and shortcomings in the selection and training of the team.

Professor Le Anh Vinh, Director of the Vietnam Institute of Educational Sciences, who has accompanied and led the Vietnamese team to compete in IMO for 11 years, said that the selection of teams from the strongest countries to participate in IMO is quite flexible and takes a long time; while the selection of Vietnam's team is simple through provincial and national competitions for excellent students and from there, the selection of the team to compete internationally. Compared to the 4 countries that are always at the top of IMO, Vietnam still has a large gap in selecting teams. Therefore, Professor Vinh believes that if we want to compete at the top, we need to think about and improve the selection of teams.

At the conference celebrating the 50th anniversary of Vietnam's participation in IMO organized by the Institute for Advanced Study in Mathematics at the end of 2024, Mr. Hoang Minh Son, Deputy Minister of Education and Training, raised the issue: The Ministry of Education and Training always emphasizes the role of mathematics, from high school to university and post-graduate training, in research. Currently, with the development of science and technology, mathematics is becoming more and more important. However, Deputy Minister Son also mentioned a piece of information that he considered "sad": the percentage of specialized school students choosing STEM training majors at university is only over 25.6% while the national average is over 31%... To maintain and improve the achievements of the Vietnamese math team, promote math teaching, increase interest and learn math effectively, according to Deputy Minister Son, we must start from high school, do better in teaching and learning math in high school, and do better research at university. How can mathematics not only occupy more of the training program but also make teaching and learning math more interesting and effective for learners?

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/de-tang-suc-manh-cho-toan-hoc-viet-nam-185250812213718184.htm