Strengthening comprehensive education in specialized schools

However, besides the achievements, the practical operation of specialized schools also reveals some shortcomings.

The situation of focusing on training "fighting chickens" for national and international competitions; students being taught specialized subjects instead of other subjects; especially the curriculum framework lacking soft skills training content for students... are still existing problems.

A survey conducted by experts from the Vietnam Institute of Educational Sciences on 34,000 specialized high school students nationwide also showed that the specialized program still focuses on learning specialized knowledge for exams, lacking the development of other skills through many learning activities and career orientation related to experts in the field.

“I was in a group of students who, when I was in a specialized school, rushed into studying for the national team to compete, of course that also had its value. But later, when I went to university, went abroad to do research and worked, I realized that the way of ‘training fighting cocks’ caused specialized students to lack many things… Focusing on one subject but paying little attention to developing the necessary abilities and skills to develop in the field they are pursuing is a limitation for those who continue on the chosen path,” shared Dr. Dang Truong Minh - a former student of Hanoi Amsterdam Specialized School, now a researcher in Germany.

Recently, some specialized schools have made efforts to innovate, paying more attention to comprehensive education, spending more time allowing students to participate in non-specialized subjects such as sports, painting, music ; coordinating with universities in career guidance, scientific research... The club model in specialized schools has also been expanded, creating conditions for students to develop soft skills. However, on a general level, this innovation is still slow.

Innovation in specialized school activities is an urgent requirement in the context of implementing the 2018 General Education Program with the goal of helping students develop comprehensive capacities and qualities.

At a meeting with teachers and students of Le Quy Don High School for the Gifted in Da Nang City last year, Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son made a special note: Specialized schools must not forget to comprehensively develop students so that they can fully study other non-specialized subjects. If they only focus on specialized subjects and reduce non-specialized subjects, it is a mistake for the students, leading to bias. Specialized students must practice sports, study arts, and students with good intellectual qualities must be in a good body and good emotions.

The specialized school model will continue to receive investment attention from the Party and the State in the coming time, as demonstrated by Resolution 71-NQ/TW of the Politburo on breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation and national digital transformation.

The Ministry of Education and Training has also amended the legal framework to create conditions for specialized schools to operate effectively, as shown in Circular 05/2023/TT-BGDDT on the Regulations on the organization and operation of specialized high schools, and recently the Draft Circular on the Advanced Education Program of 15 specialized subjects, with regulations on unifying teaching time, focusing on practical content...

Strengthening education in more advanced subjects is necessary to meet the requirements of key training, talent selection, and excellent student competitions at home and abroad. However, reality also shows that if the curriculum is too heavy, high exam pressure can also make students lose the joy of learning and creativity.

Therefore, in parallel with improving specialized training, specialized schools need to strengthen comprehensive education, helping students balance specialized knowledge and soft skills development activities. Only then can students develop harmoniously in terms of intelligence, physical strength, spirit, life skills and social capacity, in accordance with the requirements of high-quality human resources in the new context.

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/tang-cuong-giao-duc-toan-dien-trong-truong-chuyen-post748741.html