VietNamNet Bridge – The municipal Department of Education and Training is compiling a new set of standards that will strengthen its assessment of training quality at international high schools in the city.

The municipal Department of Education and Training is compiling a new set of standards that will strengthen its assessment of training quality at international high schools in the city.— Photo kenhtuyensinh

Nguyen Hoai Chuong, the department's deputy head, said at a workshop on Friday, Oct 25, that the new standards will significantly improve the city's management of international high schools.

He said that until now, no proper assessment of training quality at international high schools has been done because the current standards set by the Ministry of Education and Training are not suitable for international high schools in the city.

Therefore, the city has begun compiling its own criteria on facilities, curricula and educational activities, school leadership, administration and operations as well as learning outcomes, Chuong said.

He said the initiative has received the support of many international schools.

Cao Huy Thao, principal of the Sai Gon International College, said at the workshop that the new set of standards would help his school carry out self-assessments and improve its training quality.

He said the department should ensure that the new standards are made more comprehensive and applicable to all international schools in the city, for instance, by adding criteria such as creative learning and self-learning by students.

Currently, the new standards are only applicable for international schools with foreign curricula, he said.

Huynh Cong Minh, former director of the department, said that to ensure proper management of training quality at international schools in the city, there was a need to strengthen the existing national regulatory framework.

This would not only improve management of international schools by city authorities, but also create better conditions for such schools to operate and develop, he said.

According to the department, there are 50 international schools currently functioning in the city, including 35 high schools with curricula recognised by other countries.

These schools are now allowed to admit Vietnamese students who are taught three subjects in their native language - literature, history and geography.

Chuong praised the contribution of international schools to improving educational standards in the city. He said they have helped create a multicultural environment for the children of foreigners and overseas Vietnamese working in the country.

Vietnamese children, meanwhile, will be able to access quality education from other countries by studying at international schools, he said.

However, some international high schools have failed to meet the ministry's standards on quality facilities and teaching additional subjects for Vietnamese students, Chuong said.

The facilities at some international schools, for example, do not correspond with high tuition fees they charge, he noted.

They change their teaching staff often, undermining training quality, he added.

Such schools have also failed to pay due attention to teaching the mandatory Vietnamese subjects, he said.

Source: VNS