Prof. Le Anh Vinh, director of the Vietnam Institute of Educational Sciences, has explained why thousands of students plunge into the high-pressure race of test preparation for gifted high schools.

Only slightly more than 60% of lower secondary school graduates in Hanoi will have the opportunity to enter public high schools this year - a figure education experts describe as deeply concerning for a major city.

HCMC is considering major changes to grade 10 admissions, including wider use of academic transcripts and a long-term goal of universal upper secondary education.

Opening more paths for students in secondary education, such as vocational school, would help reduce the great pressure faced by families of students taking the entrance exam to enter grade 10.