VietNamNet Bridge - This year’s enrollment season has been stressful for tens of thousands of parents and students. The race to enter high schools has never been so competitive.


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This year's enrollment season is stressful for parents



July 5 was a scorching hot day with temperature reaching 40 oC. However, hundreds of Hanoi’s parents still queued up in front of high schools. They wanted to submit or withdraw applications for studying at schools. 

Pham Thanh Hung said he arrived at the Quang Trung – Dong Da High School at 7 am. Hung and his family members spent a sleepless night because of the impatience about the enrollment of his daughter in high school. 

His daughter had a 49 score from the high school entrance exam. With the scores, she failed to enroll in the Yen Hoa High School and she had to apply for the Quang Trung – Dong Da High School. 

Hanoians had to cancel vacation holidays and change their working plans to seek seats at high schools for their children. On education forums, many parents complained that they could not withdraw applications to apply to other schools because the schools’ officers ‘were on leave’.

However, the Yen Hoa High School suddenly lowered the required minimum scores and the girl became eligible to apply for the school. 

Therefore, Hung and his wife immediately decided to withdraw the applications they made days ago to the Quang Trung – Dong Da High School so as to apply for Yen Hoa.

“My wife is now at Quang Trung – Dong Da School to withdraw applications and I am here. Right after the application is withdrawn, we will submit documents to apply for Yen Hoa,” he explained, adding that both he and his wife have to queue up at the same time, or they won’t have the opportunity to get a seat at the school they want.

Hanoi’s parents and students have gone through the last two tough weeks and experienced sadness, disappointment, worry and happiness. If they applied for schools which set very high scores, they would lose opportunities to study at state owned schools. 

Not all parents and students were as lucky as Hung and his daughter. For many other families, it was a terrible time. 

Hanoians had to cancel vacation holidays and change their working plans to seek seats at high schools for their children. On education forums, many parents complained that they could not withdraw applications to apply to other schools because the schools’ officers ‘were on leave’.

An education expert pointed out that it was the unreasonable enrollment method applied by the Hanoi Education Department which had caused the chaos. Nothing would have happened if the department had announced the required minimum scores after the announcement of students’ exam results.


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Mai Thanh