VietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) and other related authorities should prepare for the smooth organisation of this year’s national high school graduation and university entrance exam, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has urged.

Nguyen Trai University organises counseling for high school students.

The leader made the requirement while chairing a meeting with MOET on March 10 on preparations for 2015 high school graduation and university entrance exams.

At the meeting, Deputy Minister of MOET Bui Van Ga reported to the PM several new points of this year’s national exam.

Specifically, this year's exam will be organised at 38 inter-province venues (one venue for at least two cities or provinces) for high school graduation exam candidates who wish to use the exam results for university or college enrollment. Other provincial venues will also be organised for candidates who only wish to take the high school graduation exam. Organisation for exams held at both kinds of venues is the same.

Candidates must take three compulsory subjects — mathematics, literature, and a foreign language — plus one optional subject among physics, chemistry, biology, history, and geography for high school graduation. Exam results of the four subjects will be simultaneously used for enrollment in appropriate departments in universities and colleges. Candidates can register for other optional subjects for more chances to enroll at universities and colleges. Those who have graduated high school in the previous year only register subjects for colleges and universities enrollment.

To date, there have been 125 universities and colleges approved by MOET that use high school graduation exam results in both provincial and interprovincial venues for enrollment. Meanwhile, 300 others will use the graduation exam results in inter-provincial venues for enrollment.

According to the Minister of Education and Training Pham Vu Luan, innovation in this year’s national exam may increase difficulties for schools and teachers but facilitate students as it will help save thousands of billions dong from the State budget in organising the exam, as well as saving time and money for students and their families.

PM Dung praised MOET’s efforts in carrying out the policy on fundamental and comprehensive innovation of education and training, including innovation for this year’s exam. He stressed that the innovation not only meets the needs and aspirations of learning for students, but also ensures the autonomy of the universities and colleges in enrollment. Notably, changes have been made to creating the most favourable conditions for students and their families, reducing the cost for society and approaching requirements for an advanced education.

The PM urged MOET to deploy campaigns aimed at building consensus in the society on reforms for the exam.

In particular, the media, local governments and related agencies should be actively involved in the campaigns to provide adequate information for students and their families on new points, purpose, meaning and benefits of this year’s exam, as well as difficulties that may be encountered and how to handle them.

Nhan Dan