VietNamNet Bridge - In an effort to ease pressure on students, the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) in 2015 decided to prohibit secondary schools from organizing entrance exams. However, the decision has not improved the situation.

Tran Dai Nghia School has asked students to attend a test in English to select the best students with critical thinking and integrated knowledge in many different fields.

In HCM City, many students, who have recently completed primary school, are studying hard day and night to prepare for competition for seats at the Tran Dai Nghia School. 

Since MOET has prohibited entrance exams, Tran Dai Nghia School has asked students to attend a test in English to select the best students with critical thinking and integrated knowledge in many different fields.

Assuming the role of parents looking for private tutors to prepare for the test, reporters came to an exam preparation center on Mac Dinh Chi street in district 1 to ask for information. 

“There will be lessons from Monday to Saturday. Each lesson lasts 90 minutes. You have to think if your children can follow,” an officer at the center said.

In an effort to ease pressure on students, MOET in 2015 decided to prohibit secondary schools from organizing entrance exams. However, the decision has not improved the situation.

“And you need to think and make decisions quickly. If it takes you too much time to think, the exam preparation classes will have no more seats,” the officer warned.

When the reporters arrived at TP, also an exam preparation center in district 6, an officer there said it was too late to begin preparing for the test. 

All the students at the centers began preparing for the test when they were in the fourth grade. The officer advised the reporters to let their children learn with private tutors and said the center could supply tutors in an intensive training program.

“The tuition is VND400,000 for every lesson which lasts 90 minutes,” the officer said.

Le Thi Phuong Anh said she has been taking her daughter to exam preparation centers for one year.

“My daughter not only learns with private tutors, but also goes to exam preparation centers. I heard that the test questions set by Tran Dai Nghia School are very difficult and students would not be able to solve questions if they do not attend the lessons at the centers,” she said.

The headmaster of a primary school in district 4 said this was just like the school entrance exam.

“Students will still have to compete for seats at Tran Dai Nghia School, even if they have to attend an exam or take a test,” she said. 

“To prepare for the test, students will still have to learn hard and go to extra classes. Frankly speaking, MOET’s efforts to ease the students’ study and overloading have been in vain," she said.

NLD