According to VietNamNet sources, on the afternoon of July 5, the Investigation Police Agency of Tuyen Quang Provincial Police executed an emergency detention order against Nguyen Ha Duy (born 1998), a mathematics teacher at Tuyen Quang High School for the Gifted, to investigate alleged violations related to the 2026 national high school graduation examination.

According to the sources, the detention came after more than two days of urgent verification following public reports questioning examination results at the specialized school's test site.

The investigation has been conducted under the direct supervision of the Standing Committee of the Tuyen Quang Provincial Party Committee and the provincial People's Committee, with coordination among provincial police units and relevant agencies to clarify all aspects of the case.

Earlier, after concerns emerged over possible irregularities in the province's examination results, provincial leaders instructed relevant agencies to urgently review the entire examination process, including test administration, marking and the publication of results, while taking strict action if violations were identified.

Based on evidence collected, investigators formally carried out the emergency detention order on July 5 to facilitate the investigation.

Police said the investigation is continuing and will examine the roles of other individuals who may have been involved, with any violations to be handled in accordance with Vietnamese law.

Data released after the examination showed that Tuyen Quang recorded 154 perfect scores in Mathematics among more than 17,000 candidates.

Notably, 146 of those perfect scores - more than 95% of the province's total - were concentrated within a narrow range of candidate identification numbers, from 080163xx to 080166xx, covering 328 candidates.

Teacher previously recognized for academic achievements

Before being placed under emergency detention, Nguyen Ha Duy served as the homeroom teacher of a specialized mathematics class at Tuyen Quang High School for the Gifted.

According to VietNamNet sources, he had previously been introduced by local authorities as a young educator with strong academic credentials and notable teaching achievements.

Information published on the official website of Minh Xuan Ward described him as a teacher with solid professional expertise, an innovative approach to teaching and active involvement in digital transformation initiatives within the education sector.

According to education records, Nguyen Ha Duy was born into a family of educators in Tuyen Quang and demonstrated exceptional mathematical ability from an early age.

Throughout primary and lower secondary school, he received numerous academic awards, including second prize in the provincial all-round student competition, third prize in the provincial Mathematics for Children competition, first prize in provincial Informatics while in Grade 8, and second prize in the provincial mathematics competition in Grade 9.

As a student at Tuyen Quang High School for the Gifted, he continued to excel in the school's Mathematics program, winning national mathematics competition prizes in two consecutive years. He also received third prize at the Hanoi Open Mathematics Competition (HOMC), as well as bronze and gold medals at the Hung Vuong Summer Camp academic competition.

After graduating from high school, Nguyen Ha Duy was admitted directly to the high-quality mathematics education program at Hanoi National University of Education. He graduated with distinction after four years and returned to teach at Tuyen Quang High School for the Gifted in 2020.

According to information previously published by the school, he was assigned as homeroom teacher for a specialized mathematics class and also coached students for national academic competitions.

Articles previously published on the school's website and local education portals described Nguyen Ha Duy as one of the young teachers who introduced artificial intelligence into classroom teaching.

Beginning in 2022, he reportedly used ChatGPT to help develop teaching materials, design examinations and personalize learning content for students. He also incorporated platforms including PowerPoint, Padlet, Quizizz, Azota and Kahoot to increase classroom interaction.

He also shared experience on the use of AI during professional training sessions at both school and provincial levels, helping colleagues integrate ChatGPT and other digital tools into lesson planning while supporting older teachers in adopting new technology.

For students, he organized sessions demonstrating how AI could assist with learning, including solving mathematical problems, researching materials, creating mind maps and preparing presentations. These activities were incorporated into class meetings and academic programs.

According to official education data, Nguyen Ha Duy received the Provincial Outstanding Teacher Award for the 2024–2025 academic year and won first prize in the provincial E-learning lesson design competition.

Timeline of the investigation

On July 3, after the Ministry of Education and Training announced the 2026 examination results, VietNamNet reported an unusual pattern in Tuyen Quang's mathematics scores.

The province recorded 154 perfect scores among 17,589 candidates. Of those, 147 perfect scores were initially identified as being concentrated within a narrow candidate number range covering only 328 students.

The mathematics score distribution also differed significantly from other subjects, with the number of perfect scores exceeding the number of candidates receiving scores of 9.2, 9.4, 9.6 and 9.8.

VietNamNet's analysis showed that in 2025, Tuyen Quang had no perfect mathematics scores among 16,987 candidates and only 131 students scored 9 or above. In 2026, the number of candidates scoring 9 or above rose to 625, including 154 perfect scores.

The province ranked second nationwide in the proportion of perfect mathematics scores relative to total candidates, at 0.876%, behind Ha Tinh Province at 0.913%.

In contrast, Tuyen Quang had ranked among the five provinces with the country's lowest average Mathematics scores in 2025, with an average score of 4.07, rising to 5.07 in 2026.

Following public attention, the Ministry of Education and Training dispatched an inspection team on July 2 to work with provincial authorities.

Provincial police also launched an investigation after reports that 299 of 328 students at the specialized high school test site achieved scores of 9 or 10 in Mathematics, with an average score of 9.58.

Ministry: Results remain under investigation

The Ministry of Education and Training said its inspection team reviewed examination administration records, marking procedures, storage of examination papers, scanned answer sheets and score data, while comparing examination results with students' academic records and requiring relevant personnel to submit written explanations.

The ministry said investigators had not found any initial irregularities in the printing, transportation, storage or marking of examination papers.

However, after analyzing available data and conducting preliminary verification, the inspection team concluded that the mathematics results at the Tuyen Quang High School for the Gifted examination site were abnormal and warranted further investigation, particularly regarding examination supervision.

The ministry has coordinated with the Ministry of Public Security and Tuyen Quang Provincial Police to continue investigating the responsibilities of candidates, examination invigilators, examination staff and any other individuals who may have been involved.

It also instructed the provincial examination steering committee to conduct a comprehensive review of all stages of the examination process, strictly handle any confirmed violations and provide timely public updates once official investigation results become available.

The ministry said the case would be handled promptly, objectively and in accordance with examination regulations and Vietnamese law, while ensuring both the integrity of the national examination and the legitimate rights of candidates.

Vu Mung - Duc Hoang - Thanh Hung