VietNamNet Bridge – School curricula and textbooks needed to be geared more towards practical knowledge rather than theory, said experts at a recent meeting held by the National Assembly Committee for Culture, Education, Youth and Children.

The latest nationwide inspections from primary to high school levels had found that learning material lacked in consistency and practical use.—Photo gdtd.vn

Professor Dao Trong Thi, the committee chairman, said that the latest nationwide inspections from primary to high school levels had found that learning material lacked in consistency and practical use.

An imbalance between theory and practical skills existed, he said.

Nguyen Thi Tam Dan, former chairwoman of the committee, said the current materials did not help students to learn the skills necessary to enter into a developing workforce.

This was a result of many schools focusing on forcing students to learn by rote from their textbooks, rather than teaching them practical skills, she said.

Teaching methods were turning students into passive people, she added.

Professor Tran Dinh Huong agreed and said students were being overloaded with large amounts of theory which was generally irrelevant.

Nguyen Xuan Khang, headmaster of the Marie Curie Secondary School, said some errors could be adjusted. However, the twelve-year study programme with a huge amount of theory was a great burden on both teachers and students.

The content of some textbooks was also beyond the understanding of some children, he said.

Nguyen Thi Hien, headmaster of the Doan Thi Diem Primary School, said some lessons were too difficult for teachers to understand, let alone students.

Teachers had to depend on their guide books to understand the lessons and teach their students, she said.

Pham Hong Quang, dean of the Thai Nguyen University of Pedagogy, said life skills were not being examined, so students were only focusing on what was in their textbooks.

They do not think about the skills they need in later life, they're only concerned about what they need to pass their exams, he said.

Experts suggested that a complete overhaul of the curricula was necessary, taking into account experience from other countries.

Education experts should be involved in the process to avoid gaps and loopholes in the curriculum, he said.

Khang said the school was also recruiting more teachers who could nurture students' creativity and initiative, but many teachers who held excellent degrees were unable to get a job due to its strict recruitment policy.

Participants at the meeting agreed that a qualified individual was needed to oversee the process, and Thi said that any changes made should be realistic with an eye on the bigger picture.

If not, the same problem would happen again, he added.

The renewal of the education system was the responsibility of not only the Ministry of Education and Training, but also the National Assembly and the Government, he finished.

Source: VNS