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Although it has entered the third year of implementing the selection of subject combinations for grade 10 according to the new 2018 general education program, many students are still confused and hesitant.
According to a survey conducted by reporters, many students who have just been admitted to grade 10 for the 2024-2025 school year in Hai Duong are struggling to choose the right subject. This comes from the reason that they may not know clearly which subject they are strong in and have not yet oriented their future career. Some students choose based on their feelings, friends or family's wishes.
Having just successfully passed the entrance exam to grade 10 at Nguyen Van Cu High School (Hai Duong City), Nguyen Thao Ngan is now entering a "brain-wrenching" battle when she has to choose a combination of subjects to study throughout her 3 years of high school.
Ngan said that after receiving the application form for choosing subjects and topics from the school, she was very confused. Choosing the right one was not easy, Ngan and her parents discussed it for many days before deciding to choose.
“At first, I planned to follow my close friends in choosing a subject combination to follow block C (literature, history, geography), but I was a bit weak in geography and history, and better at math and English. After consulting with teachers, school and family, I hesitated to choose a combination of chemistry, physics, economic and legal education, and information technology so that I could follow block A1 (math, physics, English) or maybe block D (math, literature, English). But I don’t really like chemistry and physics,” Ngan said.
In fact, two school years ago, many students randomly chose subject combinations, which led to changes, causing difficulties for the school as well as pressure for the students themselves. This also made many parents worried.
Although the school has provided subject combinations for students to choose from, Tran Lan Anh, who has just been admitted to Nam Sach High School, is still confused about which subject combination to choose to study in the natural sciences or social sciences. Because after 1 year of study, if you change from the natural sciences to the social sciences, you can follow, but from the social sciences to the natural sciences, it is not easy.
Ms. Pham Thi Van, Lan Anh's mother, said that if her child does not choose carefully, "a mistake can lead to a huge mistake". She herself does not know what subjects she likes and is passionate about because in her 4 years of middle school, she only focused on subjects for the 10th grade entrance exam. At the age of 15, she is still quite immature to perceive her future career. When choosing a subject group, she said she liked the natural sciences and asked her parents for their opinion to choose together. However, she did not do well in chemistry and biology.
“After consulting with the school and a teacher, I was even more worried that if I made the wrong choice, my child would have to study the entire school year before being able to change, and when changing, he would have to supplement his knowledge to pass the school's test. Therefore, my family temporarily decided to let my child choose a combination to study the natural sciences. His history and geography are also okay. If I change to the social sciences, it will be easier to follow the program,” said Ms. Van.
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Entering the third year of organizing for 10th grade students to choose subject combinations, this year schools have learned from experience and proactively implemented it earlier, to be the most prestigious reference channel for students.
Before enrolling students, based on the teaching staff, facilities, equipment as well as the school's strengths, Nguyen Van Cu High School (Hai Duong City) soon developed a plan, offering 6 subject combinations with 2 wishes for students and parents to choose from.
Mr. Nguyen Van Duc, Principal of Nguyen Van Cu High School, said that the school had posted the subject combinations on the school's Fanpage and electronic information portal early so that students had time to refer to and research in advance. On the day of confirming enrollment, the school arranged a team of experienced teachers, especially those who are knowledgeable about the 2018 general education program, to advise, guide, and answer questions for students and parents.
"When officially entering school, the school will give students a certain amount of time to consider choosing a combination again," said Mr. Duc.
Tue Tinh High School (Cam Giang) has also actively promoted, advised, and supported students in choosing a subject combination that suits their needs, strengths, and future career orientation. After 2 counseling sessions, the school has basically finished arranging the classes.
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Teacher Phuong Kim Canh, Principal of Tue Tinh High School, said that the school creates conditions for students and parents to have time to choose. Even 1-2 weeks into the new school year, if students have a need to change, it will be considered and resolved promptly...
According to the new general education program in 2018, students from grade 10 will have to study 8 compulsory subjects, including: literature; mathematics; foreign language 1; physical education; national defense and security education; experiential activities, career guidance; local education; history. In addition to the compulsory subjects, students will be able to choose 4 subjects out of 9 subjects, including: geography; economic and legal education; physics; chemistry; biology; technology; information technology; music; fine arts. In addition, students must also choose corresponding clusters of study topics to supplement the selected subject combinations.
In case a student wishes to change the chosen subject or study group, the principal will consider the decision and report to the Department of Education and Training. Thus, if the choice is wrong, the student can still choose the subject group again. The school will arrange summer time for students to take additional subjects that have not been studied in grade 10 and test and evaluate.
The Hai Duong Department of Education and Training has provided specific and detailed instructions to schools. Based on actual conditions, schools have developed a combination of elective subjects and clusters of study topics for 10th grade students, and at the same time provided advice and guidance for students to choose.
Parents and students need to carefully consider choosing subjects for the 2025 high school graduation exam, as well as university admissions to pursue their passion and suit their abilities.
Do Duy Hung, Deputy Director of Hai Duong Department of Education and Training
After a year of study, many students feel that their choice of subjects is not suitable and want to change. However, they are only allowed to change their subject combinations at the end of the school year, so they encounter certain difficulties.
If the subject is changed, students will have to study continuously during the summer vacation and then take the assessment test, which is very stressful. Students who fail the subject test will have to continue studying the old subject, which will be very tiring and stressful. As for those who are allowed to change their subject combinations, very few of them will be able to study well or excel in the new subject because their knowledge absorption is limited compared to those who have had the right orientation from the beginning.
In particular, schools cannot meet all the wishes of students in choosing subject combinations. Therefore, if many students change, it will cause difficulties for the school due to the relationship with the team, teacher structure and number of students in each class according to regulations. In addition, if the change is made at the end of the school year, it will affect the university admission regulations by considering high school transcripts of the admission block in the 3 years of high school.
Therefore, it is recommended that the Ministry of Education and Training consider and promptly amend Circular 22/2021/TT-BGDDT regulating the assessment of junior high school and high school students in the direction of allowing students to change subjects/subject groups in the middle of the semester instead of at the end of the school year so that they have time to study and take exams.
Nguyen Thi Hieu, teacher at Nam Sach High School
Choose according to your own ability to orient your career correctly
Choosing the right subject will help you focus on your strengths and goals, saving you time and effort to discover and pursue your future career. If you choose the wrong one, it will be very stressful and difficult.
Experience shows that when choosing a subject combination, students need to base it on many factors including ability, interest, and future career plans. Most importantly, you need to know your ability, whether you are strong in natural or social sciences. You should not choose subjects based on emotions, or choose "randomly" when you do not really like them, but need to consult with teachers and parents to make the right decisions.
Do not be afraid of subjects that you find difficult and then skip them and only choose subjects that are easy to learn. Whether a subject is difficult or easy depends a lot on your learning method and your own efforts. Moreover, later on, you can apply for university admission in many ways, so choosing subjects also requires boldness and determination to have a direction to strive for during your high school studies.
Nguyen Van Duyet, 12th grade student at Phuc Thanh High School (Kinh Mon)
