High school graduation exam plan 2025 with 4 subjects: Ensuring fairness, reducing pressure

Recently, the Ministry of Education and Training announced the Draft Plan for organizing the high school graduation exam in 2025, asking for public opinion and teachers' opinions.

Previously, sharing with the press, Associate Professor Dr. Huynh Van Chuong - Director of the Department of Quality Management, Ministry of Education and Training, clarified some information about the Draft on organizing high school graduation exams from 2025. Accordingly, the Director of the Department of Quality Management clearly stated 3 new points of this draft.

Firstly, building a question bank and creating test questions in the direction of assessing competencies in accordance with the 2018 general education program.

Second, the Ministry of Education and Training wants to emphasize career orientation through elective exams from students' chosen subjects, which helps to early orient students to careers suitable to their abilities and interests.

Third, according to the roadmap from 2025-2030, step by step, the Ministry of Education and Training will promote the effective application of information technology to organize exams on computers.

Having directly taught for nearly 40 years, through several periods of changing textbooks and exams, I find that Option 2, Draft high school graduation exam plan from 2025: "Exams in Literature, Math and 2 optional subjects" is appropriate, in accordance with the Law on Education and meets the requirements of developing and assessing learners' comprehensive capacity of Resolution 29/TW on comprehensive education innovation.

Specifically, Option 2 meets both graduation and university admission goals. Literature and Mathematics are 2 of the 4 compulsory subjects, and the 2 optional subjects will be according to the block/major according to the candidate's ability.

For the Natural Science block, candidates choose Chemistry-Physics or Chemistry-Biology, or Physics-Informatics, Chemistry-Technology; for the Social Science block, candidates choose 2 subjects: History-Geography, Geography-Technology, History-Arts or History-Education-Practice, Foreign Language-History... Candidates can choose 4 compulsory subjects or follow block D (Math, Literature, English) and only choose the 4th subject as desired.

With Option 2, the national exam will be 1.5 days, reducing the pressure of studying and taking exams and being suitable, gentle and with the least changes.

Testing and evaluation are the final stages of educational activities. Comprehensive innovation in exam questions, organization of exams and evaluation will differentiate knowledge and practical abilities, and scores will be closer to real quality.

In the 2018 General Education Program, all subjects have changed from content to teaching and learning methods, especially Literature. Learning a lot by heart, remembering a lot and being good at theory will gradually be eliminated.

Option 2 of taking 4 subjects will ensure fairness between the two forms of general education and continuing education (GDTX). The graduation certificate is the same, but GDTX students take fewer subjects. We also need to review the position of Foreign Languages ​​to return this subject to its rightful place as the choice of students who want to go to university, study abroad or work for foreign enterprises.

In 2023, the whole country has 1,025,166 candidates registered for the high school graduation exam, but only 660,000 (about 66.%) want to go to university. So, in my opinion, the number of candidates who have to study all night to take the exam accounts for 2/3, while the remaining 1/3 have to reluctantly pay tuition and review for the exam.

In fact, there is still the notion that you have to study a subject that you have to take an exam for. Partly because the competition for rankings is fierce, some schools still flexibly cut down on non-exam subjects. In addition, the notion that major subjects are minor subjects, studying for exams, and studying a major that makes a lot of money has become a trend among students today.

When school guidelines and plans, especially assessments, no longer focus on major and minor subjects, teachers will have to change their teaching methods and students will have to change their learning methods. This will help change the child's learning goals towards their abilities and passions.

The goal of general education in any era and country is to equip students with basic knowledge and skills. A 2018 General Education program with unified requirements, regardless of the textbooks, with 2 compulsory subjects and 2 optional subjects for graduation exams will satisfy the needs of studying according to the candidates' abilities, strengths and career orientation.

The 2018 General Education Program has completely changed from lesson content, teaching and learning methods, of course, testing, assessment and exams also need to change. Exams of 4 subjects of Option 2 are appropriate, contributing to orienting teachers and learners about education must aim at the goal of comprehensive human development in personality and intelligence.