Number of applications skyrocketed, standard score for pedagogy expected to increase by 0.25-2 points

This year, more than 733,000 candidates registered for university admission, equivalent to 68.5% of the number of candidates taking the graduation exam, an increase of about 73,000 compared to last year. According to statistics from the Ministry of Education and Training, the four fields attracting the most candidates are business and management, engineering and technology, computers, and pedagogy.

In the past three years, this is the first time that the education group has entered the top four fields with the most applicants. Deputy Minister of Education and Training Hoang Minh Son said on August 5 that the number of applications for this group increased by 85% compared to last year (an increase of about 200,000 applications).

The Ministry has not announced the specific registration number, but schools all agree that the desire to enter the teaching profession has increased.

Dr. Tran Ba ​​Trinh, Head of Training Department of Hanoi National University of Education, said that the school received about 40,000 applications (for both teacher training and non-teacher training), an increase equivalent to the national average.

Previously, with the early admission method, the school recorded a sharp increase in the number of applications. Candidates registering for the school's aptitude test increased 2.5 times compared to last year.

At Dalat University, the total number of wishes is about 15,000. This number at Hanoi Pedagogical University 2 and Ho Chi Minh City is 32,900 and 51,600 respectively. These levels increased about 1.9-2.2 times.

From the above reality, representatives of pedagogical schools believe that teacher training majors have escaped the situation of "rats running in the same cage" and become more attractive.

"In the past 2-3 years, the number of registered candidates has increased, leading to a gradual increase in the benchmark scores. This is a positive sign," said Dr. Tran Huu Duy, Head of Training Management Department, Dalat University.

According to Mr. Duy, the state's support policies are gradually taking effect. Exemption from tuition fees and a monthly living allowance of VND3.6 million, according to Decree 116 of 2020, helps the industry attract candidates, in the context of rising university tuition fees.

At the same time, teachers' salaries and living standards have gradually improved through increases in basic salaries. Many localities such as Ho Chi Minh City have additional support policies.

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Van Thu, Head of Training Department, Hanoi National University of Education 2, added that the communication work on job demand in this field is currently very good. With the shortage of up to more than 100,000 in the public sector, plus many private schools expanding or opening new ones, candidates see the wide open job opportunities and so register more.

"Every year, schools have to ask for internships for students. But since last year, many non-public schools have come to the school to ask students to come for internships," said Mr. Thu. "This shows that the demand for recruiting teachers is currently very high, affecting the choices of candidates."

The aspirations increased but the quota for pedagogical majors was "tightened" by the Ministry of Education and Training, only equivalent to last year.

This is the only sector whose quotas are approved by the ministry, while for other sectors, universities are free to determine them. The quotas set by the ministry are based on local orders, so they are often lower than the training capacity and expectations of the schools.

For example, Hanoi Pedagogical University initially planned to enroll more than 2,600 students, but by the end of June, it had reduced to just over 2,200. Some majors are only at the level of maintaining classes, such as physics pedagogy (15 targets), chemistry pedagogy (20), biology pedagogy (25), considered by many methods.

Hanoi Pedagogical University 2 was assigned by the Ministry to enroll nearly 1,400 students, a reduction of about 40% compared to the number the school determined itself. Many majors have been sharply reduced, such as physics education (the initial quota was 244 down to 20), and biology education (205 down to 20).

Saigon University also announced an adjustment in enrollment quotas at the end of July. Many majors have been reduced by up to 50% compared to the announced plan. Most of the university’s teacher training majors such as physics, chemistry, biology, history, and geography only recruit 20 students.

Although the assigned level is lower than expected, many schools confirm that the final quota for the pedagogical sector is still at the same level as last year.

Some majors have decreased, such as chemistry, physics, and biology pedagogy. According to Dr. Tran Ba ​​Trinh, these subjects were previously compulsory, but have now become integrated subjects in middle school and elective subjects in high school, leading to a decrease in demand.

Based on the reality of the number of wishes, quotas, and the score distribution of this year's high school graduation exam, many schools predict that the benchmark scores for pedagogical majors will increase.

For Hanoi National University of Education, Dr. Trinh said the general increase could be 0.25-1 point. Some majors with reduced quotas compared to last year, such as physics, chemistry, and biology, may have a benchmark score 1-2 points higher. In 2023, the admission score based on the graduation exam results is 18.3-28.42.

At Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, Dr. Huynh Trung Phong, Director of the Center for Student Support and Entrepreneurship Development, Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, predicted that the benchmark scores for math, literature, and English pedagogy majors could reach 29, an increase of 1-2 points. Other majors in the teacher training group could also increase by about 1 point.

Mr. Phong explained that the exam scores for A01 (math, physics, English), D01 (math, literature, English), and C00 (literature, history, geography) - the school's main admission groups - all increased compared to last year. Meanwhile, the quota from considering graduation scores is not much, about 10-60%, depending on the major. Some majors have less than 10 places.

Dr. Tran Huu Duy of Dalat University predicts that the benchmark scores for pedagogical majors nationwide will almost certainly increase because the average scores for admission groups are the same or higher than last year.