Participating in the public 10th grade exam is an equal right of students.

Reality shows that this phenomenon often occurs in large cities, where the population is large and the number of students increases rapidly. This is not a new problem, but the recurrence of this situation requires management agencies to intervene and take measures to prevent it.

Recently, some parents of Nguyen Van Bua Secondary School (Ho Chi Minh City) reported that teachers distributed a "request not to take the 10th grade entrance exam" form for students to fill in and bring back to their parents. The form clearly stated: "Based on the student's academic results last school year and poor cognitive ability, the family finds that the student's ability is unlikely to be able to study in the public high school program. The family now submits this application to the school board to request permission for the student not to take the 10th grade entrance exam of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training on June 6, 2024."

After reviewing and verifying, the People's Committee of Hoc Mon District (Ho Chi Minh City) determined that Nguyen Van Bua Secondary School's distribution of this application form was not in accordance with regulations, affecting the reputation of the industry and locality, causing public confusion, especially at a time when students were registering their wishes to prepare for the 10th grade entrance exam. The Department of Education and Training of Hoc Mon District held a meeting to rectify and review the school's leaders, homeroom teachers and related individuals.

In Nghe An, some parents at Tien Thiet Secondary School and Nghi Quang Secondary School (Nghi Loc District) also reported that the school forced some students to stay home and not attend class to review for the 10th grade entrance exam. Although the leaders of the two schools denied the information, when the incident occurred, the Department of Education and Training of Nghe An Province issued an official dispatch requesting the Chairmen of the People's Committees of districts, cities and towns to direct the Department of Education and Training to properly implement the policy of streaming and creating equal opportunities for all students. The Department of Education and Training of Nghe An Province affirmed that all students graduating from secondary school have the right to take the 10th grade entrance exam, schools must absolutely not prohibit it and must strictly handle violations.

In Hanoi, in recent days, information from parents reflecting that Tien Thinh Secondary School (Me Linh district) was not allowed to register for the 10th grade entrance exam for public high schools in the 2024-2025 school year has also attracted public attention.

According to the report, at this school, some students were not given the “Application Form for Admission to Grade 10 of High School for the 2024-2025 school year”. Parents only learned about the incident in early May 2024, when the application deadline had passed. Before that, parents were only informed by teachers that their children’s academic performance was poor, so they were instructed to send their children to vocational training.

Regarding this, Mr. Nguyen Van Hau, Head of the Department of Education and Training of Me Linh district, said that immediately after receiving the feedback, the Department promptly verified and reported to the District People's Committee and the Hanoi Department of Education and Training. The Department also directed the school to review each student's records. If they meet the requirements according to regulations, students and their families who wish to register for the exam must report to the management agency and provide maximum support to ensure the rights of students. At this time, students have been guided and completed their registration for the exam according to their wishes, except for some students who are not eligible for recognition of secondary school graduation.

The situation of mobilizing or showing signs of forcing students to sign a petition not to register for the 10th grade entrance exam has occurred in many localities across the country, causing much resentment in society. Many parents believe that perhaps the school is worried and afraid that students who do not pass the entrance exam to public schools will affect the performance of the class and school, so teachers and schools have mobilized students with poor academic performance not to register for the exam. Some parents also expressed their opinion that it will be difficult to end this situation if the rate of students passing the 10th grade public school entrance exam is still listed in the school's competition criteria for annual evaluation and ranking.

From another perspective, some parents believe that, objectively speaking, career guidance and counseling for students and their parents is very necessary. However, this work needs to be implemented by schools and teachers sooner so that families can grasp the actual situation of their children, thereby making the right and early choices, avoiding pressure on students in the "final" time.

More specifically, many parents expressed their opinions that schools and teachers should encourage and advise students to take the exam according to their wishes. If they fail, it will be the most accurate practical experience for each student. Moreover, taking the public 10th grade exam is an equal right for students. After the results are out, if they do not pass the public 10th grade exam, it is not too late for them to study a trade, a private school, or a continuing education center.

According to Director of Hanoi Department of Education and Training Tran The Cuong, Hanoi Department of Education and Training does not include the results of the entrance exam to grade 10 public schools in the competition criteria. The city's policy is to ensure the right to study and take the exam of all students according to their wishes. Registering for the entrance exam to grade 10 public high schools is the legal and legitimate right of students, no one has the right to prevent them from registering for the exam. The Department strictly prohibits acts of mobilizing or forcing students not to register for the exam in any form, and will continue to review, grasp information and strictly handle all violations.