Vietnam's University Admissions: Calls for Stability Amidst Annual Regulatory Overhaul
Translated from Vietnamese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
TLDR
- Vietnamese students, parents, and teachers are expressing fatigue and confusion over the frequent changes to university entrance regulations.
- They desire stable and easily understandable admission rules, lamenting the annual shifts that turn the process into a "strategic race" of information and tactics.
- Concerns are raised about the complexity and overlap of various admission methods, including academic records and national high school exam scores, leading to a lack of clarity and added stress.
The annual cycle of changes to Vietnam's university entrance regulations has become a source of significant stress and frustration for students, parents, and educators alike. The prevailing sentiment is one of exhaustion, with many questioning when the Ministry of Education and Training will finally implement stable and comprehensible admission policies. The current system, perceived as a constant "race for information" and strategic maneuvering, detracts from the core purpose of education โ learning.
When will the Ministry of Education and Training stop changing university admissions?
Teachers, who are tasked with guiding students through this complex process, find themselves increasingly bewildered. The continuous adjustments to admission criteria, often announced with assurances of "stability" that are quickly followed by new modifications, leave them struggling to provide accurate advice. This uncertainty impacts not only the students' immediate prospects but also the pedagogical approach in high schools, as curricula and teaching methods are indirectly influenced by the ever-shifting admission landscape.
The whole year we only hear about changes to university admission regulations, it's extremely tiresome.
Parents, particularly those with children facing multiple high-stakes exams like the 10th-grade entrance and university admissions, describe the process as "headache-inducing." The sheer volume of information, coupled with the intricate rules regarding application strategies, preferred choices, bonus points, and score conversions, transforms what should be a merit-based system into a complex puzzle. There is a strong desire for clarity and simplicity, allowing students to focus on their academic potential rather than navigating a labyrinth of administrative procedures.
Constantly changing, students, teachers, and parents are tired of chasing it every year.
From a Vietnamese perspective, the constant flux in university admissions raises deeper questions about the education system's reliability and its faith in its own outputs. The layering of different assessment methods โ high school transcripts, national exam scores, and aptitude tests โ while intended to provide a holistic view, often results in confusion and a perception that the system is overly complicated. The ideal scenario, as voiced by many, is a transparent and stable framework that genuinely reflects a student's ability and dedication, rather than their strategic acumen in deciphering ever-changing rules.
I don't know how to explain and advise students anymore.
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by Tuแปi Trแบป in Vietnamese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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