The Ministry of Education and Training is seeking comments on the Draft Circular promulgating the Regulations on High School Graduation Exams in 2025. The Draft has many new points, including notable changes such as no longer providing for vocational training points in high school graduation exams.

Current regulations on adding incentive points for high school graduation consideration

Encouragement points in considering recognition of high school graduation are stipulated in Article 40 of the High School Graduation Exam Regulations 2024 and previous years as follows:

1. Students participating in the following competitions and activities will receive bonus points for consideration of high school graduation recognition:

• Winning individual prizes in the exam to select excellent students in cultural subjects of grade 12: Winning first, second, third prizes in the national exam or first prize at the provincial level will be added 2.0 points; winning consolation prizes in the national exam or second prize at the provincial level will be added 1.5 points; winning third prize at the provincial level will be added 1.0 point;
• Winning individual and team prizes in practical experiments in physics, chemistry, biology; art competitions; physical education and sports; national defense education sports competitions; science and technology competitions; international letter writing competitions organized by the education sector in coordination with specialized sectors from provincial level and above at high school level.

For individual awards: Winning first, second, third national prizes or first provincial prizes or gold medals is awarded 2.0 points; winning national consolation prizes or fourth prizes in national science and technology competitions or second provincial prizes or silver medals is awarded 1.5 points; winning third provincial prizes or bronze medals is awarded 1.0 points.

For team competitions: Points are only added for national competitions; the number of players, athletes, and actors of the team competition is according to the specific regulations of the organizing committee of each competition; the level of incentive points added for individuals in the team competition is implemented as for the individual competition specified in this point.

2. High school students, continuing education students with conduct classification, continuing education students participating in the intermediate program combined with the cultural program according to the high school continuing education program with a vocational certificate, intermediate graduation certificate issued by the Department of Education and Training, vocational training and education institutions, and vocational education institutions during high school study will receive bonus points based on the classification sent in the vocational certificate, intermediate graduation certificate as follows:

• Good for vocational certificate, excellent and good for secondary school diploma are added 2.0 points;
• Good for vocational certificates, good and average for secondary school diplomas are added 1.5 points;
• Average type is added 1.0 point.

3. GDTX students with foreign language or IT certificates issued according to regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training during high school will receive an additional 1.0 point for each type of certificate.

No more career points added in the Draft Regulations for High School Graduation Exams in 2025

The draft Circular promulgating the Regulations on High School Graduation Exams in 2025 is being consulted by the Ministry of Education and Training, and the regulations on incentive points will have significant changes.

Specifically, the Draft Circular on the Regulations on High School Graduation Exams applicable from 2025 still maintains the bonus points for case 1 as currently regulated. However, there is no longer a section on adding “vocational points”, which means the bonus points are added based on the classification of the vocational certificate. In addition, GDTX students with foreign language or IT certificates issued according to regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training during their high school studies will not receive bonus points as currently regulated.

Removing vocational points makes it difficult to encourage students to study vocational skills

According to Master Tran Phuong, Principal of Viet Giao Secondary School, the fact that this year's Draft Regulations on High School Graduation Exams do not mention the bonus points for vocational students and continuing education students is a notable change and is causing much controversy.

“If the Ministry of Education and Training maintains the bonus points for vocational and continuing education students, it will motivate students and parents to choose vocational and continuing education institutions. In addition, vocational education institutions will have more advantages in recruiting and retaining students to complete the course, without dropping them out,” said Master Phuong.

According to Master Do Minh Hoang, Director of Chu Van An Continuing Education Center (in Ho Chi Minh City), in recent years, the graduation rate of the center has fluctuated from 97-98%, some years it was close to 99%. Among these, there are some students who, thanks to the bonus points (having a vocational secondary school diploma, IT certificate), are qualified to graduate from high school, but this rate is not high.

According to Master Hoang, in the past, students wanted to study general education and vocational training so that when they took the high school graduation exam, they would receive bonus points. "If the Ministry of Education and Training stops adding bonus points, it will be a pity; it will make parents and students hesitate when registering for vocational secondary school and continuing education," Master Hoang shared.

Master Hoang added that it is not yet known whether the draft will be removed or whether the Ministry of Education and Training will implement the bonus points for GDTX students in another document. The Ministry of Education and Training may still have to consider issuing official regulations in the near future.

Mr. Tran Anh Tuan, Vice President of the Ho Chi Minh City Vocational Education Association, said that they are currently implementing vocational education and training for middle and high school students. In fact, the demand for human resources in the digital age is increasing. Therefore, it is very necessary for middle and high schools to encourage students to study programs to obtain vocational certificates, take vocational competency exams, and develop skills.

If we remove the bonus points for vocational students, it will go against the encouragement of vocational education and training; it risks reducing the number of students registering for vocational training, making vocational education and training difficult.

According to Mr. Tran Anh Tuan, the Ministry of Education and Training needs to consider continuing to maintain bonus points for vocational students and continuing education students for a while longer.