The decision immediately caused a stir in public opinion with many opinions in support and opposition. The disagreement occurred for two main reasons. One is that assessment always plays a decisive role in measuring the effectiveness of training programs; two is that the quality of teaching and learning foreign languages ​​(or specifically English) in Vietnam is always a burning issue.

The burning issues of teaching and learning foreign languages

The status of foreign languages ​​in general, and English in particular, has increased significantly in just a few years, especially since the Ministry of Education and Training allowed the conversion of 4.0 IELTS or equivalent to a high school graduation score of 10. Public opinion has also repeatedly expressed concern about the "mushrooms growing after the rain" phenomenon of IELTS test preparation centers, or the fact that IELTS scores are becoming one of the criteria for assessing someone's level.

The quality of foreign language teaching and learning at the secondary level remains stagnant. Since 2008, the Ministry of Education and Training has implemented the National Foreign Language Project with the aim of improving the level of people (especially young people), but pressing problems still exist. Secondary schools still focus on teaching vocabulary, grammar, and reading comprehension; language skills tests are only perfunctory; and most importantly, young people still cannot speak foreign languages ​​fluently.

The nature of the high school graduation foreign language exam does not assess language skills, but mainly tests grammar and vocabulary. Although the exam has questions that indirectly test speaking and writing skills, the number and method of these questions are still very limited, leading to the fact that just learning tips can help you do it correctly without having the equivalent language skills. In addition, the average score of the high school graduation exam in English is still low and varies between regions and provinces.

Overcoming barriers if you want to change the way foreign languages ​​are taught

Many people believe that the fact that foreign languages ​​are no longer a compulsory subject in high school exams will reduce pressure on both teachers and students, making learning foreign languages ​​more comfortable and enjoyable. Without being constrained by purely grammar and vocabulary tests, English teachers will have more opportunities for students to practice their language skills, and thus the overall quality of teaching will improve.

Many experts also point out that because foreign language output standards are still mandatory for college and university students, young people still have to learn foreign languages ​​to qualify for graduation; and to obtain international certificates, learning language skills is mandatory. From there, foreign language proficiency will generally improve.

These predictions are entirely possible with certain prerequisites, and that is the challenge for the education sector.

Specifically, not requiring foreign language exams will give teachers more autonomy in terms of pedagogy. However, practical experience in Vietnam shows that in subjects that do not require exams, the situation of "teaching for the sake of it", "testing for fun" or "inflating academic scores" is very common. The main cause of this problem lies in three factors.

First, teachers are completely free from any pressure of "external assessment", meaning they teach, give questions, grade, and decide on scores.

Second, the policy of valuing achievements in many places will be a form of negative pressure that forces teachers to "consider" how many points their students get so that they themselves will not be reprimanded. When a percentage of good and fair students is predetermined and the right to decide the score is almost 100% in the hands of teachers, negativity can easily occur.

Another issue is that the Ministry of Education and Training has confirmed that the structure of the foreign language exam in the 2025-2030 period will still be multiple choice. This means that students who choose to take the foreign language exam will still have to learn grammar and vocabulary in the same way as before. So will teachers be "brave" enough to change the way they teach foreign languages?

Finally, teacher quality remains a big question. Are current primary school teachers competent enough to teach skills?