Should I find out if the newly opened major is the school's strength?

2024 is the last year for candidates to take the high school graduation exam according to the 2016 program. In an interview with VOV2, Dr. Le Dong Phuong, former Director of the Center for Higher Education Research, Vietnam Institute of Educational Sciences, commented on the university entrance exam this year as well as gave warnings to candidates in the following years.

PV : What do you think about the number of candidates applying for university entrance exams this year?

Dr. Le Dong Phuong : In recent years, the Vietnamese population of school age has stabilized, even showing a slight downward trend. The number of students taking the graduation exam has basically remained unchanged in the past 3 years, and the number of university admission applications for the 2022-2023 school year is also not much different. However, this year the number of candidates applying for university admission has increased by about 10% compared to last year. This seems to stem from the fact that this is the last official exam according to the 2006 program before switching to the graduation exam based on the 2018 program. Thus, some 12th graders and independent candidates have chosen the safe way of applying this year to avoid having to take the 2018 program if they choose to go to university in the following years.

Although the Ministry of Education and Training has confirmed that in 2025 there will be an exam for candidates studying the 2006 program, the change of the program is still a concern for candidates and behind that, their parents. It seems that many candidates do not want to take risks in the process of changing the general education program.

The story of the increase in the number of candidates registering for university entrance exams also reflects the desire of the majority of 12th graders to continue their education by going to university. This is a very legitimate desire of high school students as well as of the whole society, I think we should create the best conditions for them to pursue this desire. If the number of university students increases, we will have the opportunity to expand the scale of the highly qualified workforce with modern knowledge to keep up with the general industrial revolution of the world. This is also an opportunity for us to catch up with the development level of high and middle-income countries as proposed in the socio-economic development strategy. Limiting the number of university students will slow down the country's development.

PV : In your opinion, what are the disadvantages of schools using a variety of admission methods? Are candidates who are admitted based on their graduation exam scores at a disadvantage?

Dr. Le Dong Phuong : The story of graduation exams and university admissions has been discussed for quite a long time. The nature of these two things is completely different: graduation exams are to confirm that students have enough basic knowledge and skills suitable for entering social life, while university admissions are to find the most suitable candidates for different training programs based on social needs and their aspirations.

Therefore, recently, higher education institutions, understanding that it is difficult to select suitable candidates for dozens or even hundreds of current training majors by using only high school graduation exam results, while the exam results do not have a clear classification, especially for the above group, have had to use other selection methods such as competency tests, academic transcripts, etc.

In Vietnam, when the high school graduation exam is not stable, there is no comparison between years and there are even intentional deviations, university admission based on this result does not ensure reliability. I support higher education institutions to find other admission methods. Candidates should carefully consider the admission method to choose the most suitable solution, avoiding the phenomenon of crowding in admission based on exam scores leading to the standard score reaching the absolute threshold.

PV : This year, the number of candidates registering for STEM majors accounts for 30%, the number of candidates registering for Business Administration tends to decrease while majors such as Natural Sciences and Education tend to increase... what does this number reflect?

Dr. Le Dong Phuong : It is clear that candidates have considered and made better decisions. Programs in the group of majors that students favor such as business administration, economics, and finance in recent years have had quite high benchmark scores, tuition fees are often higher, and job opportunities are unclear, leading to candidates considering more carefully. In addition, the increasing demand of society for teacher training or science and technology programs has helped a number of candidates change/adjust their choices. This is a good sign, showing that students and parents have considered more carefully about their majors.

However, the increase in candidates applying for teacher training programs also shows that many candidates, due to their family's economic circumstances, want to choose teacher training majors supported by the State. However, many students (and their parents) do not clearly understand that this support is only an advance credit for them. If they become teachers in the future, the debt will be forgiven, otherwise they will be obliged to pay back the support funds they have received. In the current context of staff cuts, students and parents should consider this carefully.

PV : Many universities have opened new majors and attracted the attention of many candidates. Do you have any warnings for candidates when choosing a new major?

Dr. Le Dong Phuong : Currently, there are some universities that have new majors in various ways. One is to change the name of the existing major in the list of training major codes with a new, more attractive name to attract students. Candidates should learn carefully (through the training major code of the program) to avoid being caught up in the trend and having misconceptions about the training program. The second is to open a new major outside the list of major codes recognized by the Ministry of Education and Training: some higher education institutions are allowed to pilot training in new majors (but must be permitted by the Ministry). If the new major does not show any signs of permission from the Ministry, candidates need to ask carefully to avoid later being given a degree that is completely different from the registered major.

Students should also learn about the history and capabilities of universities to find out the real strengths of the school and see if the newly opened major can be part of the school's strengths or not?

PV : Thank you!