Primary school admissions: Avoiding "fake" admissions

The appeal of advanced schools

Hoc Mon District and District 7 are the first two localities to organize entrance exams for 6th grade using a student aptitude test at advanced, internationally integrated secondary schools. Specifically, Nguyen An Khuong Secondary School (Hoc Mon District) received over 700 applications, compared to the school's total enrollment quota of 245 students, resulting in a competition ratio of 1 in 2.9 students.

Similarly, Nguyen Huu Tho Secondary School (District 7) received over 1,600 applications, compared to a total of 500 enrollment slots for grade 6, resulting in a competition ratio of 1/3.2. After the admission results were announced, Nguyen An Khuong Secondary School did not conduct a second round of supplementary admissions as it had already filled its allocated quota, while Nguyen Huu Tho Secondary School conducted a second round of supplementary admissions for students with a total survey score of 47 points or higher - 3.5 points lower than the cutoff score announced in the first round. Likewise, Thu Duc City announced a second round of supplementary admissions for grade 6 at Tran Quoc Toan 1 Secondary School because it had not yet filled its allocated quota.

According to Nguyen Thai Vinh Nguyen, Head of the Education and Training Department of Thu Duc City, based on the actual enrollment situation of students, the locality decided to conduct a second round of supplementary admissions for grade 6 at Tran Quoc Toan 1 Secondary School for students with a total survey score of 57 points or higher - 2.25 points lower than the cutoff score in the first round of admissions. Meanwhile, two other secondary schools that also admitted grade 6 students through a student aptitude test this school year, Hoa Lu Secondary School and Binh Tho Secondary School (Thu Duc City), did not conduct a second round of supplementary admissions because they had already filled all their places. Explaining the reason for Tran Quoc Toan 1 Secondary School's second round of supplementary admissions, the principal of a primary school in Thu Duc City said that many students who passed the entrance exam for grade 6 at Tran Quoc Toan 1 Secondary School did not submit their enrollment applications because they were also admitted to grade 6 at Tran Dai Nghia Secondary and High School (District 1).

This situation is not unique to this year's enrollment period; it has been occurring since the previous school year, as many families desire their children to attend a prestigious school with a long history of excellence in the city center. In contrast to suburban areas, Tran Dai Nghia Secondary and High School (District 1), in its first year of enrollment for 6th grade after its establishment – ​​separating from Tran Dai Nghia Specialized High School – maintained its strong enrollment appeal with over 4,300 applicants. Compared to the school's total enrollment target of 350 students for the 2024-2025 school year, the competition ratio is 1 in 12.28 students. This is the highest competition ratio ever recorded, including all enrollment periods for 6th grade.

Reduce the pressure of admissions to "hot" schools.

According to Mr. Ho Tan Minh, Chief of the Office of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, the expansion of enrollment into grade 6 in advanced, internationally integrated schools aims to reduce enrollment pressure when parental demand exceeds the schools' capacity; and to create more opportunities for students and parents to choose a learning environment that suits their abilities and family circumstances. In particular, empowering localities to organize the assessment (including regulations on enrollment time, organization methods, content, and difficulty level of the assessment) allows districts, counties, and Thu Duc City to be more proactive in organizing the assessment, thereby improving enrollment efficiency.

Sharing the same view, the Head of the Education and Training Department of Thu Duc City, Nguyen Thai Vinh Nguyen, believes that student admissions based on competency assessment help improve the quality of incoming students, ensure fairness and objectivity, and provide students with access to advanced school models compared to admissions based on geographical zoning. However, besides the positive impacts, the head of the Education and Training Department of a district in the city center stated that organizing the assessment requires a lot of preparation, from funding and personnel to a question bank for the exam…

Therefore, to improve enrollment efficiency, including reducing the number of "fake" applications, the head of the Department of Education and Training proposed that schools conduct the assessment on the same day or consider the option of Tran Dai Nghia Secondary and High School (the only school under the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training that conducts the assessment early, starting in mid-June). In addition, localities should be empowered to decide on the type of schools that conduct aptitude tests based on their specific circumstances, in order to reduce enrollment pressure on "hot" schools.

MINH THU