Vietnamese students still bad at English and History: Exam results

Anh Kiet 07:52, 2019/07/18

The bad results of English and History are abnormal high and cause big concern over the country`s education sector.

In Vietnam’s 2019 national high school exam, some 70% of students received mark 5 or under for English and History (of the 10-point scale), local media reported.

Many shortcomings in teaching and learning English

Compared to the previous year's test at national high school exam, this year's English test was easier and an average student can get mark 5 or 6. However, only students in urban areas and big cities were able to score these grades.

They could not only learn English at higher quality schools but also refine their skills at language centers. In short, they are aware of the importance of English, and invest their time and effort to study in a methodical way.

Illustrative photo. Source: Nhu Hung

For students in rural and backward areas, according to the current program of the Ministry of Education and Training, every week, 12th-grade students only have three English periods. In addition, current program and textbooks have many shortcomings and are outdated.

Besides, rural schools lack modern teaching facilities. Students are less likely to attend English classes and parents cannot afford their children’s study in a methodical manner. Students’ awareness of the subject and shortage of teachers in English are included among the causes of the bad results.

History not taken seriously

Up to 70% of students obtained mark 5 or under for History test at this year's national high school exam.

This year's History score accurately reflects the students’ mindset on the subject: they did not care about getting high score but rather were interested in passing the exam with standard scores.

“If many universities use History’s result to assess for admission or make History a compulsory subject, then, I am sure that the student's will have to change their attitude towards this subject,” said Nguyen Van Luc, a teacher of Trinh Phong Secondary School, Khanh Hoa province.

History is a story about the past, so teaching method is important to motivate students, Luc added.

“I sincerely hope that the Ministry of Education and Training should give us freedom in creating teaching methods to better draw students attention”, Luc stressed.

Prof. Dr. Pham Hong Tung, director of Vietnam Institute of Development Science under Hanoi National University noted that the bad results of English and History are abnormal high and cause big concern over the country's education sector. The Ministry of Education and Training should take suitable solutions for learning and teaching methods, said the professor.

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