Students with good physical fitness and high intelligence levels can attend school before the standard age, according to a new regulation of the Ministry of Education and Training.

Under the new terms, outstanding students are allowed to enter grade six at 11-years-old and grade 10 at 15-years-old, whereas the regulated ages for those grades are 12 and 16, respectively.

For children to enrol in school early, parents must send a proposal letter to the school. The principal will then organise a survey and consultancy council to determine whether a student can matriculate.

The council will test prospective students’ physical fitness, language proficiency and social skills. If a student satisfies all the norms set by the Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Health, he/she is eligible to enter the next grade.

In addition, students must pass all subject tests with at least a score of 80 per cent.

Director of the Ministry of Education and Training’s Department for Secondary Education Le Quan Tan said the new regulation would help discover new talents and allow them to move to higher education levels at a faster pace.

“The ministry approached teachers at different education levels and parents before issuing the regulations,” he said.

Still, some teachers and parents dislike the new regulations.

Pham Quynh Trang, a teacher at the Nhan Chinh Secondary School in Thanh Xuan District, said that if students went to school before their proper ages, they tended to have difficulties meeting academic standards and communicating with their classmates.

“In my opinion, going to school before the regulated ages does more harm than good,” she said.

Despite complaints, the new regulations will be applied as of May 15.

Source: VNS