LookAtVietnam – High schools have reported that very few students have registered to study under the natural-sciences or social-sciences major curriculums.

At many other schools in HCM City, the natural-and social sciences major classes have been removed.

100 percent of students choose to follow basic curriculum

Thu said that all students who entered the high school this year registered to follow the basic curriculum and wished to have more intensive studying of several subjects. For example, students who plan to take D-group university entrance exams in three years wish to have more intensive studying of mathematics, physics and chemistry. 726 students have registered to follow the A-group curriculum (mathematics, physics and chemistry), 96 students B-group (mathematics, chemistry and biology). Only eight students have registered to follow C-group (literature, history and geography).

Nguyen Thuong Hien High School, which is considered as gathering many students who are good at natural sciences, also has no student registering for the natural sciences group.

Headmaster of Nguyen Thuong Hien School Ho Cam Thanh said that the school has never had a social sciences group because no student has registered for the group so far. Meanwhile, there are not many students registering for the natural sciences group. In 2006-2007, the school had six natural sciences major classes. The number dropped to two classes and then one class. Thanh said that there is no student for the natural sciences major class this year.

100 percent of students at Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Nguyen Huu Huan and Le Quy Don High Schools have also reportedly registered to follow the basic curriculum.

The HCM City Education and Training Department has also confirmed that high schools only have classes which follow basic curriculum this year.

Why?

Phan Van Phiet, Headmaster of Le Quy Don High School, said that the school once had one natural sciences major class. However, all the students of the group decided to shift to follow the basic curriculum after one year of learning. The students believed that they did not need to follow a curriculum which was too heavy, while what they needed was to study to pass the university entrance exams.

Thu from Mac Dinh Chi School also said that students have every reason to choose to follow basic curriculum and that students should not be criticised as ‘pragmatic’ if they choose to follow basic curriculums.

Thu said that the students following basic curriculum are always good at many subjects and have good knowledge in many fields instead of several specialised subjects. Moreover, as the curriculums are not too heavy, they have time to join extra activities and help parents in their life.

An official from the HCM City Education and Training Department has said that the group classification-based education programme has not been killed, but it is at the point of death.

VietNamNet/TT