VietNamNet Bridge – The decision by MOET that geography will be one of the six final exam subjects has astonished students and teachers

Ma Vinh Minh, a student of Bui Thi Xuan High School in HCM City is now very worried. “No one thought that geography would be an exam subject,” Minh explained.

In general, students have six exam subjects, including three essay-based exams and three multiple choice-based exams. MOET has decided this year that there will be four essay exams.

“We must memorize 70 lessons of two exam subjects (history and geography) within one month. How can I learn all of the lessons?” he questioned.

Some students say they are ready to struggle with this “sea of knowledge.” Others consider going to extra classes to learn geography, the subject that they have ignored since the beginning of the school year.

“There is a sea of knowledge for geography and history and I always get figures and dates confused,” a student complained.

“We are majoring in natural sciences, but there are three social science exams,” notedHuu Nam, a student of the Truong Dinh High School in HCM City, who is worried that his final exam results may be unsatisfactory.

Nguyen Thi Thu Cuc, Gia Dinh High School Headmaster, revealed that even the teachers feel surprised that geography will be one of the exams.

“We thought that history would be the choice, because 2010 is the year when Vietnam celebrates the 1000^th anniversary of Thang Long – Hanoi,” Cuc maintained. “This means that geography, also a social science, would be excluded. We also believed that geography would not be an exam subject because it was the exam subject last year.”

Cuc said that the school’s management board will hold a meeting with students to calm them down. Teachers will give advice on learning geography.

Some schools in HCM City will even change their study schedule. Subjects not on the exam will be cut and replaced by classes on exam subjects.

Pham Thi Thuy Vinh, Headmaster of Ngo Thoi Nhiem Private School, observed that the school will arrange a suitable schedule for students to prepare for exams based on the subject review programs prepared by teachers.

In Hanoi, Nguyen Thi Thanh, Headmaster of Binh Minh High School, revealed that her school will meet six to 10 hours per week now instead of one hour as previously scheduled.

VietNamNet/SGTT