Even though the HCM City authorities prohibit schools to set up classes of selected students, the schools still do. Even though the HCM City Education and Training Department prohibits general schools to set up classes of selected students, the schools still do.

Classes of selected students gather the best students of every school. The students are selected from the exams organized by the schools at the beginning of every school year.

Racing for classes of selected students

On the afternoon of July 26, when Nguoi lao dong’s reporters came to Vo Thi Sau School in Binh Thanh District, school hours had just finished. Hundreds of students streamed out of the school. The parents, who were waiting for their children in the front of the school told the reporters that their children have passed the exam to the 10^th grade of the school, and now they are learning to prepare for the next exam which select the best students of the school. The exam will take place on August 12.

Nguyen Thu Hien, who lives in Binh Thanh District, related that on July 19, when she came to the school to submit documents to register the study for her daughter, she was informed that the school would organize classes of selected students. In order to be able to enroll in the classes, students would have to take an exam to be organized by the school. If students want to prepare for the exam, they should follow the exam preparation classes and have to pay 360,000 dong in tuition.

Of course Hien wanted her daughter to be able to study at the classes of selected students, because the classes gather the best students of the school. She paid 360,000 dong to the school and urged the daughter to go to the exam preparation class.

After that day, Hanh, the daughter of Hien, has been studying hard all day and night to prepare for the exam. Hanh said that the upcoming exam is very important to her. If she can pass the exam and become a member of the class of selected students, she will be able to learn with good teachers and good friends.

Hanh has a very heavy timetable. She goes to school three times a week and studies at home every day. She only goes to bed at midnight.

Hien well knows that her daughter has to study too hard, but she said that this is a necessity, and she only feels secure if he daughter can learn with the best students of the school.

Van’s son has also passed the exam to Vo Thi Sau High School and he is also preparing for the exam to the class of selected school. However, Van has decided to bring the son to Hai Ba Trung School to attend the exam preparation class here, because she thinks it would be better to learn with old teachers.

According to Nguoi lao dong, a lot of high schools in HCM City set up classes of selected schools. Some schools set classes of selected schools after considering the school entrance exam result of students, while many other schools organize exams to find out the best students.

Counter-pedagogical measure?

Experts believe that forcing students to attend another exam at this moment, after they sit the school entrance exam is a counter-pedagogical measure, because this will make students feel stressed.

Over the last many years, the HCM City Education and Training Department has prohibited schools to organize classes of selected students, but schools have ignored the prohibition.

Nguoi lao dong reporters tried to contact Vo Thi Sau High School’s leaders to find out why the school does not obey the regulation set by the city’s education department. However, the school’s headmaster Ngo Huynh refused to receive the reporters.

Meanwhile, leaders of some other schools said it is necessary to classify students by setting up classes of selected students. This will help teachers draw up suitable teaching methods. For example, teachers will give more knowledge and give difficult exercises to good students, while teachers will help bad students obtain basic knowledge.

However, experts do not think this is a good pedagogical measure. They said if a bad student studies in the same class with other bad students, he will not make efforts to study better.

Source: Nguoi lao dong