VietNamNet Bridge - Three HCM City high schools have successfully implemented compulsory Japanese-language classes for the 10th graders in a pilot programme, said Bui Duc Thiep, a representative of the Ministry of Education and Training.

At a workshop held yesterday, Thiep said the high schools had ensured programme quality and quantity as required by the ministry.

At two of the participating schools, more than 95 per cent of students studying Japanese have achieved good marks, and more than 60 per cent of the students at the other school have as well.

“This is a good sign for us to proceed to require Japanese classes in the 11th grade and gradually the 12th grade,” Thiep said.

He expects Japanese will be taught on a large scale, as English is, in the 2013-14 school year.

Nguyen Hoai Chuong, deputy head of the city’s Department of Education and Training, said the pilot programme was implemented at Trung Vuong High School in District 1, Le Quy Don High School and Marie Curie High School in District 3 in the 2009-10 school year.

Japanese classes have become more popular at several junior high schools in the city, including Le Quy Don Junior High School in District 3, Vo Truong Toan Junior High School in District 1 and Ngo Tat To Junior High School in Phu Nhuan District.

Doan Ba Cuong, principal of the Ngo Tat To Junior High School, which began offering Japanese classes in the 2008-09 school year, said the school was experiencing a shortage of Japanese-language teachers because of high demand.

Twenty students at the junior high school were enrolled the first school year, more than 30 in the 2009 school year, and now nearly 100.

Thiep said the ministry was expected to include Ngo Tat To junior high school in the ministry’s pilot programme because of its success in Japansese-language classes.

Japanese classes have been taught in Ha Noi, HCM City, Hue city and Da Nang at a total of 12 junior high schools and 10 high schools.

The classes have been supported by Japanese partners, including the Viet Nam-based Japan Foundation and the Centre for Cultural Exchange.

The Education and Training Ministry plans to create facilities for more schools in provinces and cities to teach Japanese if they can achieve results similar to Ngo Tat To Junior High School.

Nguyen Thi Ngoc Minh, a specialist for the programme, said that the ministry had approved another project that would expand the programme of teaching Japanese to many junior and high schools.

The ministry has asked publishing houses to print a sufficient number of textbooks and provide more facilities to schools.

Source: VNS