Specialized schools to offer training for 10th grade students admitted with low subject scores

Two specialized high schools will provide training to help students meet academic requirements, following public concern over a group of students admitted despite scoring two to three points per subject.

Pham Huy Van, deputy director of the Dak Lak Department of Education and Training, announced on 28/7 that the admission of some students with very low scores in specialized subjects to Nguyen Du specialized high school and Luong Van Chanh specialized high school is not an error, but rather due to the specific admissions criteria for each subject.

According to Van, low scores in specialized subjects typically occur in newly opened subjects or those with few registered candidates. This year, for instance, Luong Van Chanh specialized high school admitted students for history and geography specialized classes for the first time, resulting in a limited pool of applicants. Similarly, the French subject at Nguyen Du specialized high school has historically attracted few students. Maintaining these classes is crucial for ensuring enrollment quotas and promoting local academic engagement.

At Nguyen Du specialized high school, the chemistry specialized class had a cutoff score of 38,25/50 (with mathematics, literature, English, and specialized subject scores doubled). In contrast, the French specialized class had the lowest cutoff at 19,9 points. Due to only 21 out of 35 students being admitted in the first round, the school had to consider an additional 14 second-round candidates. This process led to some students being admitted with scores between 2,2 and three points in the specialized French subject.

Similarly, at Luong Van Chanh specialized high school, the English specialized class required a cutoff score of 33,7 points. However, the history specialized class only required 15/50 points, geography 18,75 points, and informatics 19,65 points, reflecting varying demand across subjects.

"One cannot simply look at a few low-score cases to assess the overall quality of specialized high school admissions", Van stated. He added that after enrollment, schools will evaluate each student's abilities to develop tailored training plans, helping them meet academic requirements.

This year, Dak Lak province conducted 10th grade entrance exams for 5 specialized schools, including specialized high schools and ethnic boarding high schools. Other schools admitted students based on academic records.

The admission scores for the aforementioned specialized classes are among the lowest nationwide this year.