Prime minister: education must escape the pressure of scores

Following recent exam violations, prime minister Le Minh Hung called for innovation in teaching, learning, and assessment, resolute action against fraud, and ensuring genuine quality.

At the conference summarizing the 2025-2026 academic year on the morning of 27/8, prime minister Le Minh Hung stated that current teaching, learning, testing, and assessment methods heavily emphasize scores and exams. The "achievement disease"—a cultural tendency to prioritize superficial achievements over genuine learning—distorted private tutoring, exam fraud, and the financial burden on families continue to cause public frustration and affect the education sector's reputation.

Addressing recent violations, he affirmed that these were not merely consequences of the "achievement disease" but also linked to teachers' ethics and legal compliance. "For teachers educating students, ethics and adherence to the law must be paramount; the rule of law must come first", the prime minister said, evaluating exam fraud as a significant issue that the education sector must prioritize.

In early july, the high school graduation exam results from Tuyen Quang specialized high school garnered attention when over 290 out of 328 candidates scored 9 or higher in mathematics, with approximately 140 achieving perfect scores. Investigating agencies subsequently initiated a case of abuse of position and power while performing official duties, indicting 33 defendants. Among them were teachers who entered exam rooms to prompt candidates.

Retest results in mid-august showed that the average scores of candidates in all subjects decreased from 0,2 to 3,76 points. Mathematics scores dropped from 9,58 to 6,24; history was also among the subjects with the sharpest declines.

Following this incident, the prime minister urged the education sector to innovate assessment methods, resolutely combat the "achievement disease" and fraud in teaching and learning. Primary and secondary school curricula and textbooks require continued review and adjustment for any inadequacies.

Prime minister Le Minh Hung speaking at the conference on the morning of 27/8. Photo: VGP

For the 2026-2027 academic year, the education sector must achieve breakthroughs in mindset, approach, and quality, guided by the motto "innovate thinking, strong transformation, tangible results".

In addition to reforming assessment methods, the prime minister demanded immediate resolution of the shortage of teachers, classrooms, functional rooms, and teaching equipment. Urban areas and industrial zones need to address school overcrowding; educational administrators reassigned to teaching must be utilized effectively.

The goal is to ensure sufficient schools, classrooms, and teachers, preventing students from dropping out due to difficult circumstances. After the competent authority decides on the total staffing quota, the education sector will allocate it to localities for proactive recruitment and utilization based on needs.

The Ministry of Finance is tasked with ensuring the education budget, prioritizing school construction, organizing semi-boarding and boarding programs, developing digital infrastructure, supporting disadvantaged students, and fully implementing policies for educators and learners.

The prime minister believes that the country's ability to transform its growth model, develop rapidly and sustainably, depends on the quality of its human resources. Without improving the quality of teaching and learning, Vietnam will struggle to innovate its development model and shift its economic structure.