During the regular government meeting on the afternoon of 3/8, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung emphasized the importance of addressing integrity issues. He instructed relevant agencies to thoroughly and strictly investigate and resolve all cases of misconduct identified after the 2026 national high school graduation exam. Furthermore, he mandated the transparent disclosure of information regarding these incidents to the public.

This directive comes in the wake of recent widespread exam fraud allegations. In early July, irregularities were uncovered at Tuyen Quang High School for the Gifted when an unusual number of high scores in the math exam raised suspicion. Among 328 students, 146 achieved a perfect score of 10, and 299 scored 9 or higher. The average score for this group of students was an unprecedented 9,58, the highest nationwide.

Initial investigations by police revealed that Tran Thi Thu Hang, vice principal of Nguyen Van Huyen High School and head of the exam site at Tuyen Quang High School for the Gifted, instructed and guided several invigilators to facilitate cheating for certain students taking the math exam. Following this, math teacher Nguyen Ha Duy reportedly "entered the exam room and directly guided" some students.

The Tuyen Quang Department of Education and Training proposed a re-examination in math for 322 students from Tuyen Quang High School for the Gifted, along with six private candidates at the same exam site. However, the Ministry of Education and Training has not yet approved this, stating that it awaits further verification results from functional agencies to comprehensively assess the incident's impact. During the ongoing investigation, affected students are still permitted to register for university admissions as planned. If any student is found to have violated regulations, the Ministry will impose appropriate penalties based on the nature and extent of the offense.

To date, 27 individuals have been prosecuted for abusing their positions and powers while on duty. Among those charged are Nguyen Thi Hang, principal of Tuyen Quang High School for the Gifted; Tran Thi Thu Hang, vice principal of Nguyen Van Huyen High School; Nguyen Ha Duy, a math teacher at Tuyen Quang High School for the Gifted; and Nguyen Thi Dieu Thuy, a literature teacher at the same school and exam site secretary. The identities of the remaining 23 defendants have not yet been disclosed.

On 17/7, the Security Investigation Agency of the Ministry of Public Security took over the case of "abusing positions and powers while on duty" at the Tuyen Quang High School for the Gifted exam site from the Tuyen Quang Provincial Police Security Investigation Agency to continue the investigation under its jurisdiction.

Prime Minister Le Minh Hung chairs a regular government meeting on the afternoon of 3/8. Photo: VGP

In early August, the Quang Tri Department of Education and Training announced that five students at Le Truc High School, including the principal’s child, had all their graduation exam results canceled due to fraud. This decision was based on verification results from the Quang Tri Police. Authorities stated that officials and teachers showing signs of violation would be handled after the investigating agency's conclusions are reached.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Hung also outlined other key governmental tasks. He instructed the Ministry of Education and Training to prepare effectively for the 2026-2027 academic year and to synchronize the opening ceremonies with the inauguration of inter-level boarding schools in border communes, ensuring sustainable operational plans. The Ministry of Home Affairs was tasked with researching the formation of core commune-level administrative units and establishing an organizational framework for state administrative agencies from central to commune levels, aligning with central committee conclusions. Agencies are to implement a 100-day plan to address digital transformation bottlenecks and resolve difficulties in allocating and assigning expenditure estimates for science, technology, and innovation activities. Additionally, the Ministry of Health is to implement periodic health check-ups and free screening for citizens, finalize and submit a national drug policy and medical equipment supply chain management policy for the 2026-2030 period (with a vision to 2035), modernize pharmaceutical distribution systems with increased scientific and technological applications, and invest in building commune health stations in border areas for the 2026-2030 period.

Vu Tuan