HCMC wants to apply the credit-based education program

The HCMC People’s Committee has sent a report to the NA’s Committee for Culture, Education, the Youth and Children on the Education Law, in which it has made proposals to create an ‘open mechanism’ for HCMC education.

One of the proposals relates to the length of the academic year and the time for teaching periods. 

Instead of the current 9-month academic year, the city suggested a more flexible timetable like the credit-based system applied at universities. 

Students could choose either one-shift or two-shift per day.

The city also believes that it would be better to apply additional study flexible forms, i.e students could study at home, at school or online. 

The length of teaching periods would also be flexible which would be determined by schools, depending on the subject. The way of examining students’ knowledge would also be reformed.

HCMC has also proposed recognizing students’ graduation at high school. At present, students have to attend national high school finals to get a diploma from MOET.

Applauding HCMC authorities’ proposal, educators said the proposals are reasonable for a developed urban area like HCMC. 

Nguyen Thanh Phat, headmaster of Nguyen Van To Secondary School in district 10, said he once planned a credit-based policy for his school, but could not implement it because of legal problems. 

Phat affirmed that if the proposal gets the nod from MOET, his school can apply the new mechanism in the 2018-2019 academic year.

There are many different models of schools in HCMC – schools for the gifted, schools following advanced curriculums and normal schools. While students in different schools have different qualifications, they still have to follow the same curriculum and take the same examinations.

A student with good ability can finish the curriculum after six months, but still has to go to school for 9 months to be recognized as fulfilling the curriculum. In other cases, students don’t want a three-month long summer holiday, but want a shorter holiday.

Dr Nguyen Thien Tong, who was a lecturer at the HCMC University of Science & Technology, commented that the HCMC authorities’ plan is reasonable and the open mechanism has been applied in many other countries.

Phat of Nguyen Van To School said the open mechanism would be effective only if schools are given the right for self-determination, i.e schools must be given the right to take initiative in their curriculum, teaching periods and examinations. 

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