Using the IELTS for high school admission is unfair: education ministry

Nguyen Xuan Thanh, head of the Department of Secondary Education under the Ministry of Education and Training, said there are four groups of students eligible for high school admission without taking the entrance exams in accordance with regulations from 2014: students at ethnic minority boarding schools; students of ethnic minorities; disabled students; and students with national prizes regarding culture, art, sports and science.

Certain other student groups get bonus points during the admission process, including children of war martyrs and invalids, as well as those living in areas with dire socioeconomic circumstances.

Students prepare to take a test for high school admision in HCMC, June 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran

Thanh said the bonus point policy could breed inequality, so regulations were adjusted in 2018, disallowing localities to add bonus points to students.

While localities get to decide on plans for admissions, whether students can be directly admitted or be prioritized fall under the ministry’s discretion.

Thanh said adding points for students with IELTS scores was one example of potentially breeding inequality.

"Within the same locality, students in downtown areas will find it easier to study for and take tests for foreign language certificates. On the other hand, in areas with dire economic circumstances, even when one studies foreign languages well, they will be met with challenges when it comes to traveling to testing sites or preparing the money to take the test. As such, using foreign language certificates for admission is unfair," he said.

Thanh said while some localities were worried that not allowing IELTS results in the admission process would discourage students from learning English, he believes that the urge to study a foreign language comes from within.

"Learning a foreign language is to use it as a tool for studying and working, not earning a certificate to gain an admission. Learning out of an extrinsic factor is not sustainable. It may mean students will no longer learn it with as much focus once they earn a certificate," he said.

Thanh said it would be unlikely for students to be directly admitted solely with IELTS results, and the ministry should consider the matter carefully to prevent students from wasting time and money.