Ministry Bans Sixth-Grade Entrance Exams

The education and training ministry has dispatched an official note to all education and training agencies, asking them not to hold entrance exams to admit sixth-graders in secondary schools. Last year, the ministry had announced bans on four activities in primary schools in an effort to ease the workload on students. Thus, there will be no homework for students who have two study sessions a day, and no competitions to select the best primary school students. There will also be no selection of teams of excellent students to participate in exchange activities and academic activities, and no entrance exams to select six-grade students in secondary schools. In the recent official note, the ministry said in case the number of students getting registered in a school is higher than the seats available, the school would then have to formulate proper admission policies and submit the same to the local authorities for approval. (Vietnam News Mar 18)