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As pandemic rages on in Vietnam, nearly 1 million high school students take graduation exam

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Despite the developments of COVID-19 in Vietnam, education authorities still stick to the plan to start the 2021 high school graduation exam, which involves the in-person attendance of nearly one million students, on Wednesday.

Traditionally held in July, the national high school graduation exam is an annual assessment that twelfth-grade students in Vietnam’s K-12 system are required to sit after they finish their studies.

Results of the test are needed for graduation and to help universities and colleges enroll undergraduates.

This year’s iteration of the exam is considered a momentous one as it is being held amidst the fourth and worst virus wave, which has driven Vietnam’s case count near 19,000 across 55 out of its 63 provinces and cities, as recorded since it first emerged at the end of April.

Back in 2020, the exam was delayed to August due to the epidemic situation. However, it has returned to the normal time frame of early July this year, even in provinces that are seeing an outbreak. 

In light of the situation, provincial authorities have committed efforts, manpower, and resources to ensuring epidemiological safety for test-takers. 

Many provinces and cities have tested all candidates for COVID-19 before the exam, scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday.

Nguyen Thanh Phong (right), chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee visits an exam room in Le Hong Phong High School in District 5, Ho Chi Minh City, July 7, 2021. Photo: Tu Trung / Tuoi Tre

Nguyen Thanh Phong (right), chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, visits an exam room at Le Hong Phong Specialized High School in District 5, Ho Chi Minh City, July 7, 2021. Photo: Tu Trung / Tuoi Tre

Candidates sat for the first test of Vietnamese literature on Wednesday morning before taking the math test in the afternoon, both of which are compulsory subjects for all test-takers, according to the Ministry of Education and Training’s direction.

On Thursday, they will do three other tests of choice, including one in the ‘foreign language’ category; one among physics, chemistry, and biology in the ‘natural science’ classification; and another among history, geography, and civic education in the ‘social science’ group.

Pham Ngoc Thuong (right), Vietnam’s deputy minister of Education and Training, visits an exam venue in the northern Bac Giang Province, July 7, 2021. PhotoL Vinh Ha / Tuoi Tre

Pham Ngoc Thuong (right), Vietnam’s Deputy Minister of Education and Training, visits an exam venue in northern Bac Giang Province, July 7, 2021. Photo: Vinh Ha / Tuoi Tre

On Wednesday morning, Pham Ngoc Thuong, Deputy Minister of Education and Training, visited northern Bac Giang Province, one of the largest epicenters of Vietnam in the fourth COVID-19 wave, to oversee the high school graduation exam.

Although the spread of COVID-19 in the province has generally been put under control, local authorities still had to suspend an exam venue at a high school after a student tested positive for COVID-19 during the screening process.

A student and his parent on the way to a venue of the national high school graduation exam in Can Tho City, July 7, 2021. Photo: Chi Cong / Tuoi Tre

A student and his parent on the way to a venue of the national high school graduation exam in Can Tho City, Vietnam, July 7, 2021. Photo: Chi Cong / Tuoi Tre

In southern Can Tho City, students had to endure a short shower before they reached exam rooms and took their first test.

“It has been raining since the early hours of the morning. I had to ask my friend to drive me to the venue,” said Nguyen Dang Thanh, a twelfth-grade student of Chau Van Liem High School in Can Tho.

“I’m slightly worried about the first day of the exam, but also confident about my performance in the literature subject.”

Nguyen Van Phuc (middle), deputy minister of Education and Training, visits an exam venue in Trung Vuong High School, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, July 7, 2021. Photo: Duyen Phan / Tuoi Tre

Nguyen Van Phuc (middle), Deputy Minister of Education and Training, visits an exam venue at Trung Vuong High School in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, July 7, 2021. Photo: Duyen Phan / Tuoi Tre

In the Mekong Delta’s Vinh Long Province, students showed up at exam venues as soon as 6:00 am to do check-in procedures.

As seen at the exam centers of Hoang Thai Hieu High School and Binh Minh High School, parents who accompanied their children had to pull over 50 meters away from the school gates and avoid forming large crowds in front of the schools.

“I’m worried about the COVID-19 situation, but hearing the at-risk exam officers were screened and superseded ahead of the test relieved me a little bit,” said Le Van Cong, a parent of a test-taker. 

A bus carries students in lockdown areas of Thua Thien-Hue Province to a venue for the national high school exam in Thua Luu High School, July 7, 2021. Photo: Phuoc Tuan / Tuoi Tre

A bus carries students from lockdown areas in Thua Thien-Hue Province, Vietnam to a venue for the national high school exam at Thua Luu High School, July 7, 2021. Photo: Phuoc Tuan / Tuoi Tre

In Phu Loc District of the central province of Thua Thien-Hue, many students were seen donning raincoats on the way to exam venues due to a sprinkle in the morning. 

A total of 13 students who live in cordoned areas in Loc Thuy Ward were allowed to leave to take the test at Thua Luu High School and Thua Luu Middle School. 

They were transported to the exam venues on two specialized buses, and were told to do the test in isolated rooms. 

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Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/education/20210707/as-pandemic-rages-on-in-vietnam-nearly-1-million-high-school-students-take-graduation-exam/61936.html

Education

Vietnam to host inaugural NASA Space Week next week

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The Vietnam Space Week will be organized in three Vietnamese localities next week, making Vietnam the first Southeast Asian country to hold such a NASA event.

The collaboration for the event involves the People’s Committees of Hau Giang Province, Thu Duc City under Ho Chi Minh City, and Binh Dinh Province, alongside the Ho Chi Minh City Computer Association and the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

The Hau Giang Convention Center in the Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang will kick off the first two days of the multi-day event on June 5 and 6.

The Student Culture House in Ho Chi Minh City, located at the Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh City in Thu Duc City, will host the third day’s activities on June 7.

The final two days of the event, June 8 and 9, will take place at the Binh Dinh Convention Center in the south-central namesake province.

The objective is to motivate the young generation through captivating stories of astronauts and to introduce scientific research aimed at protecting the earth, mitigating environmental pollution, and raising awareness about the potential dangers of asteroid collisions.

The event’s agenda also includes a NASA STEM Day providing students with the opportunity to participate in various STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) activities such as astrophysics, zero gravity experiments, robotics, virtual reality experiences, and other engaging scientific programs.

Former astronaut Mike Baker, who was on four space missions, and former flight surgeon Dr. Josef Schmid will be in attendance at the five-day event, according to The Saigon Times.

“It marks the inaugural implementation of this event in a Southeast Asian country,” The Saigon Times quoted chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Computer Association Lam Nguyen Hai Long as saying at the event’s press conference on May 29. 

“We look forward to its continuity as an annual event and aspire for Vietnam to be a host country preferred by NASA, with the possibility of elevating the event to a regional scale in the future.”

The concept of the Space Week has been prevalent in Scotland since the early 2000s, following the introduction by Hyang Lloyd, a former NASA employee, according to The Saigon Times

The event is also held annually to showcase NASA’s remarkable accomplishments and contributions in the realms of space exploration, scientific investigations, and technological advancements. 

It encompasses a range of activities organized by NASA and its affiliated partners.

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Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/education/20230602/vietnam-to-host-inaugural-nasa-space-week-next-week/73542.html

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Education

Vietnam bags 4 silvers, 2 bronzes at 2023 Asia-Pacific Informatics Olympiad

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All six members of the Vietnamese team competing at the 2023 Asia-Pacific Informatics Olympiad won medals, including four silvers and two bronzes, the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training announced on Tuesday.

The four silver medals went to Nguyen Duc Thang, an 11th grader from Hung Vuong High School for Gifted Students in the northern province of Phu Tho; Nguyen Ngoc Dang Khoa, a 12th grader; Pham Cong Minh, an 11th grader; and Tran Xuan Bach, a 12th grader, all from High School for Gifted Students of the University of Science under the Vietnam National University-Hanoi.

The two bronze medals were secured by Le Ngoc Bao Anh, a 12th grader from Le Quy Don High School for Gifted Students in Da Nang, and Tran Vinh Khanh, a 12th grader from Quang Tri Township High School in Quang Tri Province, north-central Vietnam.

The 2023 Asia-Pacific Informatics Olympiad was held online with 1,471 contestants from 36 countries and territories, including students from Canada, Mexico, and Brazil who were invited to participate in the competition but not considered for prizes. China was the host country.

Fifteen Vietnamese students joined the competition at the University of Engineering and Technology under the Vietnam National University-Hanoi on May 20.

Six contestants with the highest scores were chosen for prize consideration, according to regulations of the competition.

With the six medals, Vietnam ranked ninth among the participating countries and territories.

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Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/education/20230530/vietnam-bags-4-silvers-2-bronzes-at-2023-asiapacific-informatics-olympiad/73462.html

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Education

Vietnamese students win four bronze medals at Asian Physics Olympiad

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A team of eight Vietnamese students competed in this year’s Asian Physics Olympiad, winning four bronze medals, according to the results announced by the contest organizers on Sunday.

The four bronze medals went to 12th graders Phan The Manh and Nguyen Tuan Phong of Bac Ninh High School for the Gifted in northern Bac Ninh Province, 11th grader Vo Hoang Hai of the High School for the Gifted of Natural Sciences under the University of Science, Vietnam National University-Hanoi, 11th grader Than The Cong of Bac Giang High School for the Gifted in northern Bac Giang Province.

Four 12th graders, namely Vu Ngo Hoang Duong, Nguyen Minh Tai Loc, Le Viet Hoang Anh, and Nguyen Tuan Duong, were awarded certificates of merit.

The eight students from the Vietnamese team participating in the 2023 Asian Physics Olympiad in Mongolia. Photo: Ministry of Education and Training

The eight students from the Vietnamese team participating in the 2023 Asian Physics Olympiad in Mongolia. Photo: Ministry of Education and Training

The 2023 Asian Physics Olympiad is being held from May 21 to 29 in Mongolia, where 195 students from 26 teams representing 25 countries and territories sit for both theoretical and practical examinations, each lasting 300 minutes.

Vietnam has taken part in the Asian Physics Olympiad a total of 22 times, according to news site VnExpress.

Last year, the Vietnamese delegation claimed a silver medal, two bronze medals, and five certificates of merit. 

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Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/education/20230529/vietnamese-students-win-four-bronze-medals-at-asian-physics-olympiad/73420.html

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