HCM CITY — Two hundred teachers and administrators from senior high-schools, colleges and universities in HCM City have met with Finnish experts to discuss the education model in Việt Nam.

“In Finland, every child receives the same education with learning done through innovative and fun games,” Kristina Kaihari, the Finnish National Board of Education’s counsellor of education, said.

“In Finland education has no testing pressure for students. There is no test during middle or end of the school-year, no ranks for children or learning fixed subjects.

“Instead, students are provided with the best studying environment, which can mobilise all their capabilities.”

Schools are given authority to design learning programmes suitable for each individual based on the national system.

All six-year-olds go to pre-school before joining first grade.

From 10^th grade, students can choose to continue studying or moving to vocational school.

“Vietnamese education now is totally different from Finland’s,” Nguyễn Văn Hiếu, deputy director of the HCM City Department of Education and Training, said.

In the past a uniform programme applied throughout the whole nation, but recently the Ministry of Education and Training has given authority to schools in implementing educational programmes but students must still be tested usually, he said.

“Furthermore, the number of student in each class is too large, 50 – 60, making it hard to adopt new educational models.”

The city has over one million students, but only 15,000 have the chance to access advanced educational programmes at international schools, he said.

“HCM City has chosen to improve English skills to enable students to have greater opportunities to access advanced educational models.” — VNS