Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam chairs a meeting with the Ministry of Education and Training in Hà Nội yesterday to discuss the national highschool exam schedule. — VNA/VNS Photo Văn Điệp

HÀ NỘI — High school graduation exams will be put back to August following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Ministry of Education and Training yesterday reported options for the exams in 2020, given the fact schools have been closed nationwide due to the outbreak.

Participants at the meeting, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam, agreed the exams should still go ahead.

According to the option laid out by the education ministry, if the pandemic was under control, students could return to school by June 15 and would be able to take the exams in mid-August.

In recent months, schools have been providing online classes for students across the country.

Under the proposal, localities would be put in charge of holding the exams and marking them, while the ministry would be tasked with the content.

A representative from the ministry said the purpose of this year’s exams would be mainly to assess students, rather than using their marks for university placements.

Universities and colleges would follow the Law on Higher Education to determine enrollment.

Deputy PM Vũ Đức Đam asked the ministry to gather opinions from experts and work on a plan based on the Law on Education 2019.

On April 14, the ministry proposed two options: the first one was to hold the exams by August, while and the second one was to have no exams this year.

Experts and teachers also suggested reducing the number of exams for students to reduce their workload. — VNS