Following public controversy, the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) explained the regulation on prioritising Vietnamese Heroic Mothers and several others who join university entrance exams.
Students doing the entrance exam to university in July 2012
According to the revised circular No.24/2013, issued on July 4, these following groups of people will enjoy this priority, including Vietnamese Heroic Mothers; people who joined revolution before January 1, 1945 and those who participated in the revolution between January 1, 1945 and August Revolution 1945. Others are people who were affected by toxic chemicals during the wars or those arrested and imprisoned by enemy. People who supported the country’s revolutions are also on the list.
These people will receive two bonus marks for their university entrance exams.
However, this regulation has raised public concerns, including experts. Some said that only a small number of Vietnamese Heroic Mothers are still alive and are too old to take part in a university entrance exam. They say that the revised circular is difficult to understand and unrealistic and that management agencies should re-consider this to find out whether or not it is a typo.
Ngo Kim Khoi, Head of the MoET’s Testing and Quality Assessment Department, said, “The circular aims to make concrete Ordinance 04 and the government’s Decree 31 on priorities for people who contributed to revolutions. Therefore, we have issued the revised the circular to add the above-mentioned people to those eligible for bonus marks at university entrance exams."
Speaking with DTiNews, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Bui Van Ga said mothers whose children are revolutionary martyrs are known as Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, not only those who received this title during the wars. Many people aged 40, 50, or even 60 or more still want to take university entrance exams and no one can ban them because study is a lifetime desire. Besides, the regulation indicates that it is society’s role to care for people who make contributions to the nation’s freedom and independence.
The deputy minister noted that, “Localities must conform to the regulation because it is in line with the government’s decree. The MoET carefully considered this before the circular's issue. Despite knowing that the number of beneficiaries would be modest, the ministry must be responsible for them.”
To date, the ministry has not yet considered any case of a Vietnamese Heroic Mother who wishes to take part in the university entrance exam, but the circular aims for the long-term. The mothers’ ages will not play a factor in eligibility.
