VZCZCXRO9243
RR RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHHI #1189/01 1800820
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 290820Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5753
INFO RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH 3314
RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 001189 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SCUL SOCI PGOV EAID VM
SUBJECT: POOR TEST SCORES PROMPT CALLS FOR REFORM OF VIETNAM'S 
EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM 
 
HANOI 00001189  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1. (SBU) On June 17, the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) 
released data showing that 320,000 students failed this year's high 
school graduation examinations.  This year's pass rate was 25 
percent lower than last year's.  Some GVN officials have claimed 
that the lower pass rate this year is attributable to a crackdown on 
exam cheating, but MOET Vice Minister Dang Huynh Mai blamed the 
"whole educational system."  Local Party officials in the past have 
used "good" test results to bolster their reputations with Central 
Party officials, according to local press.  While MOET Minister 
Nguyen Thien Nhan has taken a tough line on the cheating scandal and 
vowed to improve Vietnam's educational system, it remains to be seen 
what results MOET's "master plan" will bring given deeply engrained 
methods of teaching and testing in Vietnam.  End Summary. 
 
Lowest Pass Rates Ever 
---------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) On June 17, the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) 
released data showing that 320,000 high school students, or roughly 
one out of every three who took the test, failed this year's high 
school graduation examinations.  This year's pass rate was 25 
percent lower than last year's.  Ho Chi Minh City, Nam Dinh Province 
and Thai Binh Province had the highest pass rates: 95.1 percent, 
90.3 percent and 86.3 percent, respectively.  Hanoi placed fourth 
while at the bottom was Tuyen Quang Province with only a 14 percent 
pass rate. 
 
¶3. (SBU) According to local press, in Nghe An Province, some parents 
expressed shock and dismay at the province's pass rate of only 45 
percent, which reportedly was "the worst result in nearly 40 years." 
 At one school in central Quang Ngai Province, not one of the 
students passed the exam. 
 
Cheating a Chronic Problem 
-------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) MOET has long been criticized for not cracking down on exam 
cheating and doctored examination results, according to local press. 
 Provincial Party officials traditionally have used high pass rates 
to bolster their reputations with central government officials. 
Party official's ambitions as well as pressure from the central 
government for good test results have provided incentives for 
cheating, according to our contacts.  In a 2006 survey of nearly 
2000 students, 90 percent said the use of prohibited materials was 
the most popular trick used by students to pass exams.  About 36 
percent said bribing for higher grades also was common.  According 
to GVN officials, cheating was the main reason for last year's 
national pass rate of over 93 percent. 
 
¶5. (SBU) In May 2006, Dao Ngoc Dung, a youth member of the Communist 
Party's Central Committee, was found violating rules during a 
postgraduate exam.  He was later removed from his post as head of 
the Communist Youth Union.  In addition, the police over the past 
few years have caught a number of ringleaders who helped students 
cheat through use of technological devices.  The ringleaders 
received relatively large sums of cash -- sometimes up to USD 4,000 
per student -- for this help, according to local press accounts. 
 
Anti-Cheating Movement Develops 
------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) This year, MOET kicked off a campaign against cheating 
after a high school teacher in the northern province of Ha Tay used 
his mobile phone to secretly record students cheating, and proctors 
not doing anything in response, during the 2006 graduation exam. 
National television broadcast the clips.  The clips reportedly 
"shocked" people who work in the education sector as well as stirred 
a lot of public debate.  After assuming his position, MOET Minister 
Nguyen Thien Nhan, in an effort to show his support to the Ha Tay 
teacher, visited the teacher's family a month after the scandal 
erupted. 
 
¶7. (SBU) In preparation for this year's high school graduation 
exams, MOET initiated a "Say No to Cheating in Exams" publicity 
campaign.  It also vowed that, this year, students would face 
stricter supervision during their exams.  MOET called on 55,000 
teachers to work as exam proctors as well as 6,000 others to inspect 
testing locations nationwide.  In the months leading up to the exam, 
many provincial governments also spent billions of dong (16,000 VN 
Dong equal one USD) on secure school gates and walls.  During the 
exams, Minister Nhan himself and other top MOET officials went to 
different provinces nationwide to witness administration of the 
exams. 
 
Reaction to This Year's Results 
 
HANOI 00001189  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
------------------------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) In reaction to this year's low pass rate, Le Tien Hung, 
Head of Nghe An Province's Education Department, publicly said the 
results would force "students to study, teachers to teach, and 
families to care about their children."  Le Xuan Tien, an official 
at MOET's High School Department, said that this year's graduation 
exam was "historic."  For the first time, the results reflected 
students' "real ability," he said.  The "disappointment" experienced 
by many parents, teachers and educators shows that the quality of 
instruction must be improved.  Exam results should force MOET "to 
review curricula, retrain teachers and reform testing and evaluation 
procedures," Tien added. 
 
¶9. (SBU) For her part, MOET Vice Minister Dang Huynh Mai publicly 
said that the nationwide low pass rate was not the fault of high 
school teachers but the "whole system."  MOET and education 
officials for too long have allowed poorly performing students to 
move up to the next level, she said.  These students are 
ill-equipped to handle high school and life after high school.  In 
response, MOET will devise "a master plan" to upgrade nationwide 
teacher training as well as improve school-parent cooperation and 
"student care," she said. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶10. (SBU) The disappointing test results have had the salutary 
effect of highlighting in a concrete way some of the shortcomings of 
Vietnam's education system.  MOET Minister Nhan had to take a tough 
public stance on the cheating scandal because the public demanded 
it.  However, the prospects for MOET's "master plan" remain 
uncertain, as teaching and testing methods in Vietnam are deeply 
engrained, making implementation of effective educational reform a 
challenge.  But, the plan is at least a starting point to improve a 
system that is in dire need of reform.  End Comment. 
 
MARINE