VietNamNet Bridge – Art schools have all called for their autonomy in
enrolling students. They want the right to decide how many students to receive
and what exam subjects students need to take.
The 10 school arts, which the Ministry of Education and Training allowed to
enroll students themselves, now gear up to draw their enrolment plan for the
2013 academic year.
They include the Vietnam National Academy of Music, Hue Academy of Music, Music
Academy of HCM City, Vietnam University of Fine Arts, HCM City University of
Fine Arts, the Central University of Arts Education, Dong Nai College of
Decorative Fine Arts, Vietnam Dance College, Northwest Junior College of Culture
and Art, Viet Bac Junior College of Culture and Arts.
Tran Thanh Hiep, President of the Hanoi Academy of Theatre and Cinema, said the
candidates attending the entrance exams to art schools should not be required to
attend the literature exam.
“It’d be better to remove the exam, because the knowledge in the field does not
help much in their future jobs,” Hiep said.
He went on to say that the candidates just need to show their aptitudes to be
able to enroll in art schools. If so, talented students would have bigger
opportunities to develop their aptitudes.
Also according to Hiep, in 2003, an artist failed the university entrance exam
because of the low marks he received from the literature exam. However, the
artist still made valuable contribution to the country’s arts and he was
conferred the title of “people’s artist.”
Therefore, literature should be considered as an optional exam, the result of
which would be for reference, while this should not be a compulsory subject.
Associate Prof Vu Chi Nguyen, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Academy of Music,
also applauded the idea of exempting from the literature exam. The most
important thing art school students need to have is the aptitude for something.
President of the Hanoi University of Culture Nguyen Van Cuong has suggested
schools should be given the autonomy in enrolling students. If so, schools would
exceptionally accept the excellent graduates of junior colleges or those, who
win high prizes at the national competitions. The schools would have the right
to organize exams themselves and raise exam questions themselves in the way to
find out the best candidates.
Meanwhile, writers, poets and culturists have violently opposed the idea of
giving up the literature exams.
Tran Dang Khoa, a well-known poet, has commented that casting out literature
from the entrance exams to culture and art schools proves to be the “most
effective way” to “kill” literature.
“Oh my God! One can still be an art talent without the knowledge in literature?”
Khoa said.
Nguyen Ngoc, a writer, has commented that by agreeing to exempt students from
literature exams, the Ministry of Education and Training tends to produce “arts
workers” at arts schools.
Other experts also said literature is the “root” of all kinds of arts. A person
with bad literature knowledge would not be able to enjoy the beauty of a comedy,
a dance, or a film.
Arts schools still have not made final decision about their enrolment plan. Some
schools said they may still require students to attend the literature exam, but
would reconsider the way of assessing students’ achievements.
Van Thi Minh Huong, Director of the HCM City Academy of music, said there would
be no change with the aptitude exam subjects, while the school is still
considering possible variants for literature exam.
Dat Viet