Mr. NVĐ (left), a parent with a child in grade 1 at K.Đ Primary School, Binh Tan District, Ho Chi Minh City, talks with Thanh Nien Newspaper reporters on September 22.
Creating distance and discrimination in schools
Like Ms. A., a parent whose child attends primary school in District 12, Ho Chi Minh City, said that the teacher sent a tentative schedule, in which, between the compulsory subjects in both the morning and afternoon, there are voluntary subjects such as swimming, ismart, life skills, STEM (the class has not had a parent-teacher meeting yet, so my child is not studying these subjects yet). "But if I do not register my child for the above 'voluntary' subjects, I do not know where the children will sit, what they will do, who will supervise them during the above regular school hours, because it is not yet time to leave school?"
Ms. A. added that the school year before her child started first grade, the daily schedule also included swimming, ismart, and enhanced computer science. In the class, some parents registered their children for the classes, while others did not. These subjects all have their own functional classrooms with air conditioning. Swimming is taught in the school's swimming pool, while those who do not study sit in the classroom. "But what are the children doing in the classroom? Is anyone watching or teaching them during those hours? I wonder," Ms. A. wondered.
Timetable of Ms. Cam Tien's child, Hoc Mon District
Ms. Cam Tien, parent of a first grader at a public elementary school in Hoc Mon District, Ho Chi Minh City, said: "In my child's timetable, he studies 7 periods a day, 35 periods a week. This year, in addition to the main subjects - the subjects officially regulated in the education program, I see that there are also STEM subjects and life skills subjects - subjects with separate fees according to Decree 04/2023 of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council in the timetable. I wonder if the students who register for this subject go to a separate room to study, so do the students who do not register just sit around in class?"
Mr. NVĐ, a parent of a first-grade student at K.D Primary School, Binh Tan District, Ho Chi Minh City, met with Thanh Nien Newspaper reporters on the afternoon of September 22 to talk about the shortcomings in his child's school's timetable, when inserting "voluntary" subjects into regular school hours, and raised the issue that the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training set as its key task in the 2023-2024 school year the building of happy schools.
But if we keep "interspersing" "voluntary" subjects into the main subjects, creating gaps and discrimination in schools. When children go to school, they go to school, and when children don't have money, they sit around doing nothing. Can students be happy when they go to school?
Mr. V.D's child's schedule, grade 1 has life skills, STEM, 6 English classes per week
Thanh Nien Newspaper readers are upset
This morning, September 23, many Thanh Nien Newspaper readers were upset and sent their comments below articles reflecting the situation of inserting "voluntary" subjects into regular school hours at schools.
Reader Ho Ho said: "The school integrates the classes into the official schedule with the purpose of forcing parents to register even if they don't want to... because if they don't study, the children will wander around during the hours their friends have registered to study."
Parent Pham Tu said: "We need to re-examine schools to avoid this situation. Now the economic difficulties increase the burden on parents."
Notably, a "letter from the heart" of a reader with the display name [email protected], recently sent to Thanh Nien Newspaper. This reader said that currently, most primary schools offer enhanced English teaching, life skills education, and STEM education through centers. These can be said to be very good forms of education for students. But the way schools do it is not good. This reader raised the question of whether there is a "commission" from the centers sent back to the principal?
According to this reader, normally, if not through the centers, each "extra" lesson in the 4th period in the afternoon (increasing the regulation of 7 lessons/day), the school only collects about 5,000 VND. But if through the center, the amount of money for that lesson can increase 3-6 times (life skills education and STEM, the centers collect 60,000 VND, teaching English is 130,000 VND per month for 4 lessons, 1 lesson per week). The principal explained to the teachers that a percentage of that extra money must be given back to the centers. In fact, the centers only get a part of it, the rest goes to who...
This reader also frankly said that if "voluntary" classes such as English and STEM were placed in regular classes, it would be difficult for parents and students to not participate. "It would be very embarrassing for parents to see their children not being able to study and having to go out, and it would be very sad for students whose families cannot afford to register them. This also puts some pressure on parents to voluntarily register their students, which makes them extremely upset."
This reader also affirmed that STEM education is an activity in the 2018 General Education Program (according to Official Dispatch 909 issued by the Ministry of Education and Training on March 8, 2023), so it is impossible to use centers to teach STEM in schools.
The exchange between the homeroom teacher of grade 1, K.D primary school and the parent, Mr. NVĐ. He asked the teacher if the child does not study voluntarily, where will the child go?
It is still possible to arrange "voluntary" subjects in extracurricular hours.
Readers with the display name [email protected] suggest that the 2018 General Education Program has specific requirements on the duration of classes in a week (grades 1-2 are 25 periods, grade 3 is 28 periods, grade 4-5 is 30 periods). Most primary schools are currently teaching 32 periods/week (9 sessions, Thursday afternoon off for professional activities). Thus, each grade has 2 to 7 extra periods.
"We suggest that if schools do not teach physical education or elective classes, the extra classes can be replaced with STEM education classes and parents will not be charged. If schools have taught enough physical education classes such as math, Vietnamese, English and elective classes (English, IT), they can teach STEM education activities in the 4th period in the afternoon and collect fees like life skills education activities. As for teaching English to foreigners, because foreigners come to teach directly, they must go through the centers, however, those classes cannot be arranged in the 7 main classes but must be arranged in the 4th period in the afternoon so that students who do not participate can leave early.
This reader also suggested that, depending on the subject, the school should allow teachers in the primary school to teach these subjects outside of regular school hours - without having to go through a center. This would both avoid the phenomenon of "sharing commissions" and help primary school teachers who are facing many difficulties in life have the opportunity to improve their lives through legitimate extra teaching hours with the labor they put in.
"The school can completely reduce the number of students registered in some classes to study in the 4th period in the afternoon as for life skills and STEM education activities. Currently, there are 4 afternoons, so it is possible to teach 1 life skills period, 1 STEM period, 1 English period, and the remaining 1 period for students to experience through club models, which is very suitable. For the above reasons, we earnestly request the Minister to consider and help us. If the Ministry of Education and Training can do this, we affirm that the number of people leaving the profession will decrease significantly. If primary school teachers are allowed to directly participate in teaching the 4th period in the afternoon, only needing to collect 100,000 VND/month from each student, each teacher can increase their income by 2-3 million VND/month, and parents will also reduce half of the contribution compared to having to go through centers as at present," the letter wrote.
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