Faced with these opposing views, the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) affirmed that it does not completely ban extra teaching and learning, but aims to manage it more closely to overcome previous negative aspects.
Parents worried because school temporarily stops extra classes
On December 30, 2024, the Minister of Education and Training signed and issued Circular 29/2024/TT-BGDDT regulating extra teaching and learning, effective from February 14, 2025.
According to the circular, extra teaching is only allowed for 3 groups: weak students; excellent students; students preparing for final exams and is free of charge. In addition, teachers who are teaching at schools are not allowed to teach extra classes outside of school and collect money from students who are assigned by the school to teach in class.
After this circular took effect, it received many mixed opinions, especially from parents and final year students. Many people believe that the ban on extra tutoring and learning will affect children's knowledge, especially those who are in the final stages of preparing for graduation exams. Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong (Phu La ward, Ha Dong district) shared: "Right from the first days after Tet holiday, my son's class's Zalo group received a notice that the school would not organize Math and Vietnamese Club classes on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons every week. Parents should proactively come to school to pick up their children if they need to, and register for after-hours care."
According to Ms. Hong, the class announcement clearly stated that the suspension of the above-mentioned club is in accordance with the regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training. However, her family is very worried because they have two children in primary school, and both husband and wife work more than 10km away from home, so they cannot ask for leave to come home early to pick up their children. In particular, one of the two children is in 5th grade and needs to review for advanced classes to prepare for the graduation exam. "My husband and I want our children to study at the cultural club at school to have a healthy environment, supplement and consolidate their knowledge, and develop their abilities," said Ms. Hong.
Similar to Ms. Hong, Mr. Nguyen Quang Hung (Ha Dinh ward, Thanh Xuan district) also expressed his anxiety when his child's school just announced the temporary suspension of extra-curricular activities from February 14. Mr. Hung shared that his child is in grade 5 and plans to take the high-quality exam, so the family wants to help him review and improve his knowledge. Not being able to take extra classes at school, the parents and I contacted the head teacher to tutor our son at home, but she refused and said that what we asked for was "not allowed" according to the new regulations. So she could not do anything wrong.
Sharing the same sentiment, Ms. Pham Thanh Ha (Nguyen Du ward, Hai Ba Trung district) said that her daughter is currently in grade 9 and only likes to take extra classes at the homeroom teacher's house and is determined not to take extra classes from another teacher or center. According to regulations, the homeroom teacher will not teach extra classes anymore, while the 10th grade exam is approaching, the third exam subject is unknown, and now she cannot take extra classes, making her family very confused. "I think the Ministry of Education and Training should also have some plan, especially for final year students, because they need to supplement their knowledge and review to prepare for the graduation exam. If this continues, I'm afraid they won't be confident enough to take the exam," Ms. Ha worried.
Not only parents and students are confused and worried, but the school is also very concerned about this. Talking about this, Principal of Luu Hoang High School (Ung Hoa District) Hoang Chi Sy said: "After Tet, the school decided to temporarily suspend knowledge enrichment classes (extra classes) in the school. Right at the beginning of the school year, like other schools in the city, Luu Hoang High School built a time plan for the whole school year, but because of Circular 29, it was forced to rebuild a different study plan for the second semester alone."
According to Principal of Luu Hoang High School, stopping extra teaching and learning in schools causes inconvenience for many parties: schools, parents, students, especially senior students.
Ms. Nguyen Thu Trang, a teacher at Tay Ho District High School, said that this year’s 12th graders will be the first to take the high school graduation exam under the 2018 General Education Program with many adjustments in the exam regulations and admission regulations. Therefore, they need to be nurtured, their knowledge consolidated, and their revision enhanced to achieve high results. However, this is very difficult if the school is not allowed to organize extra classes.
Regarding the tuition fee for extra classes at school, many teachers believe that this is suitable for the conditions of parents. Principal of Luu Hoang High School said that, implementing the old circular and instructions, the school is charging 7,000 VND/extra class period; equivalent to 21,000 VND/session. If taking extra classes at centers outside the school, the fee is at least 30,000 VND/period and the quality is difficult to verify; meanwhile, many suburban areas do not have extra classes centers.
Regarding the regulation that schools are not allowed to collect extra tuition fees from students, principals of high schools in Hanoi are all wondering: If they do not collect fees, where will the school get the money to pay teachers? If teachers teach without pay, will the quality be guaranteed?
From another perspective, Ms. Nguyen Thuy Duong, a secondary school teacher in Thanh Oai district, expressed: “I tell the truth that there are many students registering for extra classes; including students in my class and students from other classes and schools. Extra classes help me increase my income, be creative and affirm my abilities. When teaching extra classes, I prepare my own curriculum and lesson plans, and take high responsibility for the students' results, which are reflected in the output results each year. Now the new circular does not allow teachers to teach extra classes at home but must go through a center; does not allow teachers to teach extra classes for students in their homeroom class... I think this is not effective but increases pressure and costs for parents, students and teachers.”
No complete ban
It can be seen that this is the first time that the Ministry of Education and Training has included extra-curricular teaching and learning activities in the list of conditional business lines. Accordingly, individuals or organizations that organize extra-curricular teaching and learning activities outside of school with fees must register their business according to regulations. At the same time, teachers in schools who participate in extra-curricular teaching must report to the principal about the subjects, location, form and time of teaching.
In response to opinions that the Ministry of Education and Training prohibits extra teaching and learning in schools because it cannot manage them, Director of the Department of Secondary Education Nguyen Xuan Thanh affirmed that the Ministry does not prohibit it, because this is a legitimate need of both students and teachers. However, in reality, many students, even though they do not want to, still have to attend extra classes organized by teachers or schools, even taking extra classes just to avoid being isolated from friends or to avoid feeling guilty towards teachers. The new regulations are introduced to end this situation.
Explaining that extra classes in schools are only applied free of charge to the three groups of students above, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Thanh said that the 2018 general education program has specifically stipulated the number of study periods and requirements for each subject, and at the same time, given autonomy to schools in developing educational plans. Accordingly, if students do not meet the requirements, schools and teachers must be responsible for supporting them without charging fees. Organizing review sessions for final year students or nurturing excellent students is also the responsibility of the school, integrated into the educational plan, instead of becoming a paid service. The new circular aims to limit extra classes in schools, creating conditions for students to have time to rest, self-study and apply knowledge, instead of being caught up in a dense school schedule.
Commenting on Circular No. 29/2024/TT-BGDDT, Dr. Nguyen Tung Lam, Vice President of the Vietnam Association of Educational Psychology and Chairman of the Education Council of Dinh Tien Hoang High School (Ba Dinh District), said that the prolonged extra teaching and learning has weakened students' ability to self-study. He emphasized that the school's responsibility is to guide students on how to self-study, in line with the goals of the 2018 general education program. He also said that this Circular can be considered a "test" that forces schools to change, even though they may encounter many difficulties in the initial stages.
According to the reporter's investigation, from the beginning of February 2024 to before February 14, many high schools in Hanoi have announced the temporary suspension of all supplementary and enhanced classes. Mr. Tran Minh Tuan, a parent of a student at Le Quy Don High School - Dong Da (Dong Da district), said: "The school has stopped organizing enhanced classes for math, literature, English, physics and chemistry. Teachers only assign homework for students to study by themselves, if necessary, they can discuss with teachers by phone. If schools take this seriously and guide students to study effectively, parents like us will feel more secure. However, I am still worried because my child is in grade 9, will free review affect teachers' motivation and teaching quality?".
From another perspective, an English teacher at a public primary school in Thanh Xuan district expressed concern: “According to Circular No. 29/2024/TT-BGDDT, teachers are not allowed to teach extra classes for primary school students, except for enrichment classes on arts, sports and life skills. English is not included in this list. However, many parents still want their children to learn English early. So, are teachers allowed to teach extra classes outside of school when they have registered their business or teach at foreign language centers?”
For a long time, the issue of extra teaching and learning has always been a "hot" topic, causing much debate in public opinion, especially from parents. There are many reasons why students need extra classes both inside and outside of school. In fact, the need for extra teaching and learning is legitimate, this has also been affirmed by Deputy Minister of Education and Training Pham Ngoc Thuong.
Experts say that the nature of Circular No. 29/2024/TT-BGDDT is not to completely ban extra teaching and learning, but to provide tighter management to overcome previous negative aspects. However, it is necessary to carefully consider to meet the actual learning needs of students, especially in subjects such as English, IT at primary level or intensive classes for final year students. If the regulations are not suitable for social needs, it will easily lead to "circumvention of the law". To avoid distortions in extra teaching and learning activities, management agencies need to have clear and transparent mechanisms to help organizations and individuals grasp and strictly implement them, while ensuring the rights of students.
The Government asked the Ministry of Education and Training to review regulations on extra teaching.
The Ministry of Education and Training must review and grasp the concerns about the new regulations on extra teaching and learning that have just been issued. The above content is in the document sent by the Government Office to the Ministry of Education and Training on January 22, 2025.
According to the Government Office, the new regulations in Circular No. 29 on the management of extra teaching and learning of the Ministry of Education and Training have received much consensus but there are still many concerns from the public. Some opinions say that the root of extra teaching and learning is due to the heavy curriculum, while the mentality of valuing degrees of many people is still quite common. Learning is only for exams, so extra teaching and learning will continue to be distorted...
The Government Office also directed the Ministry of Education and Training to promptly take solutions to stabilize public opinion.
Source: https://antg.cand.com.vn/Su-kien-Binh-luan-antg/bo-giao-duc-va-dao-tao-khong-cam-hoan-toan-day-them-hoc-them-chi-chan-chinh-tieu-cuc-i759528/
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