Where are parents in the story of managing extra teaching and learning?

Many people ask, is it the fault of both sides here? The tutoring center knows that it is violating the regulations on tutoring in Circular 29 of the Ministry of Education and Training but still violates it. Parents, even though in the past, schools and mass media channels have strongly communicated about tutoring, why do they still send their children to tutoring in places that do not comply with the regulations? And especially for primary school students, who are not allowed to organize tutoring, why do they still send their children to tutoring?

A center was recently inspected and found to have violated regulations on extra teaching and learning in Binh Tan District, Ho Chi Minh City.

PHOTO: Contributor

Clearly aware of the consequences and harms of widespread extra teaching and learning

It has been more than a month since Circular 29 of the Ministry of Education and Training regulating extra teaching and learning officially took effect. Information from the Ministry of Education and Training sent to the press on the afternoon of March 14, 2025 said that after one month of implementation, Circular 29 has had a positive impact on the awareness and actions of managers, teachers, students, and parents.

Accordingly, localities, schools, teachers, and parents are more aware of the consequences and harms of widespread extra teaching and learning on physical and mental health, comprehensive development of students, and fairness in students' access to education; causing waste of time and finances for students and their families; affecting the quality of formal teaching, forming a mindset of major and minor subjects; the passivity of schools; dependence on income from students to pay for teacher training and repair school facilities...

The team of managers and teachers has a fuller and clearer awareness of the responsibility and importance of formal teaching, the responsibility in supporting students to ensure the quality of education; the responsibility and importance of equipping students with the awareness of self-study, autonomy, and self-awareness in educational activities... Parents clearly recognize the role of the family in coordinating the management and education of students, which cannot be left to the school; promoting the spirit and determination of students to self-study at home...

Managing extra teaching and learning: Responsibility also comes from parents

The Ministry of Education and Training said that besides the positive results achieved, after one month of implementing Circular 29, there are still some shortcomings.

For example, some localities are slow to issue guidance documents and regulations locally, leading to confusion in implementation; coordination between departments and branches in implementing regulations on extracurricular teaching in some places is not timely, so a number of teachers who need to teach extracurricular lessons are worried. Or there is a situation where the direction for educational institutions to adjust the school's educational plan to comply with the provisions of the Circular in some places is not timely and ready from the time the Circular is issued; leading to the sudden stop of extracurricular teaching in schools, affecting the psychology of students and their parents.

The Ministry of Education and Training also acknowledged that there are still objective problems such as lack of school facilities; parents relying on schools and teachers due to lack of time and knowledge to tutor their children; expectations for high academic performance of their children; pressure from exams; students not being truly proactive in learning and not being able to self-study... also create concerns when Circular No. 29 is implemented.

A tutoring center in District 4, Ho Chi Minh City on the evening of February 19.

PHOTO: NHAT THINH

Speaking to Thanh Nien Newspaper reporters, many primary school administrators said that the school has many channels to disseminate and disseminate Circular 29 to teachers, staff and parents. The school disseminates information so that parents know, understand, fully and promptly grasp information about Circular 29 of the Ministry of Education and Training on extra teaching and learning and comply with regulations.

Circular 29 clearly stipulates that "no extra classes are organized for primary school students, except for cases of arts, physical education, and life skills training". At the same time, when sending their children to boarding facilities outside of school, foreign language - life skills centers outside of school, parents have every right to ask about the educational programs, operating licenses of these units that have been granted with what functions and tasks. Because if parents send their children to facilities that are not in compliance with operating licenses, they are aiding and abetting the illegal activities of these facilities. And when these facilities are inspected, checked and found to have violated and had to stop operating, parents and students will also be affected when their studies are interrupted, losing time and effort when claiming back the tuition fees previously paid...

The principal of a primary school in District 11, Ho Chi Minh City, said that Circular 29 once again clarifies that it is not allowed to organize extra classes for primary school students (previously stated in Circular No. 17 of 2012 on extra classes). This contributes to creating fairness in education when parents and students do not have to race to extra classes to learn in advance, know in advance, and increase achievements.

The principal of an elementary school in District 12 said that with Circular 29, parents also need to review the practice of accompanying their children in their studies, urging them to study on their own, and building a culture of self-study within each family, something that many people previously thought they could not do and could only rely on teachers in extra classes.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/cha-me-o-dau-trong-cau-chuyen-quan-ly-day-them-hoc-them-185250315193623081.htm