After Lao Cai, Lai Chau officially applies the school schedule from Monday to Friday, giving students Saturday and Sunday off.
In Hanoi, Saturdays are off for most private schools and high-quality secondary schools. In the public sector, only a few schools allow students to have Saturdays off due to school guidelines and classroom conditions that do not meet the requirements.
Currently, in the cities, most parents are civil servants and public employees who have Saturday and Sunday off, so they want their children to also have time off so that the family can relax or go out, travel, or go back to their hometown to visit grandparents and relatives to recharge.
Ms. Nguyen Thanh Truc (Hanoi) has a child studying at Cau Giay Secondary School, said that she is very supportive when her child's school gives students two full days off on weekends.
“Cau Giay Secondary School has a high entrance exam competition rate. However, because my child knew that the school would have Saturdays off, he was determined to pass the exam from the beginning. Currently, my child studies here, and on the weekends, he can go to art classes according to his interests. The family can go out or go back to the countryside freely, without being constrained by his study schedule,” the female parent shared.
Ms. Le Kim Anh - Principal of Cau Giay Secondary School (Hanoi) said that giving students Saturdays off has been implemented by the school for 15 years now.
“I think that children studying 5 days a week and 2 sessions a day, then having Saturday off brings many benefits. Students will have more time to recharge or study their favorite subjects. Parents also have an extra day on the weekend to spend time with their children, visit relatives, go out without having to worry about picking up and taking their children to school. Most parents agree and want their children to have Saturday off,” said Ms. Kim Anh.
According to her, giving students Saturdays off can be applied to schools that meet the facilities requirements and does not affect the program duration because this factor still ensures compliance with the requirements of the Ministry of Education and Training.
Speaking with VietNamNet, Ms. Nguyen Thanh Ha - Principal of Phan Chu Trinh Secondary School (Hanoi) said that the school currently gives students Saturdays off and is supported by parents and students.
According to Ms. Ha, studying from Monday to Friday ensures the program, giving students Saturday off gives them more time to rest, participate in community activities as well as improve their mental health. Applying this schedule also allows teachers to relax after days of hard work, and have more time to take care of their families.
Currently, Phan Chu Trinh Secondary School has 2 sessions per day (4 periods in the morning, 3-4 periods in the afternoon), the content is still guaranteed so there is not too much pressure.
In response to some opinions that taking a day off on Saturdays could put pressure on students to go out to study, according to Ms. Ha, this is not correct because in the official curriculum, schools and teachers must ensure that the school year program and goals are followed.
However, according to her, the widespread application of students having Saturdays off in Hanoi will depend on the physical conditions.
“I think the prerequisite for students to have Saturday off is that the facilities and classrooms must meet the requirements. For some schools that lack classrooms, it will be difficult for students to take turns taking Saturday off,” she said.
At Thai Thinh Secondary School (Hanoi), Mr. Nguyen Cao Cuong - the school principal said that he strongly supports giving students Saturdays off and the school has also started applying this when it has met the requirements for classrooms, equipment, etc.
Ms. Tran Thi Minh Hai - Vice Principal of Dich Vong Hau Secondary School (Cau Giay), said that the school still allows students to study on Saturdays.
“The general mentality of students, parents and teachers is to have Saturday off. However, due to the 'characteristic' lack of classrooms, many inner-city districts of Hanoi find it difficult to do this,” said Ms. Hai.
She analyzed that if students want to have Saturdays off, in addition to meeting the material needs, the Department of Education and Training or the Ministry of Education and Training needs to re-issue the curriculum framework as well as the prescribed number of periods/grade.
For example, currently, the new general education program stipulates that the total number of periods is no more than 7 periods/day for students studying 2 sessions/day and no more than 5 periods for students studying 1 session/day. Thus, it is very difficult for inner-city secondary schools in Hanoi to implement this because of the lack of classrooms. Meanwhile, in the suburbs, schools with enough classrooms can arrange for students to have Saturday off.
Ha Tinh City pilots allowing secondary school students to take Saturday off
Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/cho-hoc-sinh-nghi-thu-7-lieu-co-tang-ap-luc-hoc-them-2327348.html
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