Race to get into top first grade school: 5-year-olds struggle with full-week extra classes

Ms. Dang Thi Huyen's family (36 years old, Cau Giay, Hanoi) has a daughter preparing to enter first grade this year. With the expectation that her child will enroll in a popular private school in the area, right from the end of kindergarten at the age of 4, she made a review plan for her child, based on the consultation of many previous parents.

"The two schools that my family planned to apply to for my child in grade 1 both required an interview and a comprehensive knowledge assessment. When I asked for advice from those who had gone before, everyone advised me to study in advance and practice for the exam to have a chance of passing, I couldn't help but listen," the female parent said, adding that in addition to the English classes at the center twice a week, she decided to register for a Math Thinking session and a Writing practice session during the week.

Every day at 5pm, Ms. Huyen hurriedly leaves the company to pick up her child from kindergarten. She gives her child a piece of bread and a carton of milk before taking him to the tutoring center.

The daughter will start her class with her teacher at 5:30 p.m. The class ends at 7 p.m. She goes home, takes a shower, hastily eats a bowl of rice, has to do her homework and go to bed early so she can continue going to school the next day. Ms. Huyen's daughter's life is always in a cycle of studying and studying.

Children study extra classes full week, competing for a place in first grade at a hot school in Hanoi. (Illustration photo)

In total, Ms. Huyen has to spend more than 3 million VND per month for her child's extra classes, not including other expenses.

The female parent confided that in big cities like Hanoi, the race to get into first grade at private schools is very stressful. Parents often have high expectations for their children and understand that only by trying their best can their children win a place in top schools. "Even though it is expensive, I still accept it. I believe this is an important opportunity for my child to have a favorable educational future," said Ms. Huyen.

Sending children to extra classes full weeks is not a rare case in Ms. Huyen's family. Ms. Phan Thi Ha Trang (33 years old, Hoai Duc, Hanoi) has a child preparing to enter grade 1 and has also registered her child for a literacy class and a class to prepare for entrance exams to high-quality schools. The female parent did not forget to invest in a skill-development subject, which is the piano. She believes that, in addition to learning letters and numbers, arts and sports will help her child gain confidence and develop comprehensively both physically and mentally.

Since sending her child to extra classes, she and her husband have taken turns taking him to and from school to make sure he doesn't miss any class. "Many times my husband advised me to let my child study less so he has time to rest and play. But I feel sorry for skipping any subject, afraid that if I miss any, my child will be at a disadvantage compared to his friends," the mother said.

The female parent decided to invest and spend a lot of money for her child to study extra from preschool to have a foundation before entering primary school, as well as enough strength to participate in the entrance exams to grade 1 of hot schools. Seeing her child lethargic and tired many times, Ms. Huyen could not help but feel sorry but thought that this was a long-term strategy, helping her child to be more successful in the competitive learning environment later.

Ms. Bui Minh Diep, a teacher at Khuong Dinh Kindergarten (Hanoi), assessed that continuously giving children extra classes without considering rest and natural development can cause unwanted consequences for children's mental and physical health.

Many parents feel uneasy about not letting their children attend extra classes, but not all extra classes are effective. According to the female teacher, parents need to know clearly whether their children have enough memory, health and mentality to follow a tight schedule without a single free day.

The race to enter first grade at Hanoi's top schools is always intense every year. (Illustration photo)

"Children are about to enter the first years of their lives, if they are put under too much pressure, the consequences will be huge, affecting their future learning process," Ms. Diep said, emphasizing that parents need to be aware of the long-term consequences to adjust their expectations, create an age-appropriate schedule, and help their children balance between studying and life.

According to the female teacher, when children enter first grade, not only the children need to prepare mentally, but the whole family, especially parents, need to prepare well. They should not be too worried or impatient when their children have difficulty writing, doing calculations incorrectly or not as perfect as expected.

Children need space to experiment, make mistakes and learn from those mistakes. If parents show too much anxiety, children may feel a lack of confidence, even fear when facing early failures. "Only when children feel a love for learning and are not afraid of failure, can they develop comprehensively, a factor more important than any achievement," Ms. Diep emphasized.

Kim Anh

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/cuoc-dua-vao-lop-1-truong-top-tre-5-tuoi-vat-va-lich-hoc-them-kin-tuan-ar936695.html