Teaching 2 sessions/day is limited to extra classes and tutoring?

After the news that students from grades 6 to 12 will have to study 2 sessions/day, there were many different opinions. Many people supported it, but many others were afraid and argued because they thought it would affect many issues such as: Incurring fees, time for students to study for other certificates and skills, etc.

In Hanoi, many schools with good facilities have organized 2 sessions per day for middle and high school students. Some schools that do not have enough classrooms only organize 1 session per day or organize 2 sessions per day by grade, giving priority to students in the first and last grades.

Teaching 2 sessions/day is limited to extra classes and extra teaching? photo 1

Studying 2 sessions/day, in addition to the knowledge according to the program, students also have time to participate in many skill activities.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy, whose child is in grade 6 at Giang Vo Secondary School (Hanoi), said she feels lucky because her child attends two sessions a day and has lunch at school. This means that at noon, the family does not have to rush to pick up the child and take him home to prepare meals. Not to mention, in the afternoon, if the child does not attend school, it is difficult to manage when the child is home alone with many "tempting" electronic devices such as televisions and phones.

“Studying 2 sessions/day, in addition to the knowledge according to the program, students also have time to participate in many life skills activities, clubs, and performing arts practice. I truly believe and believe that school is a safe environment and the activities of studying, playing, and interacting with friends and teachers are very meaningful to students,” said Ms. Thuy.

According to this parent, when their child has studied 2 sessions/day, teachers and students have more time to equip them with knowledge according to the program and guide them in doing homework, so parents can be completely assured and do not need to send their children to extra classes at centers.

Some parents shared the hardship and difficulty of having to pick up and drop off their children because the school only organizes one session per day.

“Not every family has access to public transportation, and picking up and dropping off children every day is really hard. There are days when children go to school in the morning and go to extra classes at a center in the afternoon, so parents take turns picking them up and sweating. If the school organizes a second session and reinforces knowledge of each subject, students won’t have to go to extra classes, which is convenient for parents,” said one parent.

However, there are also many parents who believe that at the junior high and high school levels , there should not be a requirement to study 2 sessions/day. Students only need to study 1 session at school, the remaining time will be spent on self-study, doing housework or studying subjects that are suitable for their goals and orientations and those of their families.

Mr. Tran Van Quang in Ha Dong district (Hanoi) said that at the secondary school level, students have different orientations. Some aim to pass the entrance exam to a non-specialized high school, some will take the entrance exam to a specialized school, or some aim to study a trade or pursue art. If they study two sessions a day at school, all students in the class will have to follow a common program, without time to study on their own to achieve their goals.

"Especially, when in high school, students have many different paths such as: studying for foreign language certificates, taking separate assessment exams, practicing subjects according to the chosen major combination at the right place... so in addition to studying at school, students need time to study on their own," said Mr. Quang.

Mr. Pham Quoc Toan, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Education and Training, said that the capital city has a large number of schools and a large number of students, with more than 2,900 schools at all levels and nearly 2.3 million students. Up to now, 100% of primary schools have taught 2 sessions per day; 67% of secondary and high schools are qualified to teach 2 sessions per day.

One of the solutions to improve teaching quality and limit the widespread situation of extra classes by the Hanoi Department of Education and Training is to continue to improve facilities, reduce the number of students per class and increase the proportion of students studying 2 sessions per day.

Not required

Regarding the requirement that secondary and high schools will have to teach two sessions per day, Mr. Thai Van Tai, Director of the General Education Department, said that schools have the responsibility to organize students' learning, meeting the curriculum and the needs of learners. In reality, students are required to have knowledge, skills, and career orientation that are suitable for practical requirements that the curriculum cannot meet.

Nationwide, there are currently 9.5 million students and 13,700 schools at the secondary and high school levels, which do not meet the conditions to organize two sessions per day.

"Therefore, secondary and high schools must aim to have 2nd-session classes when there are enough facilities, and that is one of the legitimate needs of learners, aiming to ensure fairness in access to education," said Mr. Tai.

However, according to Mr. Tai, the Ministry of Education and Training does not require mandatory organization of teaching 2 sessions/day, but where conditions permit, the facilities invested by the state must be effectively exploited. With that staffing and facilities, schools must develop effective teaching plans to avoid the situation where the school has enough classrooms but only teaches one session and the other is closed while students have to find a place to study extra.