Will tutoring and tutoring be easier than before?

On August 22, the Ministry of Education and Training posted a draft Circular regulating extra teaching and learning for comments. It is necessary for the Ministry of Education and Training to issue a new document to change Circular 17/2012/TT-BGDDT. However, when reading the draft, we found that the content does not have any breakthroughs in limiting extra teaching and learning at present, but is somewhat easier than before.

Primary school students after extra classes at a facility in District 5 (HCMC) in March 2023

"Voluntary": Difficult to control

The draft's principles of extra teaching and learning (Article 3) require that "it can only be organized when students have a need for extra study, voluntarily take extra study, and have the consent of their parents or guardians. Organizations and individuals organizing extra teaching and learning must not use any form to force students to take extra study."

Previously, Circular No. 17/2012/TT-BGDDT also stipulated: "Subjects to extra classes are students who have the need to take extra classes, voluntarily take extra classes and have their families' consent; no form of coercion may be used to force students' families and students to take extra classes."

However, the situation of extra teaching and learning in recent years has been quite complicated. Students all attend extra classes "voluntarily" and no teacher forces them. Teachers do not force them, but there is a situation where if students do not attend extra classes, they will be disadvantaged in class and on tests. Therefore, there is a situation of mass extra classes in some subjects.

"No pre-program tutoring": Is it easy to implement?

The draft circular requires: "Do not teach extra content in advance of the subject program distribution in the school's education plan; do not use examples, questions, and exercises that have been taught or learned extra to test and evaluate students." But who or which agency inspects extra teaching outside of school is still an open issue.

Most of the teachers who teach extra classes for students outside of school are currently teaching ahead of the curriculum. Systematizing and expanding knowledge is very little, only for final year students nearing the transition exam and graduation exam.

The regulation of "not using examples, questions, exercises taught in extra classes to test and evaluate students" is even more difficult. Because this is what parents and students expect. Whether the extra teacher is "reputable" or not, the key lies in this. If not, how can students get high scores and academic titles?

Students leave class at a tutoring center on Cach Mang Thang Tam Street (Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City) in 2023.

Admit to allow extra teaching outside of school?

Teaching and learning outside of school (Article 5) requires "Business registration according to the provisions of law". Compared with Circular No. 17/2012/TT-BGDDT requiring a license, the content is not much different.

In addition, previously, Circular No. 17/2012/TT-BGDDT required teachers not to teach extra classes to regular students, but teachers still mainly taught extra classes to regular students. Now, the draft Circular no longer prohibits this content. With this regulation, it is almost accepted that extra classes outside of school are allowed. As long as teachers who teach extra classes outside of school only need to report the location, time and commit to not violating the head of the unit, the management agency can open extra classes.

In Clause 2, Article 6 of the draft, the guidelines for collecting and managing extra-curricular tuition fees are as follows: "The level of extra-curricular tuition fees is agreed upon between parents, students and tutoring facilities and must be made public before enrolling students in extra-curricular classes."

For a long time, this has been "agreed" with parents or "publicly announced before enrollment" but the amount that teachers charge for extra classes is paid in full by parents and students. There has never been a parent or student who disagreed with the tuition fee that the teacher requested.

In fact, the draft Circular that the Ministry of Education and Training has just announced, when compared with Circular No. 17/2012/TT-BGDDT, has not changed much in terms of content and nature. Therefore, the situation of extra teaching and learning may continue to be complicated in the future. In particular, when teachers are not banned from giving extra lessons to regular students, it means that the barrier has been completely removed so that teachers who give extra lessons can be more comfortable and not worry about anything. As long as they report to the principal and commit to a number of things according to regulations, that is fine.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/day-them-hoc-them-se-de-dang-hon-truoc-day-185240825120423232.htm