'Extra classes have always existed and cannot be extinguished'

TPO - Dr. Giap Van Duong said that extra classes are a real need of students. They have always existed and cannot be eliminated. The problem is how to organize them so as not to cause conflicts of interest, damage and fatigue to students. Therefore, it is best to learn from the management experience of advanced countries, allowing centers to organize extra classes.

In recent days, public opinion has heated up when the Ministry of Education and Training announced the Draft Circular on regulations on extra teaching and learning for comments until October 22. The draft has raised many debates and questions, especially regarding the content that does not prohibit teachers from teaching extra classes outside of school.

"Extra classes are a real need of students. They have always existed and cannot be eliminated. The problem is how to organize them so as not to cause conflicts of interest, damage and fatigue to students" - Dr. Giap Van Duong

Tien Phong reporter had an interview and chat with educator, Dr. Giap Van Duong.

"There should be regulations to avoid conflicts of interest"

PV: Do you agree with the Ministry of Education and Training's draft regulations for teachers to teach extra classes outside of school?

Dr. Giap Van Duong: Extra teaching and learning have been discussed over and over again for decades. Many solutions have been proposed, including the measure of banning extra teaching for teachers. But up to now, extra teaching still exists and develops, proving that it is a real need of life. If so, it cannot be banned, it can only be managed and directed scientifically and effectively, especially avoiding conflicts of interest, causing negative impacts on students.

Looking at some countries like Korea and Singapore, we see that extra classes still take place, but at educational centers that are independent of the school. The teachers at those centers are not the students' classroom teachers.

Therefore, in my opinion, we should also have that regulation to avoid conflicts of interest, causing harm to students.

PV: Some people say that the draft gives the green light to extra teaching and worry that extra teaching and learning will become widespread and complicated. Do you share this concern?

Dr. Giap Van Duong: The biggest problem in managing extra teaching and learning is conflict of interest. Teachers who have been teaching in school, now teach extra outside, so what is extra and what is main? Will there be a situation where main teaching is secondary, creating a funnel, and extra teaching is the main goal of teachers? This will certainly happen, if there is no good management solution. The result is that the quality of formal education will decline. The educational environment is also distorted, when teachers do not fully fulfill their responsibilities in class, but instead use the content to teach extra.

Therefore, the issue is not "who manages whom", but whether the solution is thorough and has conflicts of interest.

PV: In your opinion, do students need to take extra classes? Is taking extra classes to become a “learning craftsman” and get high scores really important for a student?

Dr. Giap Van Duong: In my opinion, students should only take extra classes in the following cases: tutoring because of poor academic performance; learning to develop talents; learning content that is not taught at school, according to individual needs.

But why are there so many students taking extra classes nowadays? I think it is because of exams, because of the fear that your child will not be as good as other people's children, or because of the fear that your child will not be able to compete in the next level. This concern is legitimate, but in my opinion, it is not a solution for the education sector.

On the education side, if there is a shortage of schools, the solution is to create a mechanism to call for investment and mobilize resources to build new schools with enough space for students to study, instead of focusing on extra classes to compete for a place in a public school.

As for families, we should encourage and find ways to help children develop their self-study ability, help them find their own strengths and weaknesses, instead of falling into the endless cycle of extra classes that don't really do anything.

PV: It is a fact that students take extra classes and get high scores but they are still bored with studying. Can you analyze some of the consequences for teachers and students in the current cycle of extra classes and tutoring?

"The biggest problem in managing extra teaching and learning is conflict of interest. Teachers who have taught in school, now teach outside, what is extra and what is main?" - Dr. Giap Van Duong

Dr. Giap Van Duong: Extra classes are currently being conducted mainly by cramming knowledge and exam-oriented exercises, so even though the scores are high, they make students tired and their creativity is stunted. Therefore, if students fall into this cycle, they will not only be bored with studying, but also afraid of studying, which is very difficult.

Instead of stuffing like that, in my opinion, the better way is to bring out. Bring out new abilities, new possibilities of the learner. That way, students will have real maturity in the learning process, instead of dulling their love of learning due to being stuffed with content, knowledge, serving short-term goals such as exams.

PV: Seeing the current widespread practice of extra classes in all classes and at all levels will leave negative consequences. In your opinion, will it be harmful to education in general in the long run?

Dr. Giap Van Duong: As I said, extra classes are a real need of students. They have always existed and cannot be eliminated. The problem is how to organize them so that they do not conflict with interests, cause damage and fatigue to students. Therefore, it is best to learn from the management experience of advanced countries, allowing centers to organize extra classes, but the teachers at those centers should not be the teachers directly teaching the students they are teaching.

Do Hop (performed)

Source: https://tienphong.vn/ts-giap-van-duong-hoc-them-thi-thoi-nao-cung-co-va-khong-dap-tat-duoc-post1674947.tpo