Many provinces have implemented a policy allowing students to have Saturdays off.
Lao Cai province has been piloting a policy of giving junior high school students Saturdays off since 2019 and will finalize this policy for high school students from March 2024.
Following Lao Cai, Lai Chau has officially adopted a school schedule from Monday to Friday, with Saturdays and Sundays off for students of all levels. This decision is based on the regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training regarding the 40-hour work week and the proposal of the local education sector.
Prior to Lai Chau , many other localities had also made similar decisions, albeit on different scales.
Recently, the Department of Education and Training of Ha Tinh City (Ha Tinh province) has piloted a policy allowing junior high school students to have Saturdays off from regular classes during the 2024-2025 school year. This aims to reduce the workload for teachers and increase rest time for students.
Currently, 8 out of 9 secondary schools in Ha Tinh City are piloting the Saturday school holiday program.
In Nghe An province, many junior high schools in Vinh city and mountainous districts are piloting a Saturday school holiday program for junior high school students starting in 2023, based on the school's facilities being able to accommodate a two-session-per-day school schedule.
In Hanoi, in recent years, some high schools have stopped holding regular classes on Saturdays, such as Phan Huy Chu High School, Yen Hoa High School, Dai Mo High School, and FPT High School…
Is there increased pressure?
According to the Ministry of Education and Training's guidelines on teaching two sessions per day for junior and senior high schools, if teaching all day, schools are not allowed to teach more than 4 lessons in the morning for junior high schools and 5 lessons for senior high schools.
The maximum number of afternoon lessons is 3, and the maximum number of lessons per week is 42 for lower secondary schools and 48 for upper secondary schools. Schools have the autonomy to arrange the school schedule to be 5 or 6 days/week.
Currently, primary schools in most localities operate on a two-session-per-day, five-day-per-week schedule. Meanwhile, secondary and high schools in many areas are operating on a half-day schedule from Monday to Saturday to ensure the required curriculum is met.
Therefore, the policy of giving students Saturdays off has received the support of many parents and students.
However, many are concerned that if Saturdays are canceled, students will have to cram in extra lessons and attend additional afternoon classes on weekdays. Furthermore, many parents and teachers are inclined to enroll their children in extra classes on weekends. Would this create additional pressure on students?
Regarding this issue, in an interview with a reporter, Dr. Nguyen Tung Lam - Chairman of the Education Council of Dinh Tien Hoang High School (Hanoi), and Vice President of the Vietnam Association of Educational Psychology, stated that the implementation of two-session-per-day, five-day-per-week schooling depends on infrastructure, the number of classrooms, and the teaching staff.
Therefore, schools that give students Saturdays off need to arrange timetables and ensure that teaching is carried out according to requirements, without cutting short the curriculum.
According to Dr. Nguyen Tung Lam, the decision to have Saturdays off from school should be considered appropriately for each age group. For high school students, who are older and capable of managing their own time, this should be encouraged.
However, Dr. Nguyen Tung Lam also believes that for students preparing for entrance exams to higher grades, if they are given a day off from regular classes, they will very likely have to attend extra tutoring sessions.
"Instead of studying academics, students would have one Saturday to learn extracurricular subjects and participate in talent-based activities. In addition, teachers would have an extra day for professional development. If this is the right approach, then students should be given Saturdays off," Dr. Nguyen Tung Lam stated.
Source: https://daidoanket.vn/cho-hoc-sinh-nghi-hoc-thu-7-lieu-co-tang-ap-luc-hoc-them-10291455.html
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