Thinking about a summer without tutoring or extra classes.

The final months of the school year are passing, and summer is just around the corner. This summer will be different, as tutoring and extra classes will no longer be a "third semester" for many students and teachers.

High school students leaving after extra classes at a cultural enrichment center on Ly Tu Trong Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City on the evening of February 13 - Photo: NHU HUNG

That thought came to me when I overheard two middle school teachers chatting while waiting for the bus. They talked a lot about the changes, good and bad, following the regulations on tutoring and extra classes. But the main point was: "Now that I don't have extra classes, I have more time to visit my mother."

In previous years, excluding graduating students, students in other grades only had summer vacation until mid-July, meaning the holiday lasted less than two months.

Students return to school in the middle of the summer break to review old material, or even learn new material in advance. For students in their final year of high school, the "summer learning" period is even more intensive: studying at school, taking extra classes at teachers' homes, attending tutoring centers, and taking online classes.

What would it be like if there were no more mass tutoring or extra classes this summer? Students would have a full three months off.

Families will have more opportunities to work and play with their children. This provides a chance for closer interaction, understanding, and more love compared to just the pressures of studying.

With another summer ending, when extra classes close, the school doors remain wide open for fun and experiences.

Instead of attending extra classes, children can learn to play musical instruments, paint, participate in summer camps, play sports , or even engage in experiential activities related to careers and community service.

For many years, teachers have complained about "no summer break" because after supervising exams, grading papers, and attending professional training, they return to teaching during the summer. Some teachers need to teach extra classes to improve their living expenses, but many others are caught in a cycle that makes it impossible to stop.

So what will a different summer be like for teachers? What will they do with their summer days? How can parents, students, and teachers embrace a meaningful and quality vacation when the pressure of extra tutoring and classes is reduced?

The mindset that one must attend extra classes to meet requirements and pass exams is still quite common and deeply ingrained. A significant number of teachers want to teach extra classes not just to increase their income, but out of concern for their students and a sense of obligation to their parents.

Stricter regulations on tutoring and extra classes have exposed many shortcomings in professional management in schools. Students have little knowledge of how to study independently, and teachers have not truly focused on guiding students on how to learn on their own.

The core content of the 2018 general education curriculum, which focuses on teaching students to develop competencies and qualities, has not been fully ingrained.

This is clearly evident in the fact that teachers are still uneasy when "extra tutoring isn't enough," and parents are still uneasy when their children don't attend extra classes. Children are caught in a maze of extra tutoring schedules, while what helps them develop their abilities, skills, and qualities lies outside of those extra classes.

Following the new regulations on tutoring, general education needs a significant leap forward to change the mindset and perceptions in teaching and learning. To achieve this, changes in school management and administration, as well as changes in assessment and examination methods, are necessary.

Perhaps schools and parents should try out a "different kind of summer" together in the coming days.

Experience what children truly need, what brings them happiness? Experience what life values, skills, and habits they gain from a truly meaningful summer instead of forcing them to sit and do essays and math.

The experiences and changes a child undergoes can impact the mindset of adults, as adults themselves feel the meaning behind stepping out of the cycle of "extra tutoring and supplementary classes."

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VINH HA