Circular 29 on extra teaching and learning, effective from February 14, 2025, stipulates that "no extra teaching is organized for primary school students, except for cases of arts, physical education, and life skills training".
English class is also temporarily closed
A few weeks before Tet, when the information surrounding Circular 29 on extra teaching and learning started to heat up, Ms. Ngoc An (name changed), whose child is studying at primary school in District 1 (HCMC), received information that her child's afternoon and evening extra classes for math and Vietnamese would be temporarily suspended. Up to now, the classes have not been reopened. However, she still took her child to study English at a center. Here, the classes were still held as usual.
Students finish school at an after-school cultural center. From February 14, new regulations on extra teaching and learning will officially apply.
Similarly, in the past few weeks, Ms. Ngoc Bich (name changed), an English teacher in Hung Yen, has stopped teaching English classes for primary school students for fear of violating Circular 29, and only maintains classes for secondary and high school students to review for certificates, 10th grade entrance exams, and high school graduation. These are not students that Ms. Bich teaches regularly (she teaches primary school). As a public school teacher, Ms. Bich cannot organize extra classes, but she teaches extra classes at a registered business facility that pays taxes in full.
Ms. Bich affirmed that Circular 29 is very good in the point that "Teachers who are teaching at schools are not allowed to teach extra classes outside of school and collect money from students that the teacher is assigned by the school to teach according to the school's education plan". This will eliminate the practice of "forcing" students to take extra classes.
N STILL CONCERNS
However, Ms. Bich is very concerned when Clause 1, Article 4 of Circular 29 stipulates "no extra teaching for primary school students, except for cases of arts, sports, and life skills training" but does not mention foreign languages in this "excepted" group.
Ms. Bich also pointed out a problem that currently the number of students in each class is very large, not everywhere meets the requirement of less than 35 students/class as per the elementary school regulations, while English teachers in public schools are very difficult to recruit, some schools are even lacking. "Each English class at school is only 35 minutes, it will be a big challenge if we want elementary school students to be good at English just by studying at school, especially to meet the exams and tests to enter grade 6 at top schools", Ms. Bich said.
An English teacher at a public primary school in Ho Chi Minh City also wondered about the fact that in addition to her working hours at school, she signed a contract to teach at an English center and the enrollment was entirely done by the center. The program she taught at the English center followed different syllabuses than the current textbooks, helping students take certificates such as Starters, Movers or IELTS... So is her extra work considered as participating in extra teaching and having to comply with the regulations in Circular 29?
"I did not participate in the admission process, nor did I collect any money. I only teach under a contract with the center. If an English teacher from an elementary school teaches English at the center, and teaches the same class as the students he or she teaches at school, is that a violation of Circular 29?", this teacher asked.
Many parents have the same concern. "My child is an elementary school student, is it considered a violation if he goes to study English at a foreign language center?", parent Ngoc An wondered.
Cases where extra tutoring is allowed and not allowed
TEACHING ENGLISH AT A CENTER IS NOT CLASSIFIED AS "EXTRA TEACHING"
Responding to Thanh Nien reporters, Mr. Ho Tan Minh, Chief of Office of the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City, said: "Teaching English at centers focuses on practicing speaking, listening, reading, and reviewing for certificates such as Starters, Movers... not teaching knowledge in class, learning English here is to develop capacity. Therefore, teaching English at centers (including for primary school students) is not considered extra teaching."
Mr. Minh also emphasized the need to clearly understand the concept of extra teaching and learning. In Clause 1, Article 2 of Circular No. 29/2024/TT-BGDĐ dated December 30, 2024 of the Ministry of Education and Training on extra teaching and learning, it is defined as: "Extra teaching and learning are additional teaching activities in addition to the time prescribed in the education plan for subjects and educational activities in the general education program, the continuing education program at the junior high school level, the continuing education program at the high school level issued by the Minister of Education and Training".
The Chief of Office of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training said: "When foreign language centers are granted a license to operate and organize teaching, they are not licensed to teach content in schools, but to teach English Starters, Movers, KET, PET..., according to another document, a different development skill, so it is not included in the main curriculum content."
"Foreign language centers in Ho Chi Minh City are licensed to operate education to teach practical English according to Circular 28 (Circular No. 28/2021/TT-BGDDT of the Ministry of Education and Training on promulgating the Continuing Education Program on Practical English). No foreign language center is licensed to teach English in the 2018 General Education Program. Therefore, if a foreign language center organizes teaching English in the 2018 General Education Program, it is violating the license," Mr. Ho Tan Minh added.
The reporter asked, what if the foreign language center "evades the law" and still teaches students to review knowledge according to the 2018 General Education Program? Mr. Minh said that this is a matter of management, inspection, supervision, and handling of violations. The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee has issued an official dispatch, the management of extra teaching and learning must be carried out at all levels, from the Department of Education and Training to the People's Committees of districts, wards, and communes. The center and the extra teaching and learning facilities must be responsible for following the circular. The center must publicize the teachers and curriculum; who teaches, what content is taught, and what curriculum. If the inspection team comes and finds that the teaching is not in accordance with the license, the center will be fined, have its license revoked, and will not be allowed to operate anymore.
We give an example of a teacher teaching at a public primary school, who teaches IC3 certificates at a foreign language - information technology center in addition to working hours. Is this considered extra teaching according to Circular 29? If this teacher teaches the same students as those currently taught at the primary school, is that allowed?
Regarding this case, Mr. Minh said that this is not an extra teaching or learning activity, because teaching IC3 is teaching skills, developing capacity and qualities for students. IC3 is not included in the general education program, the center teaches students to get international certificates, fosters capacity and skills for students, and this is not teaching official knowledge.
Primary school teachers are still allowed to teach extra classes in some cases.
Mr. Ho Tan Minh emphasized that Circular No. 29 does not prohibit teachers from teaching extra classes. The issue is to teach according to the regulations in the circular and not to lose the dignity of the education sector and teachers.
For primary school teachers, the circular also does not prohibit extra teaching. "Primary school teachers are not allowed to teach extra subjects that they teach in school or in class. The remaining teachers can teach calligraphy, handicrafts, STEM, music, painting, and other talents...", he said.
The Chief of Staff of the HCM City Department of Education and Training also said that a music teacher at a public school can still go to a center to teach musical instruments to students. Or a teacher at a school can still go to a center to teach musical instruments, drawing, sports, etc. because these are subjects that nurture students' talents, not considered subjects that teach cultural knowledge, so they are not classified as extra teaching or extra learning.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nhieu-giao-vien-dung-day-them-hoc-sinh-tieu-hoc-185250209221010588.htm
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