Many reasons why students cannot have Saturday off all together

However, according to the representative of the Hanoi Department of Education and Training, the city cannot yet apply the regulation of Saturday off to all schools because conditions do not allow it. First, schools must prepare enough facilities and classrooms to ensure each class/room/session. In addition, schools must arrange a reasonable schedule and timetable to avoid creating pressure on students, especially on days when students have to study full-day.

All secondary schools in Lao Cai give students Saturday off.

According to some parents' feedback and actual observations, many secondary schools in Hanoi can teach 2 sessions/day but use the 2nd session to organize extra classes or include "voluntary" subjects instead of regular classes so that students can take 2 days off on the weekend.

Previously, at the end of 2023, some localities in Nghe An had consulted teachers and administrators about a similar policy and received mixed opinions. Some supporters said that taking Saturday off is necessary to reduce the workload for students and allow them to fully rest. Others said that if students study 5 days a week but may have to increase the number of hours each day, it cannot be called a reduction in pressure.

Since 1999, when the Government regulated the 40-hour working regime, Circular 36/1999/TT of the Ministry of Education and Training stated: “The education sector implements the workweek regime according to the Government's regulations, but due to the characteristics of pedagogical labor and other practical conditions, the implementation of the 5-day working regime, with Saturday and Sunday off every week cannot be carried out simultaneously. It is necessary to do it step by step, with separate plans for each level and education level, taking into account the specific conditions of the locality, college and university”.

Students of Phan Huy Chu High School - Dong Da (Hanoi). This is one of the few schools in Hanoi that allows students to take Saturday off.

The teaching conditions of local schools are currently not the same, some places teach 2 sessions/day, but many places still maintain 1 session/day at the secondary level. According to the 2018 General Education Program, the average number of lessons per week for junior high school and high school is 29 - 29.5, not including elective subjects. The Ministry's guidance on teaching 2 sessions/day at the secondary level notes that if teaching all day, schools are not allowed to teach more than 4 morning lessons for junior high school, 5 lessons for high school; maximum 3 lessons in the afternoon and no more than 6 school days a week, applicable to both levels. The maximum number of lessons per week for junior high school students is 42, high school students is 48.

Thus, to ensure enough time as prescribed by the program, only schools that are qualified to teach 2 sessions/day can consider implementing Saturday off.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nhieu-ly-do-hoc-sinh-chua-the-nghi-thu-bay-dong-loat-185241011225733546.htm