Parents are upset about skills being included in the curriculum, the Department of Education and Training speaks out

phụ huynh - Ảnh 1. — iSmart class opened at Nguyen Cong Tru Primary School, Buon Ma Thuot City, Dak Lak with the participation of the school and parents - Photo: MINH PHUONG

Besides, parents also asked: Circular 29 stipulates that no extra classes are given to primary school students, so is this considered extra classes?

According to parents, this program does not teach math according to the standards of the Ministry of Education and Training, the tuition fee is 400,000 VND/month for two periods/week, 30-40 minutes/period.

Parents also complained that the teaching staff is mostly Vietnamese teachers instead of foreign teachers as initially committed. Students who do not register will be separated from their classes, causing heavy psychological stress and a feeling of discrimination.

Speaking to Tuoi Tre reporters, Mr. Nguyen Huu Luat - Head of the Department of Education and Training of Buon Ma Thuot City - said that he had received feedback from parents about the iSmart program. The department is reviewing whether the implementation of the iSmart program violates Circular 29 on extra teaching and learning.

"We currently have no official guidance from the Ministry of Education and Training on whether this program is within the scope of Circular 29. In a recent meeting, the Deputy Minister of Education and Training said that iSmart is a skills program, not a tutoring class in the traditional sense," said Mr. Luat.

Mr. Luat also said that the program's content had been reviewed by the Ministry, Department and Department of Education and Training before implementation.

Ms. Le Thi Kim Oanh - Deputy Director of Dak Lak Department of Education and Training - also said that teaching paid skill classes integrated into regular school hours was wrong and requested to stop the implementation.

However, regarding the iSmart program, Ms. Oanh said that this is a foreign language skills class within the national foreign language project, so it is not bound by Circular 29.

"In Dak Lak, there are two units implementing foreign language programs in schools. Learning is voluntary, not compulsory. This program is also consistent with the policy of enhancing the teaching of math and science in foreign languages according to the Prime Minister's project," said Ms. Oanh.

The program belongs to the foreign language teaching and learning project.

iSmart Company representative said that there are currently more than 500 schools nationwide implementing the program with about 200,000 students. In Dak Lak alone, the program is being implemented in 15 primary schools with about 6,000 students.

According to iSmart representative, the program belongs to the project of teaching and learning foreign languages in the national education system, is implemented in qualified schools, in the form of socialization, on a voluntary basis and has had its content assessed.

This unit also affirmed that the program's implementation fully complies with legal regulations and is not within the scope of Circular 29.

"We expect students to be able to use English as an academic tool, form a foundation of global thinking and access international education standards from primary school," said an iSmart representative.

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MINH PHUONG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/phu-huynh-buc-xuc-viec-mon-ky-nang-dua-vao-chinh-khoa-so-giao-duc-va-dao-tao-len-tieng-20250418092455325.htm