Wanting her son to gradually get used to letters and numbers, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Hoai (37 years old, Thuong Tin, Hanoi) decided to send her son to extra classes from the beginning of August. However, when entering the new school year, even though her son was confident, Ms. Hoai still maintained a regular schedule for her son with 4 extra classes, including 3 evenings during the week and one afternoon on the weekend.
In her opinion, boys must study all day, all week, to consolidate their knowledge. If they don't study more, they won't be able to keep up with their friends.
As soon as they enter first grade, many children 'work their butts off' studying 9-10 hours a day. (Illustration photo)
"Many days when I went to pick my child up from school to go to extra classes, he innocently asked, "Do I have to go to school again, Mom?" I could only laugh. In the evening, when I saw him coming out of extra classes with a tired, haggard face, I couldn't help but feel sorry but had no choice but to encourage him to try harder," said the female parent.
Ms. Hoai said that when she was young, her family was poor, and neither she nor her husband had the opportunity to go to school, so they were at a disadvantage compared to their peers. Therefore, the couple decided to invest all their efforts in their son, not letting him fall behind his peers.
Each extra class for Ms. Hoai’s son costs between 150,000 and 200,000 VND. It is estimated that the family will set aside about 4 million VND per month for their son to take extra classes. Despite the expense and time it takes to pick up and drop off their child, the couple has never thought of stopping their son from going to school.
Not only Ms. Hoai, many parents said that since the beginning of the new school year, their children often leave home in the morning and come home at 7-8 pm, then do homework until 9-10 pm. Some families let their children take extra classes all week, even on weekends, because they are afraid that their children will not be able to keep up with the program and their classmates.
“My child's study schedule is nothing compared to his classmates”, “I have to study full days and full weeks to consolidate my knowledge” or “My child can't concentrate at home, and my parents can't help me”… are justifications given by some parents.
According to Ms. Bui Thi Nhon, a teacher at Tan Thanh A Primary School (Binh Phuoc), many parents think that the current curriculum is too fast and too difficult. Therefore, it is necessary to send their children to school ahead of schedule and to take extra classes.
"I personally find that the current primary school program, especially grade 1, is not too heavy. Children can completely keep up if parents do not put too much emphasis on achievements," said Ms. Nhon.
However, with the fear of losing to friends and not being good enough academically, many parents in the city are willing to schedule their children's study schedule tightly, with study time up to 9-10 hours/day, more than working people, "this is a desire for achievements and awards, not really worrying about the future of their children".
Entering grade 1, some children already know how to read, write, and calculate, which inadvertently creates differences in skills and awareness among students in the same class. However, teachers will teach according to the standard curriculum prescribed by the Ministry of Education and Training, not what students already know. Therefore, parents should not worry and there is no need to send their children to extra classes too much.
A parent's shocking post about their child's school schedule. (Screenshot)
Don't turn education into a cutthroat race
Witnessing children who have just entered first grade and have to enter a fierce race without even understanding the reason, Dr. Ho Lam Giang, an educational psychologist and head of the Happy Teen education advisory board, laments: "The study schedule of a 6-year-old child is, sadly, more than that of a working adult, or even a student who is in the peak month of reviewing for the 10th grade entrance exam or university entrance exam."
Learning is a long journey, requiring self-effort, love, and passion. Unfortunately, the fear of being inferior to "other people's children" causes many parents to sacrifice their children's childhood in exchange for achievements and admiration from society.
Dr. Giang believes that parents who arrange a tight study schedule for their children are perhaps victims of the achievement disease, when they only care about academic results and ignore the physical and mental development of their children.
In addition to learning knowledge, children need to learn how to behave, how to communicate, how to love to explore and feel life. However, with the current tight school schedule arranged by parents, children hardly have time to rest completely, not to mention connecting with nature or having regular recreational and physical activities.
With such a race, families will gain more achievements but will also lose more, creating children who are afraid of studying, afraid of going to school, always in a state of fatigue and exhaustion.
“We have witnessed the pressure of secondary and high school students in the exams to advance their level. However, the pressure is now weighing heavily on children entering grade 1, which really makes the hearts of adults, and also makes parents like me, ache,” said Dr. Giang, hoping that parents will consider and make the right and appropriate choice for the balanced and comprehensive development of their children.
Source: https://vtcnews.vn/vua-vao-lop-1-nhieu-phu-huynh-bien-con-thanh-tho-cay-hoc-them-kin-tuan-ar898385.html
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