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| A math session of students of the Tran Nhan Tong primary school in Nam Dinh city, Nam Dinh province__Photo: Nguyen Lanh/VNA |
The Ministry of Education and Training recently issued a circular restricting almost all extra classes outside school hours which immediately sparked off heated debate among the public.
Under the Circular, coded 29/2024/TT-BGDDT, extra classes for primary students are completely banned from February 14, except those for training arts, sports, foreign languages and life skills.
As for students of higher grades, schools may only organize free-of-charge extra classes for three groups of students: (i) students whose learning outcomes in the previous semester are unsatisfactory; (ii) students who are selected to attend competitions for gifted students; and (iii) final-year students who voluntarily register for participation in extra classes to prepare for enrollment or graduation exams.
Except the aforementioned cases, teachers are prohibited from holding tutoring classes for their own students in all forms.
Meanwhile, organizations and individuals that wish to provide tutoring services for profit must establish and register as businesses under the Enterprise Law.
These new regulations immediately stir concerns among society.
Talking with correspondents of the Tien Phong (Vanguard), Thanh H., a teacher at a primary school in Tay Ho district (Hanoi), said she and her colleagues felt worried about the complete ban on extra classes for primary school students. Given the fact that most public schools in big cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are overcrowded, students in the same class have different academic ability. Some can quickly grasp new knowledge but others need more instructions and explanations from teachers. Before Circular 29 came into force, the school held four extra classes, also known as reinforced classes, per week for students and charged a small amount for these classes. Thanh H. usually took advantage of such reinforced classes to help students consolidate knowledge and instruct them to solve home assignments. But now, under Circular 29, the school had to terminate these classes.
Not only teachers but also parents expressed their worries about the new rule.
In mid-January, Nhung, a mother of an eighth-grader in the suburban district of Hoai Duc of Hanoi, was informed that her child had to stop all extra classes at the school and at home of the child’s teacher. Nhung immediately run about trying to seek other tutoring classes for her child. She later found a math tutor who charged VND 150,000 for an online tutoring session. Previously, when her child joined extra classes held by the teachers who taught her child at school, Nhung paid about VND 400,000 per subject per month.
Nhung’s child is not doing well at school and needs tutoring for Math, Literature and English. Now if the child takes two tutoring sessions for each subject per week, the cost will mount to nearly VND 4 million per month. “This is a real burden,” Nhung told the VietNamNet.
Speaking at the 42nd session of the National Assembly Standing Committee recently held to review the National Assembly’s Report on People’s Aspirations, Nguyen Thanh Hai, head of the National Assembly Deputies’ Affairs Committee, said the need for extra teaching and extra learning is legitimate. Good teachers have the right to hold extra classes to earn more income while students who lack background knowledge or want to improve their performance have the right to take tutoring classes. “But negative practices [related to extra learning and teaching] that cause resentment in society must be eliminated,” Hai stressed.
Expert recommendations
According to Dr. Nguyen Tung Lam, Vice President of the Vietnam Psycho-Pedagogical Association, Circular 29 has been developed based on a correct perspective, i.e., extra classes can only be held when students need and wish to attend. However, in order to completely solve the current abuse of extra teaching and learning, a set of synchronized solutions should be taken so as to treat the root cause of the “disease”.
The expert pointed out that although schools have been required to change learning and teaching methods, focusing on developing students’ capacity, in reality, most teachers, parents and even students still compete for scores, degrees and certificates.
Agreeing with Dr. Lam, education expert Hoang Ngoc Vinh suggested a combination of solutions, ranging from reforming exam policies, investing in vocational education, changing public awareness and expanding and improving the high school network, to reforming education institutions.
In an article published on the Tuoi Tre (Youth), Dr. Vinh wrote: “A truly effective solution to the problem of extra learning must start from the question: Why do students need private tutoring? The answer often revolves around exam pressure, lack of confidence in the formal education system, and social expectations of achieving high scores or entering prestigious schools. The key solution, hence, is not just controlling extra classes, but changing the way the education system is designed so as to reduce this pressure - a responsibility that falls on education authorities at central and local levels. This includes reforming exams, transforming the way students are assessed, and improving the quality of education in schools.”
More specifically, it is necessary to develop a more comprehensive assessment system which should be based on not only knowledge tests but also evaluations of soft skills, thinking ability and achievements in practical activities. Creative exams, project-based assessments, or process-based capacity assessments may be regarded as important initiatives that help reduce pressure from traditional exams, the expert suggested.
In addition, investment in the vocational education system and alternatives to the traditional education path is a key factor. When vocational education becomes more attractive, the needs for extra classes to compete for slots in public high schools will automatically reduce.
Finally, the distinction between public schools and private schools also needs to be narrowed. In Vietnam, public schools are often considered the first choice, leading to fierce competition and increased demand for tutoring. Meanwhile, private schools are not good enough (in terms of tuition fee and education quality) to become a reliable alternative to public schools.
“The problem of extra teaching and learning cannot be solved completely if we only focus on managing this phenomenon. Instead, we need a systematic mindset, considering extra teaching a manifestation of larger shortcomings in the education system,” Dr. Vinh wrote.-
