Towards the rights of learners
Announcing the recent conclusion of the Party Central Committee Office after the working session of General Secretary To Lam with representatives of the Government Party Committee and central departments, ministries and branches, the policy of unification on primary and secondary schools organizing teaching and learning in 2 sessions/day, depending on the conditions of each locality regarding facilities, finance and teachers.
Units need to have a roadmap to gradually implement this policy, in which it is necessary to combine State investment with encouraging socialization. Teaching 2 sessions/day ensures no fee and reduces pressure on students, strengthens teaching on culture and arts to ensure students' comprehensive development.
According to parents, many people support this policy because studying 2 sessions/day will create conditions for students to develop more comprehensively in terms of physical, mental and life skills.
I fully support this policy. If the school organizes two sessions, students can study all the main subjects and choose to study during regular hours, limiting the need for evening study. This will reduce the pressure on children to study, said Ms. My Hanh (Nghe An).
Ms. Phan Nga (HCMC) - a parent of a 6th grade student in District 1 said that she feels more secure when her child studies 2 sessions/day. This parent said that since her child was in grade 5, she decided to find a school that teaches him 2 sessions/day for her child to attend.
For students, they think this is an opportunity to study effectively and a stepping stone for development in the future. This is an opportunity for students to have practical experiences, rub shoulders with talents, thereby finding their favorite subject.
I am very excited to study arts and sports with professional artists and athletes - student Dao Phuong Dung - Nguyen Huy Tuong Secondary School (Hanoi) shared.
Opportunities and challenges
According to the leaders of some educational institutions, teaching 2 sessions/day is a positive direction, contributing to improving the quality of education if implemented properly.
Discussing this issue, Ms. Dang Thuy Ha - Principal of Tay Dang Secondary School (Hanoi) - said that the school still faces certain challenges.
"In terms of facilities, currently the school basically meets the requirements to organize teaching 2 sessions/day. The deployment funding will depend on the granted budget and the school will follow the specific instructions from the authorities. However, the biggest challenge is still the teachers because it is not enough in terms of quantity to deploy simultaneously and effectively the program is very good at the time. - Ms. Ha shared.
Ms. Lam Hong Lam Thuy - Head of the Department of Public Education, Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City - said that in the 2024-2025 school year, the city has 39/556 primary schools that have not organized 2 sessions/day (equivalent to 92.98% of primary schools have organized 2 sessions/day); the rate of 2 sessions/day teaching at secondary school level reached 93%.
Areas such as Districts 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, Phu Nhuan and Can Gio and Nha Be districts have a 2-session/day learning rate of 100%. The remaining localities that increase their mechanical population every year such as District 12, Go Vap, Tan Binh, Tan Phu, Binh Tan, ... are still facing difficulties in facilities, so some schools only organize 2 sessions/day for students on some days.
The leaders of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training assessed that teaching 2 sessions/day contributes to improving the quality of education, developing according to qualities and abilities based on a diverse educational environment, helping students have a healthy environment to develop, parents feel secure; having more time for students to work in groups, participate in collective activities, experience and develop personal abilities...
However, the leader of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training said that currently, the conditions for facilities are still difficult, many places still lack classrooms and functional rooms that need additional investment. There is still a shortage of teachers, especially teachers teaching music, fine arts, physical education, foreign languages, and IT, affecting the organization of teaching sessions/day at educational institutions.
Therefore, the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City recommends that the Ministry of Education and Training should have appropriate mechanisms and policies for teachers teaching 2 sessions/day to implement the 2018 General Education Program, especially teachers teaching music, fine arts, physical education, foreign languages, and IT.
The education sector and localities prepare conditions for teaching 2 sessions per day
Talking to reporters, Mr. Nguyen Van Hung - Head of the Department of Education and Training of Quang Ngai City - said that Quang Ngai City has about 40,000 primary and secondary school students. For primary schools, all schools in Quang Ngai City have been teaching two sessions per day for more than 4 years.
For secondary schools alone, there is currently no school in Quang Ngai City that applies the form of teaching two sessions per day, so a suitable learning program has not been developed. "The policy of teaching two sessions a day at secondary school level, if implemented, will bring many positive effects to students, gradually reducing the situation of extra teaching and learning...", Mr. Hung shared.
Mr. Nguyen Minh Anh, Head of the Department of Education and Training of Son Tay district, said that the whole district has about 3,200 primary and secondary school students. Two-day learning has been implemented for the past 2 years, helping to manage students better, limit extra teaching and learning, and receive support from parents and contribute to improving the quality of education.
Vien Nguyen
