The Ministry of Education and Training is seeking comments on the draft Circular amending and supplementing Circular No. 29/2024/TT-BGDĐT dated December 30, 2024 of the Minister of Education and Training regulating tutoring and extra classes.
The Ministry of Education and Training said that it will amend Circular 29 in the direction of not prohibiting legitimate tutoring, not restricting the legitimate learning needs of learners and the teaching rights of teachers according to the provisions of law.
The focus of the draft is to strengthen management solutions according to regulations, minimizing acts of disguised tutoring, forcing students to take extra classes, and profiteering from tutoring and extra classes, affecting a healthy educational environment.
At the same time, the draft Circular clarifies the scope of regulation, identifies enhanced education activities, education activities according to the needs and legitimate interests of learners to comprehensively develop students, organized according to the regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training, not within the scope of regulation of tutoring and extra classes. Clarifying this content aims to avoid inconsistent understandings, ensuring clear distinction between tutoring and extra classes and legal and necessary educational activities in schools.
According to the Ministry of Education and Training, the overarching content of the draft is to strengthen the management of teachers' tutoring behavior; link tutoring activities with professional ethics standards, obligations, powers and things that teachers are not allowed to do according to the provisions of the Law on Teachers.
The draft also clarifies the accountability of the Principal in managing extra classes and tutoring activities at the school. The Principal is given the right to be proactive and flexible in organizing implementation, including the right to propose increasing the extra teaching time in the school for students who are allowed to organize extra classes according to the provisions of Circular No. 29/2024/TT-BGDĐT, based on the actual needs, teaching organization conditions of the school and the requests of teachers, parents, and students.
Contributing opinions to the draft, Mr. Nguyen Trung Thanh, class 5, Binh Hoa Elementary School, Binh Hoa ward, Ho Chi Minh City, said that it is necessary to clarify the "legitimate needs" of learners to avoid different interpretations between localities.
Regarding the program and tutoring materials, according to teacher Trung Thanh, the regulation "not exceeding the program" is necessary but needs to be clear in understanding: Not exceeding the standard of knowledge - skills but still needing to be expanded appropriately to foster excellent students.
Regarding the subjects of tutoring and extra classes, Mr. Thanh proposed: "Still allow primary school students to take extra classes when parents have needs and when teaching, there must be supervision from management levels".
Regarding this recommendation, the Ministry of Education and Training said that according to the provisions of Circular No. 32/2018/TT-BGDĐT promulgating the General Education Program, teaching 2 sessions/day is mandatory for primary school.
Schools must be responsible for developing school education plans, ensuring the quality of education and organizing 2-session/day teaching in accordance with regulations. Therefore, Clause 1, Article 4 of Circular No. 29/2024/TT-BGDDT has stipulated not to organize extra classes for elementary school students" - the Ministry of Education and Training affirmed.
Circular 29 takes effect from mid-February 2025, stipulating that secondary and high schools are only allowed to tutor (free of charge) for 3 groups: Students with unsuccessful academic results in the last subject of the immediately preceding semester; Students selected for excellent student development; End-of-grade students (9th, 12th grade) preparing for exams.
After a long period of implementation, Circular 29 caused much controversy. Many experts assess that Circular 29 brings some positive results such as limiting rampant tutoring, economic benefits from tuition fee collection,... Parents do not have to endure the scene of "voluntarily" registering for extra classes for their children because they are afraid of teachers, schools,...
As Lao Dong newspaper has reported, many parents complain that since Circular 29 on tutoring and extra classes took effect, they have to bear the scene of spending twice as much money but are still not assured of the quality.
The reason is that when schools do not tutor, they have to take their children out to study at centers, the cost is 2-3 times higher, and the quality is difficult to control.
Parents spend twice as much on extra classes, still not assured of quality
