The draft affirms that it does not prohibit tutoring, legitimate tutoring, does not restrict the legitimate learning needs of learners and the teaching rights of teachers according to the provisions of law.
Extra tutoring and extra classes have never been an old story in Vietnamese education. But in recent years, when exam pressure, social expectations and economic life fluctuations have weighed heavily on the shoulders of students, parents and teachers, this issue has emerged as a "hot spot" that needs to be viewed more frankly, comprehensively and fairly.
First of all, it is necessary to clearly state: Extra classes are not bad, extra teaching is not always wrong. In a society that values knowledge, the need to learn deeper, learn better, learn to compete is completely understandable. Many students really need extra classes to fill gaps in knowledge, to keep up with the program, or to develop their abilities in strengthened subjects. Many teachers teach extra classes with enthusiasm and responsibility, considering it a way to support students to overcome exam pressure.
The problem only begins to become worrying when tutoring and extra classes are pushed to another extreme: Rampant, mandatory, commercialized. When students feel they are not tutoring, they cannot keep up with the lessons in class; when parents are forced to "register tuition slots" for fear that their children will be disadvantaged; when teachers are suspected of "taught the lessons" in class to "teach thoroughly" in extra classes - that is no longer a natural need, but a manifestation of a deviation from standards.
It is undeniable that exam pressure is the biggest "motivator" promoting extra classes. Intermediate exams, graduation exams, and university entrance exams are still highly competitive, while the curriculum is heavy and the time in class is limited. In that context, extra classes become a "buoy" that many families cling to hoping their children will not fall behind. But it is also that buoy, if abused, that drags students into a vortex of fatigue: studying all day at school, rushing into extra classes in the evening, weekends full, almost no time to rest, play or develop life skills.
From the perspective of teachers, it is necessary to look at it more fairly. The income of many teachers, especially general education teachers, is still not commensurate with their efforts and professional responsibilities. Part-time teaching, for many people, is a way to improve their lives. However, without a strict and transparent management mechanism, the boundary between "voluntary part-time teaching" and "part-time teaching for economic benefits" is easily blurred, damaging social trust in teachers - a profession that needs to be respected and protected.
It is worth mentioning that extra classes do not mean good learning. Many students learn more, but still learn to cope, learn to do the test according to templates, lack independent thinking. Over-cultivating knowledge can help them pass an exam, but it poorens their creativity, critical thinking, and learning joy. In the long term, that is a very high price for the comprehensive development of a generation.
So where is the solution? Clearly, absolute prohibition is not the answer. Reality shows that the more prohibited, tutoring and extra classes become more sophisticated. The necessary thing is to manage by principle, not by emotion. It is necessary to clearly distinguish: Where is legal, transparent tutoring, meeting real needs; where is coercive, profiteering tutoring. At the same time, it is necessary to improve the quality of formal teaching, so that students "learn enough, learn surely" right in class, reducing dependence on extracurricular classes.
If managed in the right direction, transparently and humanely, extra classes can become a necessary support, not a burden for students, parents and the entire education system. The issue is not "whether to have extra classes or not", but what to do with extra classes, for whom and in what way to be appropriate and in accordance with the law.
