Funding for tutoring is a concern
The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) is seeking opinions on the Draft Circular amending and supplementing Circular 29/2024/TT-BGDDT dated December 30, 2024, promulgating regulations on tutoring and extra classes.
Contributing opinions to the draft, the Hai Phong Department of Education and Training said that it basically agrees with the contents in the draft. However, the issue related to funding for tutoring is also a content that the Departments of Education and Training are concerned about.
According to the Hai Phong Department of Education and Training, Article 7 of Circular 29 stipulates: Funds for organizing extra classes and tutoring in schools shall use state budget funds and other legal funds as prescribed by law.
However, currently, units are facing difficulties in building spending norms when preparing estimates because the financial agency's answer is that there is no legal basis to approve spending norms. We respectfully request the Ministry to provide detailed guidance in building spending norms when implementing tutoring and extra classes in schools" - Hai Phong Department of Education and Training stated its opinion.
This is also the concern of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training when sending comments to the Ministry of Education and Training.
According to localities, the content of spending and spending levels for organizing extra classes and learning in schools have not been promulgated by competent authorities. Therefore, to ensure that the construction, management, and use of the cost estimate for organizing extra classes and learning in schools is in accordance with the provisions of the State Budget Law and other relevant legal documents, it is proposed that the Ministry of Education and Training guide the content of spending and spending levels to serve the organization of extra classes and learning in schools.
It is proposed that the Circular amending and supplementing Circular No. 29/2024/TT-BGDDT clarify Clause 1, Article 7 on funding for organizing tutoring and extra classes in schools" - Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training expressed its opinion.
Regarding this content, the Ministry of Education and Training said that point b, clause 2, Article 8 of Circular No. 29/2024/TT-BGDDT has stipulated that the Provincial People's Committee is responsible for issuing regulations "On the management and use of funds for organizing tutoring and extra classes". The funding for tutoring teachers is regulated according to the Circular regulating the working regime for general education and university preparatory teachers and the Circular regulating the regime for paying overtime teacher salaries for teachers in public educational institutions.
It is expected that principals will be proposed to add extra teaching time.
According to the Draft Circular amending and supplementing Circular 29/2024/TT-BGDDT, the Ministry of Education and Training proposes that the principal may base on practical conditions such as facilities, teaching staff, second-session teaching plan, budget availability... to propose additional tutoring hours for some students to serve legitimate learning interests. The final decision belongs to the director of the Department of Education and Training, ensuring flexibility but still strictly controlling to avoid abuse, causing academic pressure or negative developments.
For tutoring and extra classes outside of schools, one of the adjusted contents is the requirement for business registration for organizations or individuals organizing paid tutoring activities in accordance with the provisions of the new Enterprise Law, which diversifies types of enterprises and operating methods.
Notably, the draft Circular stipulates more strictly the reporting responsibility of teachers teaching at schools if they participate in extra classes outside the school. Teachers must report before starting and update when there are any changes related to their extra classes activities.
The Ministry of Education and Training emphasized that the amendments in the Circular aim for the highest goal of serving the interests of students, in accordance with the spirit of the 2025 Law on Teachers, which strictly prohibits all acts of forcing learners to take extra classes.
