Circular 29/2024/TT-BGDDT dated December 30, 2024 of the Ministry of Education and Training regulating tutoring takes effect from February 14, 2025. Since taking effect, many issues and questions surrounding this regulation have been sent to the Ministry of Education and Training, including Mr. N.H.V.'s question.
Mr. H.V said that Clause 1, Article 5 of Circular 29/2024/TT-BGDDT stipulates: Extra tutoring and extra classes in schools are not allowed to collect money from students and are only for students who register for extra classes according to each subject as follows: Students with academic results in the last semester of the adjacent semester at an unqualified level; Students selected by the school to train excellent students; Final-grade students voluntarily register to prepare for entrance exams and graduation exams according to the school's education plan.
Thus, the fact that public schools link with foreign language centers and businesses to organize enhanced English teaching, supporting English for students, English with foreigners... to improve English proficiency for students means that this activity is not tutoring according to Circular 29/2024.
Mr. H.V pointed out inadequacies, Departments of Education and Training such as Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai, Vinh Long, Can Tho... allow units to deploy this training activity. Meanwhile, some places, such as Departments of Education and Training of Quang Ninh, Thanh Hoa,... consider this activity as tutoring, so units are not allowed to collect money from students.
Thus, currently the Departments of Education and Training do not have uniformity in guiding the implementation of Circular 29 and different understandings. We respectfully ask the Ministry of Education and Training to give opinions on this issue so that units can implement it in accordance with regulations and guide Departments to unify this regulation" - Mr. H.V suggested.
Regarding this content, the Ministry of Education and Training said that Circular No. 29/2024/TT-BGDDT clearly stipulates the scope of adjustment and subjects of application in Article 2.
Accordingly, this Circular only adjusts tutoring and extra classes activities in the sense of supplementary teaching activities outside the official education plan to support, consolidate or improve the learning results of subjects in the general education program.
Regarding tutoring and extra classes in schools, Article 5 of Circular 29/2024/TT-BGDDT clearly stipulates: This activity is not allowed to collect money from students and only applies to specific groups of subjects, including students who have not met learning requirements, students who are trained as excellent students and final-grade students who voluntarily prepare for exams according to the school's education plan. These are responsible learning support activities of the school, not of a service nature.
For the activities mentioned by Mr. H.V such as: Organizing enhanced English teaching, supporting English, learning English with foreign teachers through links with foreign language centers and businesses, if these activities are carried out in accordance with the provisions of law on educational links, in accordance with the needs of learners, and do not overlap with the content of extra teaching and learning specified in Article 5 of Circular 29/2024/TT-BGDDT, then they are not within the scope of regulation of this Circular.
The organization of enhanced education activities, education activities according to the legitimate needs and preferences of students are carried out in accordance with relevant legal regulations and within the framework of the autonomy of educational institutions, ensuring publicity, transparency, voluntariness, proper authority and compliance with financial regulations.
The Ministry of Education and Training acknowledges Mr. H.V's reflection on the unconsistent understanding and guidance on implementing Circular 29/2024/TT-BGDDT between localities. In the coming time, the Ministry will continue to review, strengthen guidance, exchange and direct the Departments of Education and Training to implement the Circular in accordance with the scope of adjustment, ensuring uniformity in implementation organization, avoiding expanded application or not being in accordance with the regulations of the Circular and related legal documents.
