Teachers say it's difficult to register a business to teach extra classes

From February 14, when Circular 29/2024/TT-BGDDT of the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) takes effect, teachers who teach extra classes outside of school for money are required to register their business according to the law.

How to continue teaching without violating the law is a concern for many teachers. Ms. Nguyen Thuy Linh (41 years old, English teacher at a secondary school in Hai An district, Hai Phong) is no exception.

Previously, Ms. Linh opened 2 tutoring classes at home, with a capacity of about 20 students per class. After Circular 29 was issued, Ms. Linh temporarily stopped tutoring classes to learn about the regulations and procedures for business registration.

"According to the new regulations, teachers are not allowed to teach their students for a fee in class. Therefore, the number of students I can reach will be very small to open a center," Ms. Linh shared, adding that her biggest difficulty in wanting to open a tutoring business is related to regulations on who has the right to establish, operate and manage a business.

“Following education forums, I just learned that public school teachers cannot register as business owners or operate centers. So, in reality, teachers like me cannot register on our own but are forced to cooperate with other individuals or organizations to open a center and will only be allowed to teach under contract,” Ms. Thuy Linh worried.

Because of the complicated procedures and difficulty in accessing them, Ms. Linh finally decided to sign a contract with a center that had been operating in the area for a long time. However, this meant that she had to deduct 30% of her teaching fees to the center.

“The centers are eager for teachers to sign contracts because they already have a certain number of students. Teachers still have the right to decide on tuition fees, as long as they pay a percentage to them. More accurately, this can be compared to renting a place to teach,” Ms. Thuy Linh added.

Starting this week, Ms. Phan Ngoc Mai - a high school literature teacher in Dan Phuong district, Hanoi - also temporarily suspended classes.

“My colleagues and I are very confused. There are no specific instructions, making us very confused and not knowing what to do to continue teaching,” Ms. Mai shared.

According to Ms. Mai, there are no centers available to teach Literature in the locality. Currently, if she wants to continue teaching, she can only find a way to register her business.

“Without being allowed to be the business owner and manager of the center, we discussed contacting an acquaintance who has facilities that ensure the quality of classrooms, lighting, fire protection, etc. to open the center. The teachers will teach under a contract,” said Ms. Ngoc Mai.

However, even if there is a center that ensures all of these factors, Ms. Mai still cannot start teaching again without confirmation from the school leadership.

“Public school teachers who want to teach extra classes must have confirmation from the Department of Education and Training or the principal, as if someone is guaranteeing their professional competence. However, it is difficult for school leaders to accept this when they can get into unnecessary trouble,” Ms. Ngoc Mai shared.

Currently, she is waiting for specific instructions so she can find a way to continue teaching students according to regulations.