Four extra classes a week, with two Math classes and one Literature and English class each, on the evenings from Tuesday to Friday every week, is the schedule that Huynh Nhu, an 8th grader in District 1, went through from August 2024 to mid-January 2025. However, this schedule has now stopped due to the suspension of extra classes.
"The classes stopped at the same time, from before Tet until now. Since I stopped going to extra classes in the afternoon and evening, I feel better, I no longer have to worry about finding something to eat after school in the afternoon to be able to run to class on time. Now, after school in the afternoon, I can go home, listen to music, and play badminton very comfortably," Huynh Nhu shared.
Huynh Nhu said that she will temporarily not register for new extra classes, instead choosing to study more on her own, and will find a new extra class to attend in 9th grade.
Ms. Nguyen Thanh Thao, Huynh Nhu's parent, said that she saw her child become more active and cheerful since she stopped going to extra classes. "In fact, the reason my child went to extra classes recently was because she asked to go, my family did not force her, and it was not because the teacher at school forced her to go to extra classes. She said she wanted to go to school because everyone in her class went to school, if she did not study, she would be afraid of falling behind her friends, so I let her go to school.
"Without extra classes, we are much healthier and no longer have to worry about picking up our child from school in the evenings. Our child also has more time to play sports and do outdoor activities in the afternoon," said Ms. Thao.
However, Ms. Thao also expressed concern that it may be difficult to find a place for her child to study at additional centers in the near future due to the large number of students registering to study at the centers, and tuition fees may also be higher.
Similarly, Ms. Nguyen Nhu Y (Binh Thanh District) also expressed her joy at the new regulations on extra teaching and learning. Ms. Nhu Y said that from now on, she will no longer have to worry about teachers forcing students to study outside.
"I fully agree with this regulation, let parents and students freely choose where to study. I think extra study and tutoring is very good and also very necessary, especially for final year students," Ms. Nhu Y confided.
Meanwhile, Nguyen Bao Thoa, a 9th grade student in District 1, said she is urgently looking for a new English class, because the English class at her homeroom teacher's house has stopped.
"I plan to apply to Trung Vuong High School this year, which has a fairly high admission score. My English is not good yet, so I am researching and choosing an English center to study at," Bao Thoa shared.
Circular No. 29 of the Ministry of Education and Training regulating extra teaching and learning will officially take effect from February 14.
According to regulations, teachers are not allowed to teach extra classes outside of school for money to students they are teaching at school.
Teachers at public schools are not allowed to participate in the management and operation of extra-curricular teaching, but can participate in extra-curricular teaching. The Circular also stipulates that individuals and organizations wishing to teach extra-curricular teaching must register their business.
In schools, regulations only allow schools to organize extra classes for 3 groups of students: weak students, good students and final year students. At the same time, extra classes for these 3 groups are not allowed to be paid.
