Private tutoring is an unprecedented concept in Venezuela.
Ms. Hanh Le (Hong Bang, Hai Phong) currently lives in Venezuela and has a child of school age. Recently, Ms. Hanh was quite surprised when reading the information about the reactions after the new regulations on extra teaching and learning in her hometown.
Ms. Hanh has children studying in middle and high school in Venezuela, equivalent to grades 4, 5 and 11, 12 in Vietnam. Talking to reporters, Ms. Hanh affirmed that extra classes at school are a concept that does not exist in South American countries.
Sharing about her children's study schedule, Ms. Hanh said: "The children only study until 2 pm, the rest of the time and weekends they will have fun, study extracurricular subjects such as modern dance, dance, fine arts,... Exam knowledge will be included in the time spent in class. There was a time when my eldest child had to stay up until 2-3 am to review, but only for that 1 week."
Studying in a South American country, parents like Ms. Hanh will let their children learn more about Spanish.
Spanish is the only subject Ms. Hanh lets her children take: "As a foreigner, I have to find a way to help my children learn Spanish to master the language. Learning Spanish is completely voluntary, parents can hire an outside teacher or register to study with a teacher at school. My second child studies with a teacher at school, along with some other children. Most of these children have weak academic performance, and their parents are busy so they don't have much time to tutor their children."
Ms. Hanh added: "The curriculum in Venezuela is quite difficult, so it is normal for students to stay back a grade and study an extra year to master the knowledge." This reflects the reality of real learning, real exams, and not chasing after achievements in Venezuela.
Looking back at the time her child studied in Vietnam, Ms. Hanh said that each education system has its own characteristics, and the important thing is how to provide children with the best development environment.
"In Vietnam, the pressure to achieve is still quite high, this helps motivate children to strive but sometimes also creates unnecessary pressure. I think the most important thing is to let children develop according to their abilities and passions" - Ms. Hanh said.
Not only private schools like the ones Ms. Hanh's two daughters are attending. According to Ms. Hanh, public schools in Venezuela are subsidized by the government, families with limited means will only send their children to school, so extra classes are never an option.
