According to statistics from the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City, 93% of secondary and high schools in the city organize teaching sessions/day.
At the primary level, 39/556 schools have not organized 2 sessions/day, equivalent to 92.98% of primary schools having organized 2 sessions/day.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Thu - Principal of Binh Tho Secondary School (Thu Duc City) - said that currently all classes at the school are teaching 2 sessions/day.
At Bui Thi Xuan High School (District 1), Mr. Huynh Thanh Phu - Principal of the school also said that the school is implementing the school schedule from Monday to Saturday. On Saturday, students only study in the morning and have a day off in the afternoon.
According to Mr. Phu, with the new general education program, students are evaluated based on their abilities and qualities. During the week, in addition to school time, students also need to have club activities in the afternoon to develop their abilities and qualities.
"Studying 2 sessions/day not only helps students have more time to study and participate in clubs and groups at school, but also helps students limit their time to be exposed to encounters outside of society. Especially in Ho Chi Minh City, most of the day parents go to work, if they only study one session, then one session, the rest of the students are at home, and can be exposed to bad things," said Mr. Phu.
With 2 children studying in grades 6 and 9 in District 3, Mr. Tran Van Thang (46 years old) said he strongly supports his children studying 2 sessions/day at school.
"I take my two children to school in the morning, they have boarding at school at noon and continue to study in the afternoon. So we can work with great peace of mind," said Mr. Thang.
Similarly, Ms. Phan Nga (Thu Duc City) said that she is satisfied that her child has been studying 2 sessions/day at school since primary school. Ms. Nga's child is in grade 6 in District 1.
According to Ms. Nga, since her child was in grade 5, she has decided to find a school that teaches him 2 sessions/day for him to attend. "Both my husband and I work under office hours, in the morning and in the afternoon. The house is more than 10km from the workplace. So if I only study for one session, no one will take me to school, and I will not have time to take care of my child for the other session," Ms. Nga shared.
According to the 2018 education program, primary school students will study 2 sessions/day, each day arranged no more than 7 lessons; each lesson is 35 minutes. Educational institutions that are not qualified to organize 2 teaching sessions/day shall implement the educational plan according to the instructions of the Ministry of Education and Training.
Secondary and high school students study 1 session/day, no more than 5 lessons; each lesson is 45 minutes. Encourage qualified schools to teach 2 sessions/day.
On April 6, at a regular Government press conference, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Pham Ngoc Thuong said that the ministry is conducting a survey study and has not yet declared that secondary and high school students are required to study 2 sessions/day.
The Deputy Minister outlined 3 factors to organize teaching activities well in 2 sessions/day, including:
First, there is enough facilities. Here, each class has 1 classroom. The school is qualified for boarding students, staying at school and having lunch at school. There should be enough playgrounds, practice areas, physical education activities and other skills.
Second, have enough teachers.
Third, have a teaching program and organize enough activities in 2 sessions, suitable for the psychology of students.
