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Huy Khang - a 10th grader in District 1 - has a very tight schedule, even though the school schedule has Saturdays and Sundays off. That means students only study at school 5 days a week. Huy Khang said that he always comes home after 7:30 pm every day, including 2 days on Wednesday and Friday after 9:30 pm, because in addition to studying at school, he also attends extra classes outside.
"I study 4 more subjects, including: Math, Physics, Chemistry, English with a total of 12 lessons/week, spread out in the evenings and 2 weekends. The study schedule is quite tight but I have been used to it for many years now, especially during the 9th grade exam review period" - Huy Khang shared.
Similarly, Ha Thu - a student in Phu Nhuan district - said that she is taking 4 extra classes at outside centers, including Math, Physics, Chemistry and English. Of which, English is taught on the 2 weekends, Saturday and Sunday.
"I don't find studying too tiring, but because I have to move around a lot, I feel exhausted on many days. Like today, after finishing school, I ride my bike about 8km to my extra class in District 3. At 8pm, when the class ends, I will travel about 11km more to go home in Go Vap District," Ha Thu said.
Ha Thu said that she also really wants to stay home to watch movies, listen to music, play with grandparents, parents or hang out with friends on weekends, but if she does, she will be surpassed by her friends, and she is afraid that she will not be able to keep up with the study program. "In fact, my learning ability is not very good, if I only study at school, I will not grasp all the knowledge, so I need to study more" - Ha Thu confided.
Xuan Huy, a student in District 3, said that he attends school 6 days a week, with only 3 classes in the morning on Saturday and a day off in the afternoon. However, Huy attends 2 English and Math classes outside instead.
"I plan to take the IELTS exam next year, so I need to learn more English. I feel I'm a bit weak in Math," Xuan Huy said. According to Xuan Huy, he suggested the extra classes to his parents, and then they contacted him to find him an extra class.
Appropriate selection is required.
According to Ms. Nguyen Thanh Thuy - Xuan Huy's parent, the family did not force their child to take extra classes, but because the child was putting pressure on himself because he was afraid that his classmates would surpass him, he proposed to take extra classes. "He often told me that his classmates had this plan or that plan, so he put pressure on himself even though his family always encouraged him. To help him reduce pressure and stress as well as feel more secure, every extra class outside, my husband or I took turns taking him to class, then waited until the end of the class to take him home," Ms. Thuy said.
Mr. Huynh Thanh Phu - Principal of Bui Thi Xuan High School (District 1) - informed that students taking extra classes outside of school is the right and choice of each student and each family, and is also a legitimate need of the students.
He explained: "Currently, students of all grades are studying according to the new educational program. However, whether new or old, the amount of knowledge is very large and heavy. Therefore, if students want to master the knowledge and get high scores in exams, especially in the 10th grade and university entrance exams, extra classes are necessary. I completely agree with them about extra classes. However, when choosing subjects and extra classes, they must be selective and appropriate, not following the majority.
At the same time, children should choose to study in classes that do not start later than 8:30 p.m. so that they have time to go home to rest and recover after a stressful day of studying. I think this is the responsibility of parents, they need to manage their children's time scientifically, avoid letting them attend classes too late, study too much, this not only puts pressure on children but also affects their psychological development."
