Some provinces have implemented or consulted on giving students a day off on Saturdays. This means students will only study 5 days a week, with two days off, Saturday and Sunday.
If we say that reducing the workload is a criterion for educational reform, then reducing one school day per week is a suitable way to reduce it. Students get an extra Saturday off, two consecutive days off, spend time playing, and practice many skills, including swimming, martial arts, and musical instruments...
Vo Huynh Thanh Phong, a student in class 8/4 at Trinh Phong Secondary School, Dien Khanh (Khanh Hoa) shared: "Without studying on Saturdays, I feel more comfortable, my mind is relaxed and I have more time to rest and prepare for the next school week. During the 2 weekends, I have more time to learn martial arts, which I really like."
We always shout about "comprehensive" education, but where is the comprehensiveness in our children when they spend all day burying their faces in textbooks and computers?
School time is books, extra classes are also books, but comprehensive requires physical development and many other life skills.
There are many things to learn but schools cannot provide them, students have to study at outside facilities. To go to school, you need time, and the two days off on the weekend are the time for students to learn things outside of the books but necessary for development and maturity.
Students have Saturday off, so teachers have time to rest, study, and improve their knowledge. Teachers bury their heads in lesson plans and attend classes 6 days a week, which is a huge pressure and tiring, not to mention the many professional and academic tasks assigned by the school. Reducing pressure on teachers is also a reform.
Some localities such as Khanh Hoa and Lai Chau allow students to study 5 days a week, with Saturday and Sunday off. The Department of Education and Training of Ha Tinh province also issued a document giving opinions on teaching 5 days a week for secondary school students in Ha Tinh city from the 2024-2025 school year as proposed by the Department of Education and Training of the city.
This trend is certainly being researched and implemented by many localities. In order to give students more days off while still ensuring the curriculum, many opinions have suggested that the Ministry of Education and Training adjust and redesign the teaching program to be more concise.
