'Without extra classes, the teacher doesn't remember your name, no matter how good you are, you'll only get 5 points'

After VTC News published articles about extra teaching and learning, many readers sent in comments expressing their indignation at this problem. They also requested that teachers and administrators be expelled from the industry for allowing this situation to recur for many years.

The problem of extra tutoring is increasingly widespread. (Illustration: D.N)

'No extra classes, I don't remember your name'

Reader Ngoc Bao reported that her child is in a situation where the whole class comes to the teacher's house for extra classes and gets preferential treatment, while students who don't go to class are often reminded and "scrutinized".

In grades 6-7, her child was at the top of the class, on the math team, but last summer, the teacher changed the class location from school to home. After 2 months, the teacher informed the parents to pay for extra classes for their child, without any prior agreement. "Although I was quite upset, I still paid for my child's extra classes and then asked the teacher's permission to withdraw from this disguised math team," the parent said.

Since the beginning of the school year, she has hardly called on me to speak, has not given me homework, nor has she corrected my work like before. I even feel isolated in class. From a child who was passionate about Math, I now have to endure pressure from her with an unhappy attitude.

Reader Nguyen Van Manh shared the case of his second grader. On the first day of the new school year, she announced on the class's parent information group that "any family who sends their child to her house for extra classes will do well, anyone who doesn't will do poorly, she is not responsible." Three weeks after the start of school, the children who did not register for extra classes were texted by her parents complaining that they were slow learners, poor learners, and if they did not improve, they could easily fail the class.

Should I send my children to extra classes?

This is also the situation that Mr. Hoang Chi Duc encountered. Because he did not go to any extra classes, especially Literature with his homeroom teacher, his child's test scores (in grade 2) were always below 7 points and he was bullied. As for other subjects, his 1-period and mid-term test scores were always below 5 points. His daughter even shared that because she did not go to her homeroom teacher's house for extra classes, "she did not remember her name" but only remembered the names and often called on the students who went to her house to give presentations.

The students who attend extra classes at her house know the tests in advance and their scores are always surprisingly high. Luckily, when it comes to the final exam, the school organizes a grading system and my child's scores are all above 8 in all subjects.

"Last year, when I was in 2nd grade, I didn't go to the teacher's house to study, so I was only a good student and didn't get the certificate of Uncle Ho's Good Children. The remaining 38/39 students went to the teacher's house to study, so most of them got 10 points in their Math and Vietnamese exams at the end of the year," wrote account Le Phuc.

Enough tricks to force students to take extra classes

As a primary school teacher in Hanoi , reader Mai Pham said she knew many teachers in her school who forced students to take extra classes through the stories of colleagues, neighbors and students. This problem of extra classes is even more terrible when primary school teachers do not let students take naps because they do not attend extra classes. This reader herself feels ashamed and embarrassed in front of parents and society.

Reader Ngo Thuy Hang shared that she is a high school teacher and often encounters questions and concerns from parents, "Why do children study from primary to secondary school, and receive certificates of merit every year, but their high school entrance exam scores are low, even just enough to pass?" This is also the consequence of extra teaching and learning. Parents who send their children to extra classes must find a quality place, not just go to school to please the teachers, so that their children are not "bullied".

Reader Ly Long commented: "I have been teaching for 14 years but I have never once tutored, taught extra classes or given extra training even though many parents have asked me to teach. To me, all students are the same and need to be treated equally and transparently."

Many people say that extra teaching and learning have become a burden for students and parents. (Illustration: D.N)

Until now, when students graduate and go to work, on Teachers' Day they all remember, send greetings, and wish good health from the heart with all respect for the teachers. That is much more valuable than the money from tutoring.

Nguyen Tien expressed his agreement with the stories that parents shared in the press about the current problem of extra teaching and learning. Having worked as a teacher in Thu Duc City (HCMC) for 21 years, this reader understands all the tricks and forms of forcing students to attend extra classes to earn money.

For example, at the beginning of the school year, teachers constantly test students and give them low scores. Teachers act out their concerns about their students' learning situation and advise them to take extra classes. If they want to have a good academic record or get good grades or get into university in the future, they have to take extra classes at a training center.

Another way to pressure parents is to keep the good students in the old class, and put the good, average and failed students in one class, and this class is also assigned a bad teacher. When all the weak students are put in one class, there are some very good children, but sadness and dissatisfaction lead to smoking e-cigarettes, wrote Nguyen Tien.

'Invite' extra teachers out of the industry?

Nguyen Vuong account commented, extra study and extra teaching are the needs of participants. The education sector needs to manage to avoid negativity, not everything that cannot be managed is banned.

Reader Tran Van Huyen commented that tutoring has been deeply ingrained in the subconscious of the majority of teachers teaching subjects related to exams. How to prevent this rampant situation of tutoring requires cooperation from all levels, even parents need to take responsibility. It is recommended that the Ministry of Education and Training needs to take strong action against school and local leaders when tutoring occurs, and can even expel teachers and schools that assist in tutoring.

Many readers have recommended that the Ministry of Education and Training should absolutely ban primary and secondary school teachers from teaching and taking extra classes. This is not only ineffective but also stressful for students who have to study twice a day at school and then go to their teacher's house to study until 8 or 9 pm in the evening. The students are still too young, if they just focus on studying like that, it will greatly affect their health and make them mentally tired.

In March 2023, responding to voters about the growing popularity of extra teaching and learning despite the ban, Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son said that some other regulations of Circular No. 17 are still in effect, such as: principles of extra teaching and learning, cases where extra teaching and learning are not allowed, and responsibilities for managing extra teaching and learning activities of localities and educational institutions.
Circular 17 also clearly states that teachers must not organize extra classes or study classes following regular classes; must not reduce the content of the regular general education program to include it in extra classes; must not use any form to force students to take extra classes... This Circular also stipulates: "Do not teach extra classes to students whose school has organized 2 sessions/day...".

Ha Cuong

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