How do schools implement not collecting final exam review fees?

According to Circular 29 on extra teaching and learning, effective from February 14, schools are allowed to review final year students' exams without charging any fees.

So do secondary and high schools organize review classes for students in grades 9 and 12 to prepare for the two important exams taking place in June, and are teachers paid?

PARENTS ARE HAPPY, SOME ARE WORRIED

In groups for teachers, parents, and students, the hottest topic these days is the preparation for implementing new regulations on extra teaching. There are concerns and worries, but most agree.

Reviewing for 9th and 12th grade students preparing for 10th grade exams and high school graduation will have many changes according to new regulations on extra teaching and learning of Circular 29.

PHOTO: DAO NGOC THACH

A teacher wrote: "I am a teacher who has worked in the profession for 30 years. I think it is right to ban extra teaching at school. Because public property cannot be used for private purposes. Specifically, classrooms, desks, chairs, electricity and water are public property, and cannot be used to make money for some teachers teaching math, literature, and English...". Just like a doctor, he cannot examine and treat patients in the morning as assigned by the agency and then sit there in the afternoon to examine patients and collect money to share. If you want to examine patients, you must participate in a private clinic, work outside of regular business hours, register your business and pay taxes. Extra teaching should be the same...".

One parent expressed "strong support for Circular 29 because thanks to it, my child who is in elementary school has Saturday off, does not have to wake up early to go to school anymore but can sleep more, regain energy for a week of sleep deprivation...".

However, some parents are worried when the high school announced that it would stop teaching the second session with fees as it has been doing for a long time: "Do you have any good ways to manage your children in the afternoon so that tuition is only lost like when they are studying at school?"

In Ho Chi Minh City, parent Nguyen Lam, whose child is studying in grade 9 at Nguyen Du Secondary School (District 1), expressed: "My child is in the final year of school to prepare for the 10th grade entrance exam and I still want him to attend the review class at school. The experience of the child's sister shows that studying at school, with management and implementation according to the school's timetable plan, parents can rest assured. Besides, through daily teaching, teachers grasp the capacity as well as knowledge gaps that need to be supplemented or improved for each student. Not to mention, this year is the first year that the 10th grade entrance exam applies the 2018 General Education Program, so preparing knowledge and skills according to the new exam format structure is extremely necessary."

Therefore, parent Nguyen Lam said: "In my opinion, this is an extracurricular teaching activity, the main responsibility of teachers, so there needs to be funding to support overtime pay. If the state budget does not provide, it should be socialized with the parents who want their children to participate. Or schools should calculate some appropriate form, in accordance with regulations to encourage teachers."

Nguyen Mai Khanh, a 12th grade student studying at a high school in District 1, said: "I want to review for the graduation exam at school because if I finish one session and then go home to study by myself, I'm not very confident about my concentration. Anyway, studying at school under the guidance of teachers will make everything better. Especially when in class, if I need immediate answers, I can ask my teachers directly."

Public disclosure of violations

Recently, the Prime Minister issued a telegram requesting the Minister of Education and Training to direct and urge localities to guide schools and general education institutions to strictly implement the regulations on enrollment in junior high schools and high schools; regulations on extra teaching and learning issued by the Ministry of Education and Training. In particular, it requires strengthening information, propaganda, inspection, examination, supervision, and strict handling and public disclosure of violations according to regulations. The telegram also requires the Ministry of Education and Training to proactively and regularly review and grasp information to promptly amend, supplement, and perfect the above regulations, ensuring their suitability to reality and meeting the requirements set forth in the new situation.

WHERE TO STOP, WHERE TO CONTINUE WITH MANY SOLUTIONS

According to Thanh Nien reporters, many schools in Hanoi have announced the suspension of extra classes, second-session classes, and review classes for exams... However, schools that have not collected money from students for these activities have not made any other announcements. For example, at Viet Duc High School, Ms. Nguyen Boi Quynh, the school's principal, said that the new regulation does not affect the school because the school has not collected money for tutoring, tutoring, or review activities for 12th grade students... The only thing is that the school must remind teachers not to violate the regulations on extra teaching outside of school.

Similarly, Ms. Tran Thi Hai Yen, Principal of Tran Phu High School (Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi), said that before Circular 29 took effect, the school had thoroughly informed all teachers in the school about the "3 nos": no organizing extra classes in school; no extra classes outside of school with students they teach; no organizing and managing extra classes outside of school. Along with that are the "2 yeses": training excellent students to join the school team; enhancing knowledge training for students taking the graduation exam this year to achieve good results. For these two contents, the school will pay the expenses according to internal spending regulations. According to Ms. Yen, although the payment level is not high, teachers support and enthusiastically participate.

In Ho Chi Minh City, in response to the wishes of parents and students, leaders of middle and high schools all said they would meet the needs of students, although the implementation methods vary from place to place.

As one of the schools with the lowest admission scores for grade 10 in Ho Chi Minh City, every year, An Nhon Tay High School (Cu Chi District) has to make great efforts in teaching and learning so that students can complete high school and meet the admission requirements for universities and colleges. Therefore, the school leaders consider that organizing review sessions for students plays a very important role.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa Hue, Principal of An Nhon Tay High School, said that the school is still waiting for the Department of Education and Training to guide the implementation of Circular 29. However, the school is also preparing to calculate possible options such as paying teachers, although it may be less than in previous years, or encouraging teachers to teach review without pay, or perhaps mobilizing some financially strong parents to sponsor the school's review activities for students... The options will be carefully calculated to ensure compliance with regulations.

The principal of An Nhon Tay High School also informed that in previous school years, in addition to reviewing for 12th graders at school, many teachers were willing to tutor and review for students without charging any fees, especially math and English teachers.

Mr. Tran Cong Binh, Principal of Tan Phong High School (District 7), said that in compliance with the regulations of Circular 29, up to now, the school has not thought about opening review classes widely like previous years, but only creating learning spaces for students, teachers at the school help, and provide review materials.

In addition, the school's goal is to prepare students with the best knowledge possible so that they can confidently enter important exams. Through surveys and calls from the school, some teachers can voluntarily register to tutor students, completely free of charge.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Truc, Principal of Duong Van Thi High School, Thu Duc City, said that currently the school is still organizing extra classes for 12th grade students in subjects they plan to register for the high school graduation exam as planned from the beginning of the school year. In the coming time, the school will still open extra classes for 12th grade students to support them in reviewing for the exam, the only difference is that there will be no tuition fee.

Similarly, Ms. Nguyen Doan Trang, Principal of Nguyen Du Secondary School (District 1), also affirmed that the school will organize 10th grade review classes for students, even though it is not allowed to collect money and the school called for the consensus of teachers.

Many cases of finding ways to "circumvent the law"

The leader of the Department of Education and Training of Ba Dinh District (Hanoi) said that he has asked schools to disseminate and strictly implement new regulations on extra teaching and learning.

"The school principal is responsible to the Department of Education and Training for violations. Schools with staff and teachers who violate regulations on extra teaching and learning will not be considered for emulation titles during the school year," the leader of the Department of Education and Training of Ba Dinh District emphasized. Extra teaching outside of school is also developing in different directions. Licensed cultural centers are still operating normally, but teachers who teach groups of classes that have not registered their business according to the new regulations have been notified to temporarily stop waiting for instructions.

However, many parents shared that they have not seen any changes from the teachers. A parent whose child studies at Dang Tran Con Primary School (Thanh Xuan District, Hanoi) said that her child attends an extra class on Saturday mornings at the homeroom teacher's house and as of February 10, she has not received any notice about the suspension.

Meanwhile, according to regulations, it is forbidden to teach extra classes to primary school students and to teach regular students for money. If she continues, she will violate both of these prohibitions.

Many students and parents said that teachers in extracurricular classes instead of stopping teaching to apply for a business license switched to online teaching because they thought that the regulations did not prohibit online tutoring. Some teachers also considered "circumventing the law" by "cross-exchanging" students to continue organizing extra classes without violating the regulations prohibiting paid tutoring of regular students...

Snow Plum

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/thong-tu-29-khong-thu-tien-on-thi-cuoi-cap-cac-truong-thuc-hien-ra-sao-185250212203205733.htm