'Class 39/40 children come to my house to study extra, my child is like a strange person'

'My child is different because he doesn't go to extra classes'

"Yesterday afternoon after school, Bo pouted and told me that all her friends go to her teacher's house to study, but she doesn't. Why don't we go to her teacher's house to study, Mom?", her child's question made Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy (38 years old, Thanh Xuan, Hanoi ) stunned, not knowing how to explain to her child.

Ms. Thuy and her husband are working as corporate customer service staff at a large bank in Hanoi. The family's total monthly income is about 60 - 70 million VND, enough to invest in their 3rd grade daughter's extra classes. However, since the child entered 1st grade, both husband and wife agreed to let their child attend public school, limiting extra classes so that the child has more time to play, explore , and have a complete childhood instead of just focusing on studying.

At the beginning of the school year, many parents complained about having to register their children for extra classes at the teacher's home. (Illustration: Ha Cuong)

She still remembers the first meeting of the new school year when Bo entered first grade, the teacher suggested that parents could send their children to her house to learn more about writing and math on weekday evenings. She also did not forget to share that her house was near the school, so parents who worked late and could not pick up their children after school could send them to her house for extra classes in the evening.

Because it was the first year of school, about half of the parents in the class signed up for their children to attend extra classes at the teacher's house on weeknights. Ms. Thuy, however, remained determined to stick to her goal, not placing too much emphasis on academic results or putting pressure on her children.

Everything went smoothly for her child through first and second grade. At the parent-teacher meeting last weekend, she continued to suggest that parents register their children for extra classes, at a price of 150,000 VND/session. In addition to Math and Vietnamese classes, this year she also organized English classes so that parents could conveniently teach their children without having to travel back and forth everywhere.

"As usual, I still refused to let my child go to extra classes at night at the teacher's house. After knowing that the whole class of 39/40 students registered for extra classes, but only Bo did not, I was a bit panicked. I wondered if my child was different or not?", the female parent confided, worried that her child would be isolated or that the teacher would constantly "watch" her because she did not go to extra classes.

Without extra classes at her house, it's hard to get 10 points.

Mr. Tran Van Hai (36 years old, Ly Nhan, Ha Nam ) whose child is in 9th grade said that after the opening ceremony, groups of parents of his son's class were bustling to register for extra classes to review for the transfer exam.

"On the first day after the opening ceremony, after finishing school, my child went to the homeroom teacher's house for the first 150-minute extra class, costing 300,000 VND/session. This extra class is for Literature, taught once a week. In addition, my child will go to 1 Math class, 2 English classes and 2 specialized subject classes a week so that next year he can register for entrance exams to some specialized schools," said Mr. Hai.

This is the first year he has registered his child for school, partly because the final year is important, and partly because of the events that happened last school year, which made him hesitant.

Last year, after finishing the second semester test, Son sadly shared with his father that he did not do well, leaving the last 3 questions unfinished because this type of question was rare. He was even sadder when he learned that this type of question "the teacher corrected last night in extra classes", only students who attended extra classes could solve it.

As expected, when it came time to return the test, Son's two close friends who had attended extra classes at her house both got 10 points, while his son only got 7 points.

The pressure of extra classes is putting pressure on children. (Illustration: D.K)

"In class, my child is always commented by teachers as hard-working, intelligent, and enthusiastic in speaking. His average academic performance in all subjects is always around 8.0 to 8.5. However, just because he did not go to extra classes at the teacher's house, he did not get a score of 10 like his friends. Even after knowing his score, he was very self-conscious and sad, blaming his parents for not letting him go to the teacher's house for extra classes," the parent said. What the child is going through is exactly the same as what he went through when he was still in school twenty years ago, so he understands the psychology of children very well.

For him, letting his children go to extra classes is something terrible, because children are at the age of eating, sleeping and playing, doing so is robbing them of their childhood.

According to Ms. Le Khanh Phuong, a teacher at Chu Van An Primary School (Hanoi), not only teachers of grade 1 but also most other grades in primary school organize extra classes. The teaching content is mainly tutoring and reviewing knowledge in class for students - the part that should be taught in regular class time.

During extra classes, teachers also give students extra exercises to do in their own class, such as dictation, math exercises, reading exercises, etc. “However, if teachers are responsible and teach all the content of the curriculum in class, students do not need to take extra classes, which only adds pressure and stress to them after studying all day at school. Cramming in an extra 1-2 hours does not help them study better. Extra classes only help students practice more skills, except for weak students who need extra tutoring,” said Ms. Khanh.

Also a teacher, Ms. Khanh understands the hardships and difficulties that the teaching profession is facing. When prices are rising and salaries are not enough to live on, teachers are forced to "increase production" by teaching extra classes after hours to make a living. However, giving preferential treatment to students who go to extra classes over others in the class is wrong and should be condemned. This is tarnishing the image of teachers, creating a bad mentality that if students do not go to her extra classes, they will not be good and will not get high scores, the female teacher frankly assessed.

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...".

Source: https://vtc.vn/lop-39-40-em-den-nha-co-hoc-them-con-toi-nhu-nguoi-di-biet-ar821438.html