On summer mornings, Nguyen Duy Khanh, an 8th grader living on Duong Lang Street, Dong Da District, Hanoi, wakes up at 8am. After breakfast, he starts doing his homework from 8:30am until lunchtime. Since the summer break, his daily schedule has only changed slightly, waking up from 6am to 8am and having weekends off, but his study and homework schedules remain the same.
“In the morning I do homework, in the afternoon on 2, 4, and 6 I study Math, the rest of the day I study Literature, and in the evening I study English or my parents tutor me. Overall, the schedule is not much different from normal,” Khanh said.
Summer, the children behind the door
The reason why the summer schedule is no different from the school year, and even his parents check his homework every day, is because next year he will be in 9th grade. The 10th grade entrance exam with countless difficulties and hardships is waiting ahead.
Although it is tiring, according to Khanh's mother, studying in advance and completing the first semester's knowledge during the summer will make the beginning of the school year less difficult and give her more time to review different types of exam questions.
Children need more experiences outside of school to grow up, summer is the most suitable time. (Photo: KT)
Vu Huy Hung, Khanh’s neighbor and classmate, also has a similar schedule. The two are neighbors but have very little time to play together because of their different schedules for school and extra classes. Hung is not tested by his parents, but he is quite tired because of his mother’s constant changes.
“Next year I will be taking the 10th grade entrance exam so my mom will let me go to extra classes. Every few days she changes teachers and tells me to try it out and see if it's good or not. It's really tiring but I have to try,” Hung explained.
Going back to his hometown for a whole week is considered Hung's greatest joy and wish every summer. But this year, even that joy cannot be realized because his cousin in the countryside is still focusing on studying for the entrance exam to a specialized school in the province. Occasionally, the two cousins connect with each other via Zalo. On the other end, Hung's cousin is still busy finishing the practice test before the late morning review class.
Extra classes and advance classes are not only common among senior students. Nguyen Thanh Thao, a student at a high school in Ba Dinh district, Hanoi, is in 11th grade this year. For her, summer vacation is simply a substitute for going to school for extra classes in Math, Literature and IELTS preparation to prepare for university admission in 2 years. Thao has never had a full 3-month summer break, usually only about 2 weeks, and then her schedule at the center or at the teacher's house is packed.
“Actually, I’m already used to the summer extra classes. If I study in advance, I’ll have time to study other subjects, but if I wait until the school year to study all the subjects at the same time, it will be very difficult and tiring. If I have free time during the summer, I would probably like to go to baking or flower making classes the most,” Thao confided.
Summer for students, especially students in urban areas, is almost always behind closed doors and in some ways resembles the third semester with learning knowledge before the new school year. And even though there is a ban on extra teaching and learning, in some way, centers and tutors still meet the needs of parents to teach and learn in advance with their children.
Children take extra summer classes to consolidate knowledge and "babysit"
Students across the country have been on summer vacation for nearly a month. The education sector has basically asked schools not to organize extra classes during the summer.
Since the beginning of May, the Department of Education and Training of Bac Giang province has sent a document guiding the organization of summer activities in 2023, emphasizing the content of extra teaching and learning, except for grades 9 and 12, which will stop reviewing until the exam time. In fact, according to Mr. Nguyen Luu, an expert of the Department of Education and Training of Bac Giang province, parents in many areas still find ways to let their children take extra classes for many reasons such as consolidating knowledge, reviewing in advance or even having the reason to "babysit".
"There are also some families living near the teachers who ask them to tutor them, not for extra money, completely voluntary and therefore do not violate the regulations of state management agencies," said Mr. Luu.
Mr. Be Doan Trong, Chief of Office of Lang Son Department of Education and Training, said that most localities have issued official dispatches instructing schools not to organize extra classes and should take advantage of the summer to let children participate in experiential activities, improve physical strength or practice soft skills.
“We have requested that teachers and students have summer vacation. There is a document on the earliest possible school start date. There is no such thing as teaching early and learning early. There are always year-end instructions,” Mr. Trong shared.
Physical activities help children grow up in the summer. (Photo: KT)
The lack of space in urban areas for children to play, entertain or work to help their families makes the 3-month summer a worry for many parents. Especially when social networks and video games easily make children indulge, affecting their eyesight and the need to experience real life. Parents are also worried that their children will lose knowledge when entering the new school year. Therefore, sending their children to summer classes has become the choice of many parents.
However, according to Dr. Nguyen Thi Chinh, a school psychologist at Sentia Inter-level School, letting children play for long periods of time or forcing them to take extra classes all the time is not stable.
At the extreme, leaving children completely off until the school year starts can cause shock, making it difficult to adapt and become comfortable with classroom learning when the school year begins.
On the contrary, after a stressful school year, if the pressure of studying and homework continues to increase, children will lose interest and even become bored.
Summer, according to psychologist Dr. Nguyen Thi Chinh, balance is considered the most necessary thing. This is the ideal time for children to experience and learn other things that they do not have the opportunity to participate in during the school year, such as traveling, participating in experiential activities, visiting grandparents and relatives, experiencing rural life, practicing some sports... These activities on the one hand aim to develop life skills, further improve qualities and abilities, on the other hand increase personal emotions and strengthen physical strength.
Importantly, parents and children need to have a clear goal and also need to know how to manage time, cannot let day by day, plans just slip away. There are children that I know that in the summer, sleeping all day or playing video games is a waste of time, Dr. Nguyen Thi Chinh shared.
One thing, according to Dr. Chinh, parents should pay special attention to their children's mental health. It is not uncommon for parents to force their children to study too much, leading to serious psychological disturbances.
Even senior students need to have a balance, prepare themselves mentally and physically to study hard instead of trying to cram too much. A relaxed mind and a healthy body will make studying and taking exams more effective, Dr. Nguyen Thi Chinh emphasized.
Y Tieu (VOV 2)
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