Parents upset children study on Saturday, school changes timetable

Right in the first week of the new school year, when 2 sessions/day were officially implemented, many parents of students in Ho Chi Minh City expressed their anger and concern when schools arranged the timetable for students to study on Saturdays, different from previous years.

DISRUPTING STUDENTS' AND PARENTS' PLANS

In recent days, many parents of students in secondary schools in Phu Tho Ward, Tang Nhon Phu Ward... have provided the press with student timetables, including schools that require 4-5 periods on Saturday.

A parent of a student at Hoa Lu Secondary School (Tang Nhon Phu Ward) expressed his frustration, saying that his child studies all day at school from Monday to Friday. Last school year, the child stayed home for the entire weekend to participate in sports activities, play, and learn English... But in 7th grade, according to the schedule, from Monday to Friday, the child will study all day with 7 periods/day and 4 more periods on Saturday morning. This affects the English study schedule of the student at the center, which has been stable for many years, and other activities.

Not only does it disrupt the previously stable study and skill training plans of students, but many parents are also upset that studying according to the Saturday schedule at school with the main curriculum puts pressure on students. Meanwhile, the weekday classes have lessons on STEM ( science , technology, engineering, mathematics), life skills, etc.

Many schools create unreasonable timetables, students always study on Saturdays even though they study 2 sessions/day from Monday to Friday.

PHOTO: INDEPENDENCE

For example, in the timetable of Hoa Lu Secondary School, Saturday has 4 periods of the 2018 General Education Program, including 2 English periods, 1 math period, and 1 literature period. However, in the same timetable, Tuesday has 2 "English Enhancement-ILA" periods and Thursday has a "STEM-Life Skills" period.

Explaining to parents about the arrangement of Saturday school schedules, many principals said that the number of classes and the volume of the secondary school curriculum would not change, but the timetable would have to be adjusted according to the new regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training on teaching 2 sessions/day, a minimum study schedule of 5 days/week, a maximum of 11 sessions/week, and no more than 7 periods per day.

However, many parents are upset and suggest that STEM, life skills or English classes with native teachers are supplementary programs and must be paid for separately. Therefore, it is recommended that schools reduce these classes or arrange them on weekends so that students who participate can come to school, while other students have time to carry out their own plans.

S AT GD-DT REQUESTED NOT TO ARRANGE THE MAIN COURSE SCHEDULE ON SATURDAYS

Regarding the parents' concerns about students having to study on Saturdays, Ms. Lam Hong Lam Thuy, Head of the General Education Department of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, acknowledged that there are currently many complaints and messages from parents about unreasonable timetables, especially at the junior high and high school levels. Therefore, right at the conference to give opinions on building school programs organized by the Department of Education and Training on September 10, Ms. Thuy asked schools to review and arrange flexibly, ensuring that it does not cause public outrage.

Mr. Nguyen Bao Quoc, Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training, emphasized: "The Ministry of Education and Training stipulates that no more than 7 periods are taught each day, which means that these 7 periods are used to implement the General Education Program. As for other subjects and educational activities, schools can balance them to teach, which means there can be more than 7 periods per day." At the same time, Mr. Quoc directed schools: "Do not arrange the official timetable on Saturday. Saturday should be arranged to nurture excellent students, tutor underachieving students, organize clubs... with the active and voluntary participation of students."

Parents struggle to pick up and drop off their children when many schools create unreasonable timetables.

Photo: Dao Ngoc Thach

In particular, Mr. Quoc requested: "Principals of middle and high schools must review the school's educational plan and rearrange the study schedule for each grade to suit regulations and actual conditions."

As one of the secondary schools that has a timetable with some classes on Saturday mornings, on the evening of September 10, Huynh Khuong Ninh Secondary School (Tan Dinh Ward) sent a notice to the school's parents to rearrange the timetable. From Monday, September 15, the official timetable will not be arranged on Saturdays, to foster excellent students, tutor underachieving students, organize clubs... with the active and voluntary participation of students.

In addition, yesterday afternoon, September 11, at the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee's socio-economic press conference, the Department of Education and Training said it would issue a document regulating school entry and dismissal times for students of all levels in the 2025-2026 school year so that schools have a common basis for building timetables. Accordingly, the Department plans to propose that students' morning school entry times do not start before 7:00 a.m. and after 8:00 a.m. The morning school end time is not before 10:30 a.m. The afternoon school end time is not before 16:30 p.m.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/phu-huynh-buc-xuc-con-hoc-thu-bay-truong-doi-lai-thoi-khoa-bieu-185250911233907273.htm