An extracurricular class for secondary school students. — Photo daidoanket.vn

HÀ NỘI — A regulation from the education ministry, controlling all extracurricular classes except certain ones outside of school hours, has caused concern among teachers and some parents.

The Ministry of Education and Training recently issued Circular No.29, effective February 14, 2025, to regulate extracurricular teaching activities, a legal move that has ignited widespread public debate.

Under the circular, extracurricular classes (ECs) for primary school students are banned, except for training in arts, sports and life skills.

Teachers are prohibited from charging fees for ECs attended by students they are officially assigned to teach during regular school hours.

Teachers involved in ECs must report details such as the subject, location, format and schedule of their classes to their school principals.

Organisations or individuals conducting ECs for profit must register as businesses under the Enterprise Law to ensure compliance with government regulations.

Thu Hà, a second-grade teacher in Hà Nam Province, shared her challenges under the new regulations.

Struggling to cover her living expenses with a monthly salary of VNĐ6 million ($236), she runs a private EC of 15 students, including 10 of her officially assigned students (OASs), to supplement her income.

Charging VNĐ50,000 ($2) per session, she earns approximately VNĐ5 million monthly after deducting VNĐ 1 million for classroom rental.

Hà highlighted the advantages of teaching her OASs outside school. "I know their learning abilities and what they’ve already studied, so I can tailor my lessons to their needs," she said.

However, with Circular No.29, she will no longer be allowed to charge fees for teaching her OASs, even if parents request these ECs.

"Does this mean I have to teach for free, even though my salary is insufficient to support my family? How is that fair to teachers?" she questioned.

She plans to disband her ECs before February, as teaching for free would not cover the cost of renting the classroom. "I might have to start selling goods online to make ends meet," she said.

Hương, 33, from Phú Thọ Province, has two children, a second-grader and a seventh-grader, both attending ECs with fees ranging from VNĐ30,000 to VNĐ60,000 ($1.2 to $2.4) per session, an amount she considers "quite affordable."

As a busy vendor, she and her husband struggle to find time to tutor their children at home. “ECs are an effective and suitable solution for us," she explained.

She appreciates that the teachers who instruct her children during school hours also conduct their extra lessons. "These teachers know their strengths and weaknesses and can tailor lessons to help them improve."

However, under Circular 29, they will no longer be allowed to charge fees for such classes. "If the teachers stop offering ECs, we will not know what to do," she said. "This not only creates difficulties for teachers but also for parents like us."

Nguyễn Thị Thu Huyền, an education expert, remarked that the circular effectively "blocks additional income opportunities for teachers."

Under the circular, teachers cannot supplement their income by tutoring their OACs outside school. Instead, they must teach at tutoring centres or set up their educational businesses.

However, many are reluctant to work at centres due to low profit-sharing rates. In rural areas, tutoring centres are scarce and starting an educational business is often unfeasible because of stringent facilities, staffing, curriculum, and licensing requirements.

She proposed classifying tutoring as a special business category and allowing teachers to register as sole proprietors. This approach would address the needs of ECs while contributing to government tax revenues.

Đỗ Minh Hoàng, Director of the Chu Văn An Continuing Education Centre in HCM City, emphasised that ECs are not inherently problematic.

According to him, issues only arise when the practice is distorted, such as when teachers pressure or coerce students into attending ECs.

He believes that in the long term, as the education system shifts away from an excessive focus on exams and achievement-based competition, ECs will return to their original purpose: filling gaps in knowledge or helping students who want to excel further.

"When learning is solely for the sake of exams, ECs will inevitably be misused," he concluded.

Vice-Rector of the University of Education Trần Thành Nam praised the rule that bans teachers from charging fees for tutoring their OASs outside school. "This encourages teachers to provide more support during regular classes, reducing the need for ECs," he said.

He added a note of caution, stating that while parents can request ECs for their children, it’s important to ensure these classes do not overwhelm them. "ECs should be helpful and tailored to students’ needs, not an additional burden," he concluded.

A Ministry representative clarified that the circular aims to eliminate exploitative practices in ECs, not to ban the legitimate needs of teachers and students.

"The regulation seeks to prevent situations where students, who have no real need or desire, are still pressured into attending ECs," he said.

A study conducted by Vietnam National University in HCM City in November 2024 revealed that more than 63 per cent of the 12,500 surveyed teachers expressed a desire for ECs to be legalised, including in-person and online lessons.

The study also revealed that teachers view ECs as a way to earn a fair additional income, especially since their salaries often fall short of covering living expenses. — VNS