'If you don't study, where will you go? Just wander around?'

Mr. NVĐ (left), a parent of a child in grade 1 at K.D Primary School, Binh Tan District, Ho Chi Minh City, spoke with Thanh Nien Newspaper reporters on September 22.

Creating distance and discrimination in schools

Like Ms. A., a parent whose child is studying at primary school in District 12, Ho Chi Minh City, said that the teacher sent a tentative timetable, in which, between the compulsory subjects in both the morning and afternoon, there are voluntary subjects such as swimming, ismart, life skills, STEM (the class has not had a parent-teacher meeting yet, so my child is not studying these subjects yet). "But if I do not register my child to study the above 'voluntary' subjects, I do not know where the children will sit, what they will do, who will manage them during the above regular school time, because it is not time to dismiss school yet?".

Ms. A. added that the school year before her child was in first grade, the daily schedule also included swimming, iSmart, and enhanced computer classes. In the class, some parents signed up for their children to take the classes, while others did not. These subjects all had their own functional classrooms with air conditioning. Swimming was taught at the school's swimming pool, and those who did not study sat in class. "But what were the children doing in class? Was anyone watching or teaching them during those hours? I was also concerned," Ms. A. wondered.

Timetable of Ms. Cam Tien's child, Hoc Mon District

Ms. Cam Tien, parent of a first grader at a public primary school in Hoc Mon District, Ho Chi Minh City, said: "In my child's timetable, he studies 7 periods a day, 35 periods a week. This year, in addition to the main subjects - the subjects officially regulated in the education program, I see STEM subjects, life skills subjects - subjects with separate fees according to Decree 04/2023 of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council in the timetable. I wonder if the students who register for this subject go to a separate room to study, so do the students who do not register for this subject just sit around and do nothing in class?".

Mr. NVĐ, a parent of a first-grade student at K.D Primary School, Binh Tan District, Ho Chi Minh City, met with Thanh Nien Newspaper reporters on the afternoon of September 22 to talk about the shortcomings in his child's school's timetable, when inserting "voluntary" subjects into regular school hours. He raised the issue that the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training set a key task for the 2023-2024 school year as building happy schools.

But if we keep "interspersing" "voluntary" subjects into the main subjects, creating gaps and discrimination in schools. When children go to school, they go to school, and when children don't have money, they sit around doing nothing. Can students be happy when they go to school?

Mr. V.D's child's schedule, grade 1 has life skills, STEM, and 6 English classes per week.

Thanh Nien Newspaper readers are outraged.

This morning, September 23, many Thanh Nien Newspaper readers were upset and sent comments below articles reflecting the situation of inserting "voluntary" subjects into regular school hours at schools.

Reader Ho Ho said: "The school integrates the classes into the timetable with the main subjects to force parents to register even if they don't want to... because if they don't study, the children will wander around during the hours their friends have registered to study."

Parent Pham Tu said: "We need to re-examine schools to avoid this situation. Now the economic difficulties increase the burden on parents."

Notably, a "heartfelt letter" from a reader with the display name phamvancong@moet.edu.vn, recently sent to Thanh Nien Newspaper. This reader said that currently most primary schools offer enhanced English teaching, life skills education, and STEM education through centers. These can be said to be very good forms of education for students. But the way the schools do it is not good. This reader raised the question of whether there is a "commission" from the centers sent back to the principal?

According to this reader, normally, if not through the centers, the school only collects about 5,000 VND for each "extra" lesson in the 4th period in the afternoon (increasing the regulation of 7 lessons/day). But if through the center, the amount of money for that lesson can increase 3-6 times (life skills education and STEM centers collect 60,000 VND, teaching English is 130,000 VND per month for 4 lessons, 1 lesson per week). The principal explained to the teachers that a percentage of that extra money must be given back to the centers. In fact, the centers only get a part of it, who pockets the rest...

This reader also frankly said that if "voluntary" classes such as English and STEM were included in the regular classes, it would be difficult for parents and students to not participate. "It would be very embarrassing for parents to see their children not being able to study and having to go out, and it would be very sad for students whose families do not have the conditions to register them. This also partly puts pressure on parents to voluntarily register their students, which makes them extremely upset."

This reader also affirmed that STEM education is an activity in the 2018 General Education Program (according to Official Dispatch 909 issued by the Ministry of Education and Training on March 8, 2023), so it is impossible to use centers to teach STEM in schools.

The exchange between the homeroom teacher of grade 1, K.D primary school and the parent, Mr. NVĐ. He asked the teacher if the child does not study voluntarily, where will the child go?

It is still possible to arrange "voluntary" subjects into extracurricular hours.

A reader with the display name phamvancong@moet.edu.vn suggests that the 2018 General Education Program has specific requirements on the duration of classes in a week (grades 1-2 are 25 periods, grade 3 is 28 periods, grade 4-5 is 30 periods). Most primary schools are currently teaching 32 periods/week (9 sessions, Thursday afternoon off for professional activities). Thus, each grade has 2 to 7 extra periods.

"We suggest that if schools do not teach physical education or elective classes, the extra classes can be replaced with STEM education classes and parents will not be charged. If any school has taught enough physical education classes such as math, Vietnamese, English and elective classes (English, IT), they can teach STEM education activities in the 4th period in the afternoon and charge the same fee as life skills education activities. As for teaching English to foreigners, because foreigners come to teach directly, they must go through the centers. However, those classes cannot be arranged in the 7 main classes but must be arranged in the 4th period in the afternoon so that students who do not participate can leave early.

This reader also suggested that, depending on the subjects, the school should allow the primary school teachers to teach these extracurricular subjects - without having to go through the center. This would both avoid the phenomenon of "sharing commissions" and help primary school teachers who are facing many difficulties in life to have the opportunity to improve their lives with legitimate extra classes with the labor they put in.

"The school can completely reduce the number of students registered in some classes to study in the 4th period in the afternoon as for life skills and STEM education activities. Currently, with 4 afternoons, it is possible to teach 1 life skills period, 1 STEM period, 1 English period, and the remaining 1 period for students to experience through club models, which is very suitable. For the above reasons, we earnestly request the Minister to consider and help us. If the Ministry of Education and Training can do this, we affirm that the number of people leaving the profession will decrease significantly. If primary school teachers are allowed to directly participate in teaching the 4th period in the afternoon, only needing to collect 100,000 VND/month from each student, each teacher can increase their income by 2-3 million VND/month, and parents will also reduce half of the contribution compared to having to go through centers as at present," the letter wrote.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/chen-mon-tu-nguyen-vao-chinh-khoa-ai-khong-hoc-thi-di-dau-chang-nhe-lang-thang-185230923114344455.htm