Be cautious with joint education programs.

Cẩn trọng với giáo dục liên kết — A class session at Na Hang Ethnic Boarding Secondary and High School ( Tuyen Quang ). Photo: Provided by the school.

Review and inspect the collaborative activities.

School-based collaborative programs have been increasingly implemented in many localities. These range from collaborations in foreign languages, computer science, STEM, and life skills to partnerships with international educational organizations.

This partly stems from the real needs of society, as the demand for foreign languages, technology, and soft skills among young people is increasingly high. Although the general education curriculum has been reformed to focus on competency development, it still struggles to fully and comprehensively meet all these diverse needs within the current time constraints and resources.

Therefore, the collaboration between secondary schools and external organizations to organize supplementary programs, if implemented correctly and in accordance with regulations, can bring certain benefits to students. Many students have the opportunity to interact with foreign teachers, learn new learning methods, and participate in practical experiential activities, thereby broadening their horizons and enhancing their personal abilities.

Representatives from the Ministry of Education and Training stated that they have requested localities to continue conducting a comprehensive review of the organization of collaborative teaching and learning in schools.

In Hanoi , the Hanoi Department of Education and Training recently sent a document to the People's Committees of communes and wards, and public schools under its jurisdiction, requesting reports on the implementation of educational support services in public schools. These services include: life skills, English, STEM, digital citizenship skills, AI, etc. The Department requested that units summarize and assess the situation of implementing educational support services in their respective units and propose recommendations for the future, clarifying whether or not it is necessary to organize the implementation of educational support services in schools. Previously, in November 2025, the Director of the Hanoi Department of Education and Training issued a decision to establish an inspection team to oversee the implementation of tasks at the preschool level, including the inspection of life skills education and extracurricular activities. The inspection period lasted from November 2025 to May 2026.

Ensuring equity in education

The education sector has consistently emphasized that the organization of joint programs must be approved by the school board and involve the voluntary participation of parents, without forcing students to participate. However, feedback from parents suggests that because these joint programs are interspersed with regular school subjects, students who don't register for them may feel left out during those lessons.

The fees for joint programs vary from school to school, even within the same ward or commune… In particular, the large number of joint programs and supplementary courses makes it difficult to choose. Parents are seeing an increasing financial burden on their children's education. This clearly contradicts the humane policies the government is pursuing.

This is a reality occurring in some schools, causing public outrage and requiring review and rectification to ensure the educational environment truly benefits students, rather than becoming a place that provides disguised fee-based services. Introducing joint programs into schools, if not strictly controlled, can easily blur the lines between education and business, placing significant financial pressure on parents, especially those with middle and low incomes.

For collaborative programs to be effective, careful attention must be paid to policy formulation, partner selection, program design, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation. Only when collaborative programs truly complement the general education curriculum, ensuring voluntariness, transparency, and fairness, can they deliver positive value. Conversely, if management is lax or short-term gains are pursued, the general education environment – the foundation for human development – will suffer long-term consequences.

In particular, to ensure that "no student is left behind," schools also need to make the most of their facilities and teaching staff, and develop free-of-charge activities to ensure that students who do not participate in the joint program still have the right to comprehensive learning and development.

Ho Chi Minh City: Rectifying the issue of joint training programs in schools: After the implementation of tuition and health insurance exemption policies, many parents in Ho Chi Minh City believe that the actual amount they have to pay for their children has not changed compared to previous years, or has even increased. This is due to many joint programs within schools with external partners, requiring parents to pay monthly fees. According to our investigation, in the old Ho Chi Minh City area, it was common for parents to register their children for extra classes. This is because schools arrange these classes to alternate with other classes. Therefore, parents cannot refuse to register. If students don't attend, they will have to leave the classroom during these extra classes so that other students can register. This is a rather sensitive issue for primary and secondary schools. Therefore, most parents voluntarily register, resulting in high actual payments despite tuition and health insurance exemptions. Mr. Ho Tan Minh, Chief of the Office of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, stated that compulsory general education programs require two sessions per day at the primary level and are encouraged at the secondary level, aiming to develop students' comprehensive abilities and qualities. Principals are responsible for arranging teaching plans, including the Ministry's standard curriculum and supplementary activities. For supplementary content, schools are allowed to collaborate with external organizations to teach necessary skills such as foreign languages with native speakers, artificial intelligence (AI), and soft skills. However, this is only for areas the school cannot organize independently. Mr. Minh further explained that if schools want students to acquire additional skills such as swimming, English speaking, or advanced math skills, but their resources (including facilities and teachers) are insufficient, they are required to collaborate with qualified external organizations to enhance students' abilities. Meanwhile, Mr. Nguyen Bao Quoc, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, emphasized that voluntariness is a prerequisite. For students who do not register for the joint program, the school must organize arts, sports, or science clubs for them to participate in during that time. The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training does not license programs or partner units with schools; schools themselves consider parents' wishes to make decisions. According to Mr. Quoc, during recent inspections, the Department's leadership found that some schools were not complying properly, commonly by not fully disclosing program information or arranging timetables inappropriately. Therefore, in the coming time, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training will rectify the situation and take disciplinary action if serious violations are discovered. It can be said that the model of integrated education within schools is a real need of parents, but maintaining quality, consensus, and transparency is crucial to avoid the "commercialization of schools" and to prevent parents from feeling burdened by these "voluntary" contributions. (DOAN XA)

Han Minh

Source: https://daidoanket.vn/can-trong-voi-giao-duc-lien-ket.html