Fairness for both teachers and students.

Circular 29/2024/TT-BGDĐT on the management of extracurricular tutoring officially came into effect on February 14, 2025. Although there are still many concerns regarding the stricter regulations on extracurricular tutoring, the ultimate goal is to improve the quality and effectiveness of teaching and learning in schools, foster self-learning abilities, and build a lifelong learning society.

Simultaneously halt all extra tutoring and supplementary classes within schools.

From February 14th, all schools nationwide ceased all extracurricular tutoring activities. Some schools even notified parents at the end of the first semester about the discontinuation of afternoon tutoring classes. At Ninh Phong Secondary School (Hoa Lu City, Ninh Binh Province), before the 2025 Lunar New Year, students were still enrolled in afternoon tutoring classes twice a week in Math, Literature, and English, taught by the same teachers who taught these subjects in their regular classes. However, during the end-of-semester parent meeting, the school clearly informed students that these tutoring classes would be discontinued after the Lunar New Year.

A class session at Tran Duy Hung Secondary School ( Hanoi ). Photo: NTCC

However, for students in many other areas, the suspension of extra classes has led to other consequences such as the suspension of school lunches, and the lack of transportation to pick up students at lunchtime. Observations at many schools in Thanh Tri district (Hanoi), such as Tu Hiep Secondary School, Van Dien Secondary School, Vinh Quynh Secondary School, etc., show that all schools officially stopped extra classes and tutoring within the school premises from February 14th.

Linh Dam Secondary School (Hoang Mai District, Hanoi) has just sent a notice to parents regarding adjustments to school activities starting from February 14th. Accordingly, all students will be on break for extracurricular review and knowledge enhancement in academic subjects. For 9th-grade students preparing for the 10th-grade entrance exam, the school has developed a free review plan for Mathematics, Literature, and English, with 2 lessons per subject per week. The timetable will be announced after the school receives registration forms from students.

Meanwhile, at Hoang Mai Secondary School (Hoang Mai District, Hanoi), students in all grades received a notice about the suspension of extra classes taught by their subject teachers. Students wishing to enroll in the English program in partnership with Language Link Center will continue to register for two lessons per week. However, the difficulty lies in the disruption of transporting their children to and from school, as classes will be scheduled during regular working hours, and not all parents can manage this daily commute. This is also a concern for many parents who want to continue enrolling their children, as the school does not provide lunch, making it difficult to arrange transportation and potentially forcing them to withdraw their children from extra classes.

Extracurricular tutoring still takes on negative forms.

Ms. Tran Thi Hai Yen, Principal of Tran Phu High School (Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi), said that before Circular 29 came into effect, the school had instructed all teachers to adhere to three "no's": no organizing extra classes within the school; no providing extra classes outside the school for students they teach; and no organizing or managing extra classes outside the school. Along with that, they emphasized two "yes's": nurturing gifted students to participate in the school's teams; and strengthening the knowledge base for students taking this year's graduation exams to achieve good results. The school will cover the costs for these two activities according to its internal spending regulations. According to Ms. Yen, although the payment is not high, the teachers are supportive and enthusiastically participate.

Previously, many teachers organized extra classes and tutoring sessions in violation of regulations. According to a report from the People's Committee of Ngoc Khanh Ward (Ba Dinh District, Hanoi), from the start of the new school year until before October 4, 2024, some teachers from Ngoc Khanh Primary School (Ba Dinh District, Hanoi) rented space at Community Center No. 7 to open tutoring classes for students at the request of parents in residential area No. 7 of Ngoc Khanh Ward (most students were children from Ngoc Khanh village). Currently, these classes are no longer operating. Immediately afterwards, the school and local authorities intervened, instructing 100% of the teaching staff to absolutely refrain from tutoring in any form. Violators will be held fully responsible before the leadership and will receive disciplinary action as prescribed.

A regular class session for elementary school students in Hanoi. Photo: Quang Vinh

According to Circular 29, the supervision of extracurricular tutoring should not only be the responsibility of the education sector or local authorities, but also include public oversight from students and parents, based on the regulations already issued. This includes the role of the school principal in managing teachers who are teaching at the school but are also involved in extracurricular tutoring outside of school.

However, in reality, some teachers still "circumvent the rules" by instructing their regular students to attend extra classes at cultural centers, with the teacher still being the one in charge! Ms. Phan Minh Hai (Cau Giay district, Hanoi) said that before Tet 2025, her child was still taking extra Literature classes with the same teacher who taught the subject in school, at a rented house. After Tet, the class stopped, but many parents requested that the teacher resume teaching because the students were preparing for the 9th grade exams, and stopping abruptly would affect their academic results. Currently, the class has moved to a tutoring center near the school, the class is split into two levels, and some students from other classes and schools are participating, with nearly 30 students per class.

Meanwhile, Ms. HNB, a teacher in Duy Tien district, Ha Nam province, has switched some of her tutoring classes to online because it's a rural area, making it difficult to connect with nearby centers for online classes, even though students want to. “I'm currently researching how to register for a tutoring business, but it's not yet complete. I've also registered with the principal to have the school manage my tutoring activities and requested free tutoring at the school for the two 9th-grade classes I teach, but it hasn't been approved yet. For now, I'm guiding some students who want to prepare for the 10th-grade entrance exam online. The effectiveness can't compare to in-person teaching, but time is running out, so I'll try my best to teach as many students as possible,” Ms. B. shared.

A change in perception is needed from many sides.

According to Mr. Do Thanh Thien, Principal of Vinh Thanh High School (Can Tho), in rural areas, extra tutoring is not a major issue. The school does not organize extra classes outside of regular school hours, and students are not under much pressure from participating in too many academic activities. These new regulations do not cause too much disruption to the school's operations.

Similarly, for students in remote areas, ensuring their regular school attendance is a significant effort on the part of the school and teachers. There is virtually no coercion to attend extra classes; even free tutoring and knowledge reinforcement require careful persuasion and communication from teachers to parents and students. Many teachers share that they have to use their own money to buy books and school supplies for students, so charging for extra classes is virtually nonexistent.

Returning to localities where academic pressure weighs heavily not only on students but also on schools, teachers, and parents, Mr. Phan Nhu Quynh - Principal of High School No. 1 in Muong Khuong district (Lao Cai province) - believes that for Circular 29 to truly be implemented and effective, better support policies for teachers are needed, such as increased investment in infrastructure, improved teacher income, and professional development programs. At the same time, flexible mechanisms are needed to suit each locality, especially in areas with difficult socio-economic conditions.

Associate Professor Tran Xuan Nhi, former Deputy Minister of Education and Training, commented that after 12 years since Circular No. 17/2012/TT-BGDDT (dated May 16, 2012) of the Ministry of Education and Training was issued to regulate extracurricular tutoring, this activity is only now being regulated by a new circular. This shows that the drafting agency has pondered and calculated carefully, but with an issue directly affecting teachers, parents, and millions of students, finding a way to harmonize all parties is not easy.

“I support the overarching viewpoint of Circular 29, which is to shift the mindset from ‘if you can’t manage it, ban it’ to ‘manage to ensure quality.’ This will force teachers to innovate their teaching methods so that students can fully absorb knowledge during regular class time, instead of having to attend additional classes outside of school. At the same time, schools need to create opportunities for students to participate in many extracurricular activities, sports, and arts to ensure their holistic development,” said Associate Professor Dr. Tran Xuan Nhi.

Deputy Minister of Education and Training Pham Ngoc Thuong:

Towards an education system with positive values.

The Circular on regulating supplementary teaching and learning aims to promote an education system with positive values. Therefore, despite initial difficulties, I hope for unity and determination in implementing this Circular. The Ministry of Education and Training will closely cooperate with localities, schools, and teachers throughout the implementation process.

The Ministry of Education and Training's viewpoint is to move towards schools without extra tutoring or supplementary classes. Instead, after school hours, students should have time and space to participate in recreational activities, sports, arts, music, etc. The goal is for school time to be not only for learning knowledge but also for students to develop comprehensively in terms of personality, lifestyle, sense of responsibility, ability to integrate into society, and problem-solving skills. Teachers, educators, and society as a whole agree on this; students should not have to attend too many extra classes, causing unnecessary pressure and fatigue, so that every day at school is a joyful one.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chu Cam Tho, Head of the Research and Evaluation Department of Education (Vietnam Institute of Educational Sciences, Ministry of Education and Training):

Integrity in education

Prohibiting extracurricular tutoring within schools will promote student support activities directly in the classroom, increasing the effectiveness of school lessons. Schools must fulfill their responsibilities and duties correctly. Students attending school must receive standard instruction and meet the required learning outcomes. If teachers wish to provide extra tutoring, it should be conducted as an external service. If this is achieved, the integrity of educational activities within the school will be maintained.

Source: https://daidoanket.vn/minh-bach-hoat-dong-day-them-hoc-them-cong-bang-cho-ca-giao-vien-va-hoc-sinh-10299877.html