Proactive and flexible implementation
Cam Xuyen High School (Thien Cam commune, Ha Tinh ) has a scale of more than 1,300 students, with 25 classrooms, lacking 10 classrooms to meet the need for teaching 2 sessions/day.
Mr. Vo Huu Ha, Principal of Cam Xuyen High School, shared: "Difficulties in facilities are real, but with the spirit of initiative, creativity and attention from all levels, teaching two sessions/day is increasingly effective, contributing to improving the quality of comprehensive education for students."
11th grade student Do Phuong Thao shared: "There are no more than 7 periods each day so we feel more relaxed. The second session helps consolidate knowledge and prepare well for final exams and assessments."
In Thanh Hoa, the implementation of teaching 2 sessions/day has been guided by the Department of Education and Training for each level of education. Specifically, at the primary level, schools organize no more than 7 periods/day, each period 35 minutes. The morning is for the main curriculum, the afternoon focuses on activities to consolidate knowledge, practice skills, moral education, physical education, art, reading culture and experience.
For middle and high school levels, each day has no more than 7 periods, each period is 45 minutes. Session 1 implements the general education program; session 2 is for tutoring weak students, nurturing gifted students, reviewing for the 10th grade entrance exam or high school graduation exam, along with scientific research activities, STEM/STEAM, career guidance and skill development.
Schools are proactive in arranging flexible timetables, not fixed in the morning and afternoon, depending on the facilities and teaching staff. Mr. Le Thanh Hai - Principal of Dong Tho Secondary School, Ham Rong Ward (Thanh Hoa) said: "We have reviewed the facilities, rearranged the teaching staff, and surveyed the learning needs of students. Organizing 2 sessions/day helps the school not only consolidate knowledge but also expand experiential activities, life skills, creating a richer and more attractive learning environment for students."
Ms. Nguyen Thi Hien - Principal of Nguyen Van Troi Primary School, Hac Thanh Ward (Thanh Hoa), shared: "The school focuses on combining learning and playing, knowledge and life skills. In the afternoon, students participate in book clubs, STEM clubs and sports activities. Through that, students are more interested in going to school, and teachers also have the opportunity to innovate teaching methods."
According to the Principal of Nguyen Van Troi Primary School, teaching 2 sessions/day is not simply to increase the study time, but to innovate the educational approach, aiming at the comprehensive development of students in terms of knowledge, personality and skills. This policy also helps to improve the quality of formal teaching, limit extra teaching after hours, and maximize the effectiveness of using the existing teaching staff and facilities.
Ensure quality when reducing classes and increasing shifts
Despite the high consensus, Ha Tinh still faces three major challenges: lack of teachers, degraded facilities and no separate funding mechanism for the increased workload. In addition, full-day teaching significantly increases the workload, many teachers are concerned about time and income.
Ms. Phan Thi Hong Cam (Nguyen Thi Minh Khai High School) shared: “If organized scientifically, the second session helps reduce the pressure of the main curriculum, increasing the connection between teachers and students. But teachers also need to be allocated reasonable time to ensure quality.”
Creating content for session 2 is also a challenge. Teachers must be flexible, update new methods, organize experiential activities, career education, STEM, etc.
In Nghe An, 100% of high schools have implemented 2 sessions/day. The content of the 2nd session includes tutoring for poor students, training for excellent students and exam review for final year students. Other contents such as life skills education, financial education, art education, physical education, STEM/STEAM, career guidance, artificial intelligence, foreign languages, etc. are difficult to implement due to lack of teachers, facilities and resources.
From the 2025-2026 school year, Hien Son Secondary School, Bach Ha Commune (Nghe An) has made adjustments, studying only from Monday to Friday and taking a day off on Saturday. Instead, students will study 3 more afternoon sessions with each session lasting 2-3 periods. “The school's timetable has been adjusted to reduce the number of periods but increase the number of classes in both the morning and afternoon. To do this, the school must arrange flexibly to suit the characteristics of the teaching staff. The whole school has only 2 local teachers, the rest are far away, some are nearly 20 kilometers from the school, so traveling will be difficult,” said Mr. Nguyen Van Dan - Principal of the school.
Regarding the content of the second session's program, Mr. Nguyen Van Dan shared that the school has developed a number of educational activities outside of class hours, but they are not regular because the school does not have the conditions to implement them. Inviting teams such as artists, athletes, etc. cannot be implemented because they are beyond the school's resources.
Nguyen Canh Chan High School (Dai Dong Commune, Nghe An) implements 2 sessions/day with specific timetables for each grade. In which, grade 10 studies 8 sessions/week, grade 11 and 12 study 10-11 sessions/week depending on the registration of students in each class. The content of the 2nd session enhancement program includes training excellent students, tutoring knowledge for students who have not met the requirements and reviewing for final exams, all of which are being taught for free by teachers.
Mr. Nguyen Van Thuan said that currently, the Party and the State are making many major, breakthrough decisions on education and training, including salary reform for teachers. This is the policy support, creating favorable conditions for schools to implement teaching 2 sessions/day. Because in reality, although the number of periods is reduced, the number of study sessions is increased, the total working and teaching time of teachers increases.
The Principal of Nguyen Canh Chan High School hopes that salary and allowance policies for teachers will be implemented soon, creating motivation for teachers to feel secure in their dedication and complete their tasks well. At the same time, they will strive to improve their professional qualifications and innovate in teaching.
Long-term solutions
Faced with difficulties in human resources and funding, the Department of Education and Training of Ha Tinh has advised the province to recruit, mobilize, second, and contract additional teachers; at the same time, increase the application of IT, inter-class and inter-grade teaching, and connect teachers between schools to share the workload.
Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training Nguyen Hong Cuong said: "The sector is implementing many solutions: arranging reasonable timetables, applying artificial intelligence, exploiting digital learning materials, organizing online teaching combined with direct teaching, and professional activities in clusters of schools to reduce the workload for teachers."
At the same time, we will promote the training of staff in a practical way, encourage teachers to self-study, apply digital technology, and share experiences through the subject network. Thereby, each teacher will not only have solid expertise but also have the skills to organize activities, creating interest in learning for students.
Thanh Hoa education sector requires localities to ensure adequate teaching staff, facilities, teaching equipment, and mobilize social resources. Artisans, artists, professional athletes, and experts in many fields are encouraged to participate in teaching or organizing experiential activities, helping students access practical knowledge.
Thanh Hoa Education Department also encourages the use of surplus facilities from the arrangement of administrative units to add classrooms, libraries, multi-purpose halls, playgrounds, and outdoor activity areas. In addition to the state budget, Thanh Hoa promotes the socialization of education, encourages businesses and individuals to contribute and invest in schools in the spirit of voluntariness and transparency.
To achieve the set goal and ensure the quality of teaching 2 sessions/day, the People's Committee of Nghe An province has also proposed 6 specific solutions. That is, it is necessary to raise awareness of all levels, sectors, education managers, teachers, students and parents. In addition, ensure the teaching staff to organize teaching such as arranging and regulating teachers between educational institutions to overcome the situation of surplus, shortage and local teachers. Implement teacher recruitment according to the number of positions granted to ensure sufficient quantity and structure of teachers.
During the implementation process, schools need to develop specific plans, ensuring the "5 clear" principles including: clear implementation roadmap; clear resources; clear teaching methods and content; clear responsibilities of the subjects and clear results and quality of education.
In addition, it is necessary to strengthen inspection and supervision work to promptly detect, resolve, and advise on difficulties and problems, and correct manifestations of chasing achievements and violating regulations.
Nghe An province will also have solutions to arrange funding sources to implement 2-session teaching/day such as arranging local budget sources, effectively integrating programs and projects, and promoting socialization. Units and localities will prepare annual budget estimates to ensure 2-session teaching/day.
At the same time, the Department of Home Affairs is assigned to coordinate with the Department of Education and Training and the People's Committees at the commune level to advise on balancing, arranging, and staffing the education sector to meet the need for teaching 2 sessions/day and advise competent authorities to supplement staffing.
Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/dam-bao-chat-luong-muc-tieu-chuong-trinh-day-hoc-2-buoingay-post754810.html
Comment (0)