Private tutoring, private learning and the big question about educational philosophy

(Chinhphu.vn) - At the National Assembly's question-and-answer session on June 20, 2025, the debate between Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son and Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Quang Phuong on the issue of extra teaching and learning attracted great public attention.

Moderneducation must shift to competency development – ​​that is, training learners to think independently, be creative, cooperate, communicate and learn throughout life.

The seemingly old story suddenly becomes attractive with new questions: Is private tutoring a temporary solution or a consequence? Should it be banned or legalized? And in the era of artificial intelligence, should we change the way we look at education?

This is not just a debate on management policy, but a rare occasion for the whole society to deeply reflect on Vietnam's educational philosophy - which will shape the future of Vietnamese people in a world that is changing at a dizzying pace.

This is particularly noteworthy in the context that the Government and agencies are developing and preparing to submit a new Resolution of the Politburo on breakthroughs in education and training development. Under the direction of General Secretary To Lam, this Resolution does not replace existing Resolutions, but selects the most critical issues and current major bottlenecks to focus on, creating clear and specific changes in the field of education and training.

Private tutoring and private learning: Reasons and paradoxes

It is undeniable that tutoring and extra learning exist to meet a real need. From the students and parents' perspective, the pressure of exams, the fear of falling behind and the expectation that "children must be better" have led to finding ways to supplement knowledge after school. From the teachers' perspective, low income has forced many to tutor as a financial lifeline.

However, the paradox lies in the fact that the more extra classes are given, the more the quality of regular classes is neglected; the more extra classes are given, the more time students lose to self-study, creativity and developing necessary life skills. In many cases, extra classes have become a second form of education – operating in parallel, sometimes even more effectively than regular classes. This not only erodes the trust in the public education system, but also leads to long-term consequences of imbalance in the development of students' personalities.

Education 4.0: From "knowledge transfer" to "capacity development"

Behind the story of private tutoring is an outdated concept of education – the idea that education is the process of transferring knowledge from teacher to student. But in an era where all knowledge can be found on the internet or from an artificial intelligence assistant at the click of a mouse, “transferring knowledge” is no longer the core value of education.

Modern education must shift to competency development – ​​that is, training learners to think independently, be creative, collaborate, communicate and learn throughout their lives . These are competencies that machines cannot replace and are also the foundation for helping students adapt to a constantly changing world.

It is worth noting that Minister Nguyen Kim Son does not encourage extra classes, but on the contrary, he considers this a manifestation of the shortcomings in the current education system - from the quality of regular hours, teachers' income, to the pressure of exams. In addition, he admits that the phenomenon of extra classes partly reflects a traditional educational concept - where "providing more knowledge" is seen as a solution to improve learning outcomes. Meanwhile, the modern educational philosophy does not emphasize learning more, but learning in the right way, according to needs and personal capacity. If extra classes are only for cramming knowledge, practicing for exams, solving questions... then it is a wasteful investment - not only in terms of time, but also in terms of the comprehensive development of people in a world that is changing towards creativity and lifelong self-learning.

AI and the Personalized Learning Revolution

In the era of the 4.0 industrial revolution, artificial intelligence is creating unprecedented possibilities in the field of education. AI can track the learning progress of each student, analyze strengths and weaknesses, adjust the learning speed, provide appropriate exercises and even predict the risk of falling behind for timely intervention.

That means, in the near future, every student will be able to have their own "learning assistant" - no need for formal extra classes, no need to depend on a certain teacher. The ability to learn independently will be greatly enhanced and the role of the school will change from "a place of communication" to "a place of inspiration and personal development".

In that context, the question is no longer "Should we take extra classes?", but "How can students study well without extra classes?". And "How can AI not replace teachers, but empower them?"

It should not be banned, but it should not be tacitly accepted.

Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Quang Phuong is absolutely right when he says that tutoring is a real need and cannot be simply banned. However, the danger is when tutoring becomes the norm.

The management of tutoring requires a clear distinction: what is voluntary support, and what is profiteering; what is the need for personal development, and what is the consequence of injustice. It is even more impossible to allow regular teachers to tutor their own students – because that creates a conflict of interest that erodes professional ethics and educational fairness.

Therefore, instead of extreme prohibition or acceptance of giving up, we need a flexible approach with a smart transition roadmap - from an education system that "depends on extra classes" to an education system that "can still study well without extra classes".

What direction for Vietnamese education?

To solve the problem of private tutoring and learning at its root, the most important thing is to reform the education system from within, instead of just tightening management from the outside. A quality education system will naturally make students no longer need to take extra classes. And to achieve that, there are three directions that need to be prioritized.

First, improve the quality of formal education. This is a prerequisite. When classroom hours are truly engaging, effective and in-depth, students will no longer feel the need to take extra classes. But to do this, we must first substantially reduce the curriculum, avoiding the "cutting this part, pushing it to another part" style. At the same time, we must innovate testing and assessment methods so that students no longer study for scores, and teachers no longer teach just to complete tests. More importantly, teachers need to be retrained in a new spirit - not to impart a lot of knowledge, but to arouse students' abilities, guide learning methods and develop independent thinking.

Second, invest heavily in educational technology and artificial intelligence (AI).

Technology does not replace teachers, but it can be a great support. Machine-based, repetitive tasks should be handled by technology, so that teachers have time to focus on the most important thing: inspiring and accompanying students. With the support of AI, students can have their learning process personalized, knowing what they need to learn, how to learn, and how to progress. Then, they no longer need crowded and stereotyped extra classes, but can learn in their own way - smarter and more effectively.

Third, perfecting the philosophy of education. If education is only for exams, then extra classes are inevitable. But if education is to help each person develop comprehensively - with personality, aspirations and the ability to learn for life - then the approach must be completely different. Then, school is not just a place to teach knowledge, but a place to sow the joy of learning, arouse big questions and nurture dreams. Students do not come to class to "get extra classes", but to become the best version of themselves.

A learning society is not a tutoring society.

The debate in parliament about private tutoring and learning – if it only stops at whether to ban it or not – will pass like many times before. But if we look at it to reflect on the educational philosophy, operating model and training goals of the whole system, it is a valuable opportunity for reform.

No one denies that many students still need extra tutoring today. But we cannot accept a future where tutoring becomes the norm – and formal schooling becomes a mere formality.

In the age of AI, intelligence is not about learning more, but about learning the right way and living more valuable lives.

It is time for Vietnamese education to transform itself – to no longer struggle with extra classes, but to create a true learning society, where everyone can learn for life without sacrificing their childhood, health...

Dr. Nguyen Si Dung

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/day-them-hoc-them-va-cau-hoi-lon-ve-triet-ly-giao-duc-102250623200010802.htm