Should teaching English in primary schools stop from February 14?

(Dan Tri) - Teaching English in conjunction is an extracurricular activity. Meanwhile, the ministry prohibits extra teaching in primary schools.

Circular 29 regulating extra teaching and learning of the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) defines extra teaching and learning as additional teaching activities outside the time prescribed in the education plan for subjects in the general education program.

The Circular also stipulates that no extra classes are organized for primary school students, except in cases of training in arts, sports , and life skills.

Currently, in primary schools, extracurricular activities in addition to art clubs, sports, STEM, etc. also include English. In addition, advanced English programs and English enrichment classes in public primary schools are mostly educational activities associated with private organizations and are paid for.

These extra classes, according to regulations, are not arranged during regular school hours, so they are extra classes outside the prescribed time of the primary school education program.

Tuition fees for the English language program in primary schools in Hanoi range from VND350,000/month to VND800,000/month, depending on the number of lessons per week.

For example, at a primary school in Thanh Xuan district, the tuition fee for English and math combined with English for grades 4-5 is about 700,000 VND/month for 4 lessons/week.

With the new regulation on not giving extra lessons to primary school students, many parents wonder whether joint English teaching activities are considered extra lessons or not and whether they must stop from February 14?

Ms. Pham Hoai Phuong (Nam Tu Liem, Hanoi) has two children who are both studying in an English enhancement class at a primary school in Nam Tu Liem district. Compared to the regular class, this class has 4 more English periods a week, and is taught by teachers from the English center.

"I chose this class so that my children can learn English better, even though I have to pay an additional VND1 million/month. Every week, my children can study 1 lesson with a foreign teacher. The school has not said anything about canceling the joint English program," Ms. Phuong said.

At the secondary school level, parents of students from Le Ngoc Han, Khuong Mai, Be Van Dan schools... said that the school had announced that it would stop teaching cultural subjects since February 14. However, the school did not mention the English language class.

Circular 29 will officially take effect in just 4 days. However, many issues related to extra learning and teaching have not been clarified, such as whether student tutors must register their business or not, whether foreign language centers and teachers are allowed to teach English to primary school students or not, how to implement after-school tutoring for weak primary school students, etc.

At the request of the Ministry of Education and Training, localities are responsible for managing extra teaching and learning, as well as issuing relevant regulations to implement Circular 29.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/day-tieng-anh-lien-ket-trong-truong-tieu-hoc-co-phai-dung-tu-142-20250210133852522.htm