What to do in the summer?

That is the question of many parents as the 2024-2025 school year is about to end and a summer opens for students.

Children playing in the playground in Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City - Photo: QUANG DINH

This summer will also be different because there will be no extra teaching or learning. In addition, more and more summer courses are opening with rich content, attractive advertisements and incentives, making parents "dizzy" and not knowing which course to choose for their children.

There are many skill and talent classes open, but I don't know which class to choose to ensure my child's safety, help him/her develop comprehensively in skills and thinking, and fit my family's finances.

Ms. TRAN THI LIEN (worker in Linh Trung Export Processing Zone, Thu Duc City)

Parents' feelings

Ms. Tran Thi Lien - a worker at Linh Trung Export Processing Zone, Thu Duc City - is quite worried about finding a suitable environment for her child during the summer.

She shared: "I work the morning shift from 7am to 4:30pm. My daughter is in 3rd grade this year, and when summer comes, we have to find a boarding school to send her all day. My husband and I have thought about it for a long time. There are many skill and talent classes being opened, but we don't know which class to choose to ensure the safety of our child, help her develop comprehensively in skills and thinking, and fit the family's finances."

Ms. Ho Thi Ha, a teacher in Quang Ngai , said that although students have stopped going to school, the administrative staff still has to maintain professional work. What worries Ms. Ha the most right now is that her two children are at home on summer vacation with no one to look after them.

Ms. Ha's family is quite common in the countryside where both parents work, there are no grandparents nearby, while the conditions for sending children to school are very limited.

In previous years, Ms. Ha often looked for extra classes near her home for her children to attend. It was not necessarily a need to supplement knowledge but mainly a temporary solution, helping her children have a place to go every day and have someone to supervise them.

"In my hometown, everyone is worried about children going out to play, wading in streams, riding bicycles in the middle of the road or gathering to play wildly. There are many streams and rivers, and it's very dangerous without adults around," Ms. Ha shared.

That's why extra classes, even if it's just a simple math or Vietnamese class taught by a local teacher, are still the optimal choice for many parents.

However, since this summer, after the regulations prohibiting extra tutoring and learning were tightened, those "disguised childcare classes" no longer exist.

In big cities, parents also have the option of sending their children to foreign language centers, life skills centers or summer clubs. But in Ms. Ha’s commune, there are no centers operating during the summer, nor are there boarding classes or regular children’s activities.

Summer programs are increasingly diverse

MSc. Tieu Minh Son - soft skills lecturer at Van Lang University - said that current summer programs are not only increasingly diverse in form but also rich in content, opening up many opportunities for practical experience for students of different ages.

Mr. Son said that many summer models have been and are being effectively implemented by prestigious units such as the Southern Youth Center, Youth Cultural House, children's houses at all levels...

Typical programs include military semesters, career experience days, life skills summer camps, art and academic clubs, and community volunteer activities.

These activities are not only a place for parents to send their children during the summer, but more importantly, they are also a "door to a new world" that helps students increase their independence, ability to interact, develop life skills and soft skills, which the 2018 GeneralEducation Program is also aiming to build comprehensive qualities and capacities for learners.

According to an expert at a life skills center in District 3 (HCMC), each family will have a way to design a summer for their children, such as taking their children back to their hometown to see their grandparents, taking their children on trips , sending their children to classes, summer programs, etc.

However, no matter which method is chosen, this expert believes that the safety of children still needs to be put first.

For example, if you leave your children at home to do their own things, you need to explain to them in detail about electrical and water equipment in the house, and how to handle strangers. If you let your children go to the countryside, you need to tell them not to bathe in rivers or streams on their own.

When choosing military semester programs and summer experience courses for children, it is necessary to find out in detail about places to eat, places to sleep, and scenarios of the organizing committee in case of incidents to ensure the highest level of safety for children when participating.

Children are passionate about reading books at Nguyen Van Binh Book Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City - Photo: QUANG DINH

The most important thing is to be suitable.

According to Mr. Tieu Minh Son, for summer programs to be truly effective, the most important thing is still suitability for each student.

Each child has their own abilities, interests and personalities. Therefore, choosing a program should not be based on trends or adult expectations, but should start by listening to your child: what do you love, what are you talented at, what do you want to experience during this summer vacation?

Besides personal preferences, parents also need to carefully consider the reputation of the organizer, the safety level and practicality of the program content.

These factors will help ensure that your child is not only well cared for but also learns and develops in the right direction.

Mr. Son believes that parents should be companions, discussing, encouraging, inspiring and gently guiding their children instead of imposing choices.

Because a summer program is only truly valuable when students participate with a positive attitude, feel excited and are respected in their own decisions.

"Only then will summer experiences become memorable journeys, helping students recharge their energy, accumulate new skills and knowledge to prepare for the next school year," Mr. Son affirmed.

Beware of scams

In early May 2025, Dong Nai Provincial Police posted a warning on their official fanpage, noting the trick of impersonating career summer camps to scam parents.

According to authorities, the subjects created websites and fanpages impersonating universities and training centers and then promoted courses such as military semesters and summer skill camps to gain trust and entice parents to transfer money.

People are advised to verify information carefully before registering, and should only transfer money when the identity of the organizing unit is clear; if they discover they have been scammed, they should report to the nearest police station or report via the VNeID application.

Previously, the Hanoi Youth Union and the Hanoi Young Pioneers Council also warned about the impersonation of the organization of the "2025 Military Summer Semester" program. Many parents reported being contacted by fake fanpages, claiming to be the official organizers, even attaching the names of reputable organizations to increase credibility and then sending links of unknown origin inviting registration. This agency recommends that parents carefully check the source of information and only trust official channels to avoid being scammed.

In fact, the phenomenon of impersonating summer camps to steal money is not new. In 2024, police in many provinces such as Bac Giang, Ha Nam, Kon Tum... also issued similar warnings.

Difficulty in choosing summer courses

Ms. Hoang Ha (HCMC) shared that her child is currently in 10th grade and she has registered him for a suitable drawing class this summer. However, she had previously encountered many difficulties in finding suitable summer activities for her child.

The first difficulty is that the number of centers organizing experiential activities in the area where she lives is very limited, leading to few choices.

Second, assessing the quality of classes and summer courses is not easy due to the lack of clear and transparent information.

Third, the issue of pick-up and drop-off time also makes parents tired, especially in families where both parents work all day and have no one to help.

Finally, the cost of attending summer classes is currently relatively high, creating financial pressure for many families, especially those with average or low incomes.

HO NHUONG - TRONG NHAN

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/de-con-lam-gi-trong-he-20250519225347044.htm