To effectively implement the policy of teaching 2 sessions/day

Exemption from tuition fees and two-session teaching per day demonstrate the great concern and investment of education. However, how to implement this policy effectively is a matter of concern for the entire education sector.

WHAT SHOULD THE EDUCATION SECTOR DO IN THE FACE OF SO MUCH GOOD NEWS?

According to the direction of General Secretary To Lam , teaching 2 sessions/day ensures no fees and reduces pressure on students, and enhancing teaching about culture and arts to ensure comprehensive development for students, will be implemented from the 2025-2026 school year.

It can be seen that along with this good news, theeducation sector has received a "series" of large incentive policies in the past year. From July 2024, due to the increase in the basic salary coefficient to 2.34, teachers' salaries have improved significantly, some teachers, including allowances and other benefits, earn up to 30 million VND/month.

The second session is not about teaching knowledge but about how to learn, how to self-study and lifelong learning, and life skills.

PHOTO: DAO NGOC THACH

Teachers receiving a 13th month salary and bonus will help make year-end rewards better and more practical. In the 2025-2026 school year, preschool children and public school students will be given priority and free of charge when attending school. For private schools, the state will support tuition fees at the same level as those of public schools...

The biggest benefit from the new policies is the expectation that the educational environment will be healthy; educational effectiveness will be raised to a new level; extra teaching and learning will be avoided; and negative aspects in teaching and learning activities will no longer exist.

It can be said that schools across the country continue to enter a new stage of educational development. Obviously, investment in education is investment in the pillar of national development, the key factor in human development and the driving force for social transformation.

So what will the education sector do and how will it do it to be worthy and worthy of the nation, in the coming time?

First of all, with the new policies, it is necessary to urgently complete the documents directing and guiding localities. Currently, there are about 4 months left before the new school year 2025 - 2026 begins, so the Ministry of Education and Training must implement the method of "running and lining up at the same time".

DIFFERENCES WHEN TEACHING 2 SESSIONS/DAY IN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL

Organizing 2 sessions/day in secondary school is very different from primary school. In secondary school, a class has many teachers, while in primary school, a class has one teacher. The psychology and age of students at both levels are also very different.

Therefore, schools cannot follow the same pattern of organizing 2 sessions/day at these two levels. In particular, many localities have switched to organizing schools that combine primary and secondary schools, so we are overloaded with meals and lodging at primary schools and cannot "shoulder" a large number of secondary school students.

Teaching the second session at school will be easy and simple if teachers only focus on teaching knowledge in the old way. However, it will be much more difficult if schools change and teach to develop students' abilities. It is difficult not only in choosing teachers and preparing learning content but also in terms of material conditions and equipment to support learning. Innovative teaching today is learning through doing, practice and experience, so it will be much more difficult if teaching knowledge in the old way, with only white chalk and blackboard.

It is necessary to depend on the conditions of each locality in terms of facilities, finance and teachers to build a roadmap for implementing 2-session teaching/day in secondary schools. In addition, it is also necessary to promote the socialization of education to support funding and reduce the burden on the budget. However, from here, it is also necessary to guard against the distortion of extra teaching and learning that Circular 29 is tightening.

The problem of overcharging at the beginning of the year, if not managed carefully, will also have a chance to grow. The State must supplement a lot of funding for management staff and teachers working overtime according to Circular No. 05/2025 of the Ministry of Education and Training regulating the working regime for general education and pre-university teachers. Therefore, it is certain that the budget for management and teaching activities in schools will be very large in the near future.

Teaching 2 sessions/day without fee for primary and secondary school students will be implemented from the 2025-2026 school year.

Photo: Dao Ngoc Thach

SESSION 2 IS NOT ABOUT TEACHING KNOWLEDGE BUT HOW TO LEARN

Therefore, first of all, the locality must agree on the principles of free teaching of 2 sessions/day. Teaching the 2nd session to students is not to teach knowledge but how to learn, how to self-study and lifelong learning, teaching life skills, teaching the application of information technology in the learning process and in daily life.

Many countries with developed economies and education systems do not have the concept of studying for 1 or 2 sessions like Vietnam. Therefore, we can experiment with their way of organizing a full day of study: Schools start at around 8 - 8:30 a.m. and end before 2:30 p.m. They also do not have the concept of boarding for high school students, but students bring snacks to school or buy them at the cafeteria near the school or eat at the self-service cafeteria in the school.

This difference between countries is due to the planning of schools near residential areas. Students have a high level of autonomy because they are trained from a young age, from kindergarten. Families are proactive and take care of their children's education.

The Ministry of Education and Training is urgently completing instructions for teaching 2 sessions/day.

Recently, the Party Central Committee Office announced the conclusion of General Secretary To Lam requesting primary and secondary schools to organize 2 sessions/day depending on the conditions of each locality. There is a roadmap to gradually implement this policy, in which it is necessary to combine State investment with social incentives. Teaching 2 sessions/day is free of charge and reduces pressure on students, increasing teaching about culture and arts to ensure comprehensive development for students. Implementation time is from the 2025-2026 school year.

Up to this point, the Ministry of Education and Training has not yet issued new guidelines on teaching two sessions per day in the context of implementing the 2018 General Education Program and Circular 29 on extra teaching and learning. A representative of the Ministry of Education and Training said that they are actively completing the guidelines to issue in May as previously announced.

Tue Nguyen

Free tuition for students nationwide, directly provided to private students from the 2025-2026 school year

The National Assembly's Committee on Culture and Society held its second plenary session on May 11 to give opinions on the draft law and resolution to be submitted to the National Assembly at its ongoing 9th session, including a resolution on universalizing preschool education for children aged 3-5 and exempting tuition fees for students from preschool to high school.

Speaking at the meeting, Chairman of the Committee for Culture and Society Nguyen Dac Vinh said that the resolution on universalizing preschool education for children aged 3-5 and exempting tuition fees for preschool children and high school students is the institutionalization of the policy of the Party Central Committee and the Politburo.

Regarding the method of implementing tuition exemption for students nationwide from the 2025-2026 school year, Mr. Vinh said that for students at public schools, there has been a high level of consensus, the budget will compensate the school so that students do not have to pay tuition anymore.

For non-public sectors (private or non-public schools with preschools), the State will calculate equivalent costs to support students in this sector, ensuring that students nationwide, whether studying in public or private schools, enjoy the tuition-free policy. Also according to Mr. Vinh, the method of direct payment to students.

Mr. Vinh also informed that at this session, the National Assembly is expected to decide on another policy, which is to support lunch for students in border communes.

Previously, at a working session with the Government Party Committee, ministries and sectors on preparing the Politburo's resolution on educational breakthroughs and some policies to support teaching and learning, General Secretary To Lam concluded and agreed on the State's policy of supporting lunch for primary and secondary school students in border communes, with priority given to mountainous border communes.

Le Hiep

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/de-thuc-hien-chinh-sach-day-2-buoi-ngay-hieu-qua-185250512183433871.htm