"By stopping tutoring, I save millions of dong every month and don't have to worry about my child being discriminated against."

Many parents breathed a sigh of relief because from now on their children can officially put an end to the costly days of extra tutoring, and they no longer have to worry about falling behind their peers.

Upon receiving the notification from her homeroom teacher and the school to stop tutoring, instead of worrying and feeling anxious like many other parents, Ms. Nguyen Thi Ha Trang (35 years old, Hoang Mai, Hanoi) considered it good news, helping to alleviate the long-standing financial burden she had been worrying about.

The mother recounted that she and her husband had previously agreed not to send their child to extra tutoring outside of school, believing that afternoon classes at school were sufficient. However, since their eldest son entered sixth grade, he frequently reported being called to the board by his math and English teachers to answer difficult questions. If he answered correctly, he wouldn't be praised; if he answered incorrectly, he would be scolded for being a poor student. Even with easy questions, no matter how much he raised his hand, he was ignored.

While she somewhat understood the reason, Trang hesitated due to her family's limited finances. Fearing her child might be discriminated against, she reluctantly enrolled her in extra classes for these two subjects, two sessions per week at the teacher's home, at a cost of 150,000 VND per session. Since then, her child hasn't complained about schoolwork. Now that her child is in 8th grade, Trang continues to offer these classes and subjects.

Contrary to initial concerns, many parents were delighted by the announcement that extra classes at school and at teachers' homes would be discontinued. (Illustrative image)

When her second child entered middle school, the question of whether or not to enroll him in extra classes once again caused her a headache. Worried that not participating would anger the teacher and lead to a lack of preferential treatment, she reluctantly registered him for the extra classes.

Including extra tuition fees at school, Ms. Trang spends nearly 6 million VND per month on her two children. Both she and her husband are factory workers at the Ngoc Hoi industrial park, earning a combined monthly salary (including overtime) of approximately 18 million VND. Some months, their family expenses even exceed their budget, forcing Ms. Trang to borrow money from relatives to pay for her children's extra classes.

"The ban on tutoring will save my husband and me millions of dong each month, and we won't have to worry about our children falling behind their peers or being discriminated against by teachers," said Ms. Trang. This is an opportunity for our children to learn, develop their understanding, and proactively seek knowledge.

Ms. Ngo Lien Giang (29 years old, Dong Da District, Hanoi ) also felt relieved when she learned that her child wouldn't have to go to the homeroom teacher's house for extra tutoring. Last year, when preparing for first grade, her husband suggested that their child attend extra math and Vietnamese lessons at the homeroom teacher's house because they wanted their child to catch up with their peers and quickly become proficient in reading and writing.

Initially, Ms. Giang disagreed, arguing that her child was too young and she didn't want to rob him of his childhood or drag him into the whirlwind of studying. Every time the topic came up, she and her husband would argue.

At the first parent-teacher meeting of the year, she overheard many other parents whispering that, although they didn't want their children to attend the extra classes at the homeroom teacher's house, they reluctantly registered their children for fear of discrimination. After much deliberation, to "buy" peace of mind, she signed the registration form for her child to attend the classes.

"Since starting extra classes, my child's schedule has been incredibly hectic, and he's usually home after 8 PM. Except for weekends, it's rare for him to have dinner with the family. Everyone asks me why I'm making him study so much when he's only in first grade, but I have no other choice but to encourage him and make sure he eats properly," Ms. Giang recounted.

With the new regulations on tutoring and extra classes, female parents hope their children will have more time to rest and play. Parents also save money, all they get in return is that their children will be treated normally and not be criticized in front of the class.

Parents believe that students can put an end to expensive extra tutoring sessions and avoid falling behind their peers. (Illustrative image)

Sharing the same view as the two female parents mentioned above, Mr. Pham Tung Duong (40 years old, Hai Duong) considers the Ministry of Education and Training 's regulations on tightening tutoring regulations as good news and a positive sign.

"While others may be upset, I personally feel happy and wholeheartedly support this regulation. Adults who work 8 hours a day in offices also need time to rest. Why should children, after 7-8 hours of school, have to continue struggling with a packed schedule of extra classes? It's unfair and heartless," said Mr. Duong.

Male parents fully support the ban on tutoring in all forms, arguing that students attend tutoring mostly out of fear of falling behind if they don't, or for the extremely sensitive reason of fearing retaliation or discrimination from teachers. The new regulations on tutoring will create a fair and clean educational environment, allowing students to focus on their studies with peace of mind.

"I always tell my children to focus on teaching and learning the lessons in class well. They must get used to self-learning and thinking for themselves. If they don't understand something, they can ask the teacher and their classmates right away. Only then can they grasp the knowledge firmly instead of relying too much on the teacher and review exercises or exam questions," the male parent said.

Many parents breathed a sigh of relief because from now on their children can officially put an end to the costly days of extra tutoring, and they no longer have to worry about falling behind their peers.

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