Students stop attending extra classes and switch to self-study?

The new regulations on tutoring and supplementary classes, as outlined in Circular 29/BGDĐT, are explained by education administrators as a way to encourage students to enhance their self-study. In reality, many graduating students, especially those in 9th grade, are filled with anxiety as the exams are only three months away.

Lack of confidence in self-learning.

Sharing her current concerns, Nguyen Minh Chau, a 9th-grade student at Nguyen Du Secondary School ( Hanoi ), believes that Circular 29 on tutoring aims to protect students who are forced to attend extra classes.

But that's just a small number. "I think that not being able to attend extra classes and having to study and review on our own at home is a disadvantage for graduating students. Currently, graduating students only attend regular classes for half a day. We are feeling lost and lacking confidence."

Like many of her peers, this female student hopes that the Ministry or Department of Education and Training will find ways to "relax" regulations so that students transitioning to the next level can continue to attend extra classes and prepare for exams both inside and outside of school.

Responding to this issue, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Thanh, Director of the Department of Secondary Education ( Ministry of Education and Training ), emphasized that the purpose of Circular 29 is to limit the widespread practice of tutoring and extra classes, which leads to passive, ineffective learning that wastes both time and money, while students need space and time to self-study and review the knowledge taught by their teachers in class.

Furthermore, Director Nguyen Xuan Thanh also emphasized that currently, the content and scope of the entrance exams for grade 10 and the high school graduation exams are all within the general education curriculum, mainly the grade 9 and grade 12 curriculum. Therefore, as long as students know how to study and review knowledge on their own with the support of teachers, they can be completely confident in completing the exams.

Associate Professor Pham Manh Ha, an expert in educational psychology, stated that Circular 29 restricts widespread tutoring and emphasizes self-study among students. However, effective self-study requires a process of training and persistent effort.

Not all students are trained in this area and are able to meet the requirements, especially with only three months left until the exams.

"Self-learning doesn't mean disconnecting from teachers."

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Xuan Thanh believes that students should not rely on extra tutoring but should be more proactive. First, they need to independently summarize and review the entire curriculum they have studied in textbooks, such as types of exercises, formulas, topics, etc., and then memorize them to firmly grasp the knowledge of each subject.

"Students often ask teachers to continue teaching them, but teachers want them to continue asking questions because no matter how much a teacher teaches, if students only copy a lot into their notebooks, the teaching will not be effective; what students need is knowledge in their heads, not in the notebooks they take home. Students shouldn't demand that teachers teach more, but should learn more on their own," Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Xuan Thanh emphasized.

Mr. Luu Van Thong, Principal of Dich Vong Secondary School (Hanoi), believes that regulations on tutoring and extra classes apply nationwide, not just to any particular locality or school. Students should not worry too much because only by adapting and focusing on self-study from now on will they achieve good results.

"Self-study doesn't mean disconnecting from teachers. Students can still connect via phone or communicate with teachers at school to ask about any areas they are still lacking or need attention."

"To study independently, students need materials, such as worksheets or test papers provided by their teachers related to the review topics. Students can ask their teachers for advice on effective books and reference materials," Mr. Thong said.

Mr. Nguyen Minh Quy, Principal of Mac Dinh Chi High School (Hai Phong), shared: "The habit of attending extra classes will have to stop, and there will certainly be feelings of disappointment, confusion, and even major difficulties."

But this is also an opportunity for students to rediscover their inner strength: the spirit of self-learning. At first, self-learning may be difficult, tiring, and ineffective. But with practice and practice, self-learning will become a tremendous source of strength, helping them confidently face challenges and succeed in the future."