Can the Director of the Department of Education and Training decide the number of extra teaching hours in schools?

The Ministry of Education and Training has just sent a document to a number of Departments of Education and Training requesting comments on the draft Circular amending and supplementing Circular No. 29/2024/TT-BGDDT regulating extra teaching and learning.

One of the notable changes expected in this draft is to loosen the regulations on the number of extra teaching periods for each subject in schools. Accordingly, the draft still stipulates: "Each subject is allowed to have no more than 2 extra teaching periods per week" but adds: "Except for special cases considered and decided by the Director of the Department of Education and Training upon the proposal of the principal or director, or head of the school".

Giám đốc sở GD-ĐT có thể quyết định dạy thêm quá 2 tiết/tuần - Ảnh 1. — The Ministry of Education and Training plans to amend and supplement regulations on extra teaching and learning.

For organizations or individuals organizing extra-curricular teaching and learning activities outside of school with fees from students (collectively referred to as extra-curricular teaching establishments), the following requirements must be met: registering the business form according to the provisions of law; publicly and regularly updating on the electronic information portal or posting at the place where the extra-curricular teaching establishment is located the subjects that are organized for extra teaching; the duration of extra teaching for each subject according to each grade level; the location, form, and time of organizing extra-curricular teaching and learning; the list of extra-curricular teachers and the amount of tuition collected before enrolling students for extra-curricular teaching and learning classes.

The draft also adds a registration form for tutoring outside of school tutoring facilities in the attached appendix.

For teachers who are teaching at schools and participate in extracurricular teaching, the draft stipulates: "Must report to the principal about the subject, location, form, and time of extracurricular teaching before starting and update the report when there is a change in one of the reported contents."

Due to the implementation of the two-level local government model, the draft also abolishes regulations related to the authority of the district-level People's Committee and the Department of Education and Training; adds responsibilities of the commune-level People's Committee, education management agencies and relevant agencies in implementing regulations on extra teaching and learning.

Commune level also has additional responsibility for managing extra teaching and learning activities in the area. Guiding and inspecting the implementation of regulations on extra teaching and learning in the area; handling or recommending to competent authorities to handle violations.

Monitor and inspect compliance with legal regulations on working hours, overtime, and legal regulations on security, order, safety, environmental sanitation, and fire prevention and fighting of organizations and individuals providing extra teaching and learning outside of school.

For provinces and cities implementing the merger policy, new local regulations on extra teaching and learning must be issued to replace the regulations of the localities before the merger.

Circular 29, effective from February 2025, has received special attention from public opinion inside and outside the education sector. The Circular prohibits tutoring for primary school students, except for cases of training in arts, sports , and life skills training; prohibits teachers from charging for tutoring students they are teaching in the main course...

Regarding extra teaching in schools, Circular 29 "rigorously" stipulates that no money can be collected for extra teaching, exam review for final year students; tutoring weak students, training excellent students, and reviewing for entrance and graduation exams. Each subject can be organized for extra teaching no more than 2 periods/week.

However, the press and social networks have reported that many teachers and schools are still "circumventing the law" to teach extra classes. Many opinions are concerned that it will be difficult to implement regulations on extra classes if the curriculum and exams remain as heavy as they are now.

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