Resolving the problem of teaching 2 sessions/day: Still waiting for instructions from the Ministry of Education and Training

Faced with the requirement to teach 2 sessions/day from the 2025-2026 school year without charging fees and reducing pressure on students, up to this point, the Ministry of Education and Training has not yet provided any guidance in the context of implementing the 2018 General Education Program and Circular 29 on extra teaching and learning.

Localities face difficulties in implementing 2-session/day teaching

On June 6, the Prime Minister issued a Directive on organizing 2-session teaching/day and pointed out thatthe education and training sector still has limitations and shortcomings, the conditions of facilities, teaching staff, and resources are still difficult, not meeting the requirements of improving the quality of comprehensive education for high school students, especially in remote areas, ethnic minority areas, and mountainous areas, accordingly, organizing 2-session teaching/day is still inadequate.

Hanoi also lacks many conditions to implement 2-session/day teaching at secondary school level.

This can be clearly seen when even in Hanoi, the rate of secondary school students studying 2 sessions/day is still low. In Ba Dinh district, only 55% of students in 13 secondary schools study 2 sessions/day, this rate in Hai Ba Trung district is about 50%, while Cau Giay district only organizes 2 sessions/day for students in grades 6 and 7 of 7/11 secondary schools in the area.

Explaining why it is not possible to implement teaching 2 sessions/day at secondary school level as desired, the heads of the Department of Education and Training of some inner-city districts of Hanoi said that the most important reason is limited facilities and classrooms. Meanwhile, the shortage of teachers in some subjects to teach 2 sessions/day has not been resolved.

According to Ms. Le Thi Huong, Director of the Department of Education and Training of Quang Tri province, the province's secondary school level has many favorable factors to effectively implement 2-session teaching/day. However, one difficulty is the lack of classrooms. According to Ms. Huong, the province is implementing a project to expand boarding and semi-boarding schools, especially in mountainous areas, which is an advantage for implementing 2-session teaching/day.

In fact, there are still many localities that have not yet implemented 2-session teaching at secondary level. Mr. Ho Thanh Hai, Head of the Department of Education and Training of Dong Hoi City, said that primary schools have organized 2-session teaching for a long time. However, currently, there is no secondary school in Dong Hoi City that organizes 2-session teaching, so if implemented, it will face difficulties in both facilities and teaching staff.

Take advantage of surplus facilities after arrangement

Mr. Nguyen Duc Tu Anh, Head of the Department of Education and Training of Hai Chau District, Da Nang City, said that currently, secondary schools in the center of Da Nang City do not have enough classrooms to implement teaching 2 sessions/day. The solution is to take advantage of the office buildings of the administrative agencies at the ward and commune levels that will be merged to repair them into classrooms.

Studying 2 sessions/day, students have more opportunities to practice skills and study extracurricular activities.

According to Mr. Tu Anh, only by taking advantage of the surplus facilities after the merger can we quickly organize 2 sessions/day in the next school year, and also avoid the administrative headquarters being abandoned and wasted.

This was also clearly stated by the Prime Minister in the Directive, requiring the People's Committees of provinces and cities to plan and arrange the surplus facilities of administrative agencies to supplement facilities and schools for the Education and Health sectors... so as not to waste people's money.

In response to the request to implement 2-session teaching in the 2025-2026 school year, localities all said that up to now, there have been no specific instructions on the 2nd session teaching program in the context of implementing the 2018 general education program.

The Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Home Affairs to preside over and coordinate with the Ministry of Education and Training to inspect and urge localities to recruit teachers according to the assigned payroll, overcome the surplus and shortage of teachers at educational institutions, ensure the principle of "where there are students, there must be teachers in the classroom" but must be suitable to local realities, not waste teacher resources, and meet the requirements of teaching 2 sessions/day.

To improve the quality of comprehensive education in ethics - intelligence - physical fitness - aesthetics, build a healthy, safe and beneficial educational environment for children and students to meet the requirements of the new preschool and general education program, especially to organize synchronously and effectively the teaching of 2 sessions/day, the Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Education and Training to preside over and coordinate with ministries, agencies and localities to issue documents guiding the teaching of 2 sessions/day, ensuring clear purposes, clear requirements, clear objects, clear content, clear forms, methods of organization and implementation, clear results, clear competent authorities to effectively implement the general education program.

Accordingly, schools need to organize for students to study by themselves, study in groups, increase practice, improve the quality of comprehensive education in terms of qualities and abilities; enhance educational activities in culture, arts, physical education, life skills, STEM education, career education; develop English proficiency, digital competency, AI competency, personal aptitude in culture, arts... to meet the needs, interests, and aspirations of students; promote socialization to improve the quality of education.

Source: https://phunuvietnam.vn/go-vuong-day-hoc-2-buoi-ngay-van-cho-huong-dan-cua-bo-gddt-20250612174431054.htm