'Extra tutoring has always existed and can never be eradicated.'

TPO - Dr. Giap Van Duong believes that extra tutoring is a real need for students. It has existed in every era and cannot be suppressed. The issue is how to organize it so as not to create conflicts of interest, cause harm, and tire students out. Therefore, it is best to learn from the management experience of other countries and allow centers to organize extra tutoring.

In recent days, public opinion has been heated following the Ministry of Education and Training's announcement of a draft circular regulating extracurricular tutoring, open for public comment until October 22nd. The draft has sparked much debate and many questions, particularly regarding the provision that does not prohibit teachers from providing extracurricular tutoring outside of school.

"Extra tutoring is a real need for students. It has existed in every era and cannot be suppressed. The issue is how to organize it so as not to create conflicts of interest, cause harm, and exhaust students," - Dr. Giap Van Duong

Tiền Phong newspaper conducted an interview with educator and doctor Giáp Văn Dương.

"There should be regulations to avoid conflicts of interest."

PV: Do you agree with the Ministry of Education and Training's draft regulations on teachers giving extra lessons outside of school?

Dr. Giap Van Duong: The issue of tutoring and extra classes has been debated for decades. Many solutions have been proposed, including banning tutoring for teachers. However, tutoring still exists and thrives, proving it to be a genuine need in life. Therefore, it cannot be banned; instead, it can only be managed and directed scientifically and effectively, especially to avoid conflicts of interest and negative impacts on students.

Looking at countries like South Korea and Singapore, we see that supplementary tutoring still takes place, but in independent educational centers separate from schools. The teachers at these centers are not the same teachers who teach in the students' classrooms.

Therefore, in my opinion, we should also have such regulations to avoid conflicts of interest that could harm students.

PV: Some argue that the draft gives a clear "green light" to the issue of tutoring, and there are concerns that tutoring will become widespread and complicated. Do you share these concerns?

Dr. Giap Van Duong: The biggest problem in managing extracurricular tutoring is the conflict of interest. Teachers who already teach in school now teach extra classes outside of school. Where is the extracurricular activity, and where is the primary focus? Could it be that the main teaching becomes secondary, a funnel, while the extracurricular teaching becomes the teachers' primary goal? This will certainly happen if there isn't a good management solution. The consequence is a decline in the quality of formal education. The educational environment will also be distorted, as teachers neglect their responsibilities in the classroom and dedicate time to extracurricular teaching.

Therefore, the issue is not "who manages whom," but whether the solution is well-thought-out and avoids conflicts of interest.

PV: In your opinion, do students need extra tutoring? Is extra tutoring to become "study experts" and achieve high grades really important for a student?

Dr. Giap Van Duong: In my opinion, students should only attend extra classes in the following cases: remedial classes due to weak academic performance; talent development classes; and classes covering subjects not taught in school, based on individual needs.

But why are there so many students taking extra classes these days? I believe it's due to exams, the fear that their children won't be as good as other children, or the worry that their children won't be able to compete at the next level of education. This worry is legitimate, but in my opinion, it's not a solution for the education sector.

From the education sector's perspective, if there is a shortage of schools, the solution is to create mechanisms to attract investment and mobilize resources to build new schools, ensuring sufficient places for students, instead of focusing on extra tutoring to compete for a place in a public school.

From the family's perspective, it's important to encourage and help children develop their self-learning abilities, helping them discover their own strengths and weaknesses, instead of getting caught in an endless cycle of extra tutoring that doesn't really serve any purpose.

PV: The reality is that students attend extra classes and get high grades, but they still lose interest in studying. Could you analyze some of the negative consequences for teachers and students in the current cycle of extra classes and tutoring?

"The biggest problem with managing extracurricular tutoring is the conflict of interest. Teachers who already teach in school now teach extra classes outside of school, so where is the 'extracurricular' part and where is the 'main' part?" - Dr. Giap Van Duong

Dr. Giap Van Duong: Currently, extra tutoring mainly focuses on cramming knowledge and exam-based exercises. While this may result in high scores, it tires students out and stifles their creativity. Therefore, if students fall into this cycle, they not only become bored with learning but also afraid of it, which is very difficult.

Instead of cramming information, I believe a better approach is to inspire and discover. To unlock new abilities and potential in learners. In this way, students will achieve genuine growth in their learning process, instead of having their love of learning dulled by being forced to memorize content and knowledge for short-term goals like exams.

PV: Seeing the current widespread practice of private tutoring across all grades and levels of education, it will have negative consequences. In your opinion, will this be harmful to education as a whole in the long run?

Dr. Giap Van Duong: As I said, extra tutoring is a real need for students. It has existed in every era and cannot be suppressed. The issue is how to organize it so as not to create conflicts of interest, cause harm, and tire students out. Therefore, it is best to learn from the management experience of other countries, allowing centers to organize extra tutoring, but the teachers teaching at those centers should not be the same teachers who directly teach the students they are currently teaching.

Do Hop (compiled)

Source: https://tienphong.vn/ts-giap-van-duong-hoc-them-thi-thoi-nao-cung-co-va-khong-dap-tat-duoc-post1674947.tpo