The reason why many schools in Ho Chi Minh City delayed school start times

(Dan Tri) - In the 2025-2026 school year, many schools in Ho Chi Minh City will adjust their timetables, delaying school start times by 15-30 minutes compared to last year.

Before the new school year began, students at Nguyen Huu Tho High School in Ho Chi Minh City received information from the school about the morning class starting time being delayed by 30 minutes compared to before.

The 2025-2026 school year schedule of Nguyen Huu Tho High School, Ho Chi Minh City, has delayed the start time by 30 minutes compared to previous years (Photo: D.D).

This new school year, the official school start time will be 7:30 am and end at 4 pm. Students will have 4 periods in the morning and 3 periods in the afternoon. In previous school years, students at this school started school at 7 am.

Mr. Do Dinh Dao, Principal of Nguyen Huu Tho High School, said that in previous school years, teaching 2 sessions/day was implemented with a maximum of 8 periods/day, but from the 2025-2026 school year, the maximum teaching time of 2 sessions/day will be reduced to a maximum of only 7 periods.

The adjustment of starting school 30 minutes later than before is to comply with the new regulation of teaching 2 sessions/day. This adjustment also helps parents and students to be more relaxed every morning in picking up and dropping off their children; children have more time to eat breakfast, avoiding the rush of having to go to school too early.

Ms. Truong Thi Bich Thuy, Principal of Hung Vuong High School, Ho Chi Minh City, informed that the school is also researching the schedule of 4 morning periods and 3 afternoon periods according to the new regulations on teaching 2 sessions/day and no more than 7 periods/day.

At Vo Truong Toan Secondary School (Sai Gon ward), instead of starting school at 7:15 a.m. as before, this school year the first class will start at 7:30 a.m. and end at 4:25 p.m. for grades 6 and 7 and 4:35 p.m. for grades 8 and 9.

This adjustment is due to the number of 2 sessions/day reduced to 7 periods/day. In addition, the time for students to play, eat and rest at school is also adjusted to be longer than before. The time for students to have fun, eat lunch and rest at school will be more comfortable and they will not have to leave too early to facilitate family pick-up and drop-off.

According to Official Dispatch 4567 issued by the Ministry of Education and Training on August 5 on guidelines for organizing 2 sessions/day for general education, primary, secondary and high schools must teach no more than 7 periods/day.

To accommodate the organization of 7 periods of teaching per day, many schools in Ho Chi Minh City have adjusted their schedules by delaying class start times by 15-30 minutes compared to before, and extending recess and lunch breaks for students.

However, some schools are still keeping the same school hours as before, waiting for official instructions on implementing 2 sessions/day from the Department before "finalizing" the plan to adjust school hours.

The leader of the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City said that in the near future, the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City will issue new guidelines on school hours for students across the city in the 2025-2026 school year according to each level, to comply with the regulations on teaching 2 sessions/day of the Ministry of Education and Training and the specific conditions of Ho Chi Minh City.

With a duration of no more than 7 periods/day when teaching 2 sessions/day at all 3 levels from primary, secondary and high school from the 2025-2026 school year, the new school start time regulations of the Department will aim to create the most favorable conditions for parents to pick up and drop off students, ensuring the health of students and school staff, teachers and employees.

At the same time, it also creates initiative for schools in organizing educational activities; reduces traffic congestion by region and area.

At the end of 2022, in response to complaints that students in the city started school too early, causing them to lack sleep, not have time to eat breakfast or have to eat on the go, along with warnings about the accompanying health risks to students, the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City issued a document adjusting the school start time for students at all levels.

At the end of 2022, the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City adjusted the school start time to deal with the situation of students having to go to school too early (Photo: Quang Ninh).

Accordingly, preschool and primary school students will start school at 7:30 a.m. the earliest, secondary school students at 7:15 a.m. the earliest, and high school students at 7 a.m. the earliest.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/ly-do-hang-loat-truong-o-tphcm-lui-gio-vao-hoc-20250818145830464.htm