The school that "doesn't teach on Saturdays" has also achieved many accomplishments in teaching and learning over the years. That is Tan Chau High School, Tan Chau town, An Giang province.
Classes start at 7:30 AM and end at 11:00 AM.
Students of Tan Chau High School participating in an extracurricular activity.
Mr. Nguyen Thanh An, Principal of Tan Chau High School, said that with the old teaching schedule, morning classes started at 7:00 AM and ended at 11:25 AM. Afternoon classes started at 1:00 PM and ended at 5:25 PM. Each session consisted of 5 lessons; there was a 5-minute break between lessons 1 and 2, and between lessons 3 and 4. The first break (at the end of lesson 2) was 20 minutes. The second break (at the end of lesson 4) was 10 minutes.
This time slot is very inconvenient for teachers with young children, who have to wake up early to take their children to school and then rush to teach on time, so they often request not to be scheduled for the first period. Besides, teachers and students don't have enough time to eat breakfast before the first period, and by the fifth period (after 11 am), students are hungry, tired, and unable to concentrate on the lecture, just wanting the lesson to end quickly. For teachers, teaching until this time is exhausting, their teaching mindset is no longer the same as in the first periods, greatly affecting the quality and effectiveness of the lesson…
Due to these shortcomings, Tan Chau High School held a meeting, discussed the matter thoroughly, and reached a consensus to change the teaching schedule.
"With the new schedule the school is implementing, morning classes start at 7:30 AM and end at 11:00 AM. Afternoon classes start at 1:30 PM and end at 5:00 PM. Each session consists of 4 periods; there is no break between periods 1 and 2, and periods 3 and 4; the break time is only once (at the end of period 2) and lasts 30 minutes. This creates favorable conditions for teachers with young children, allows teachers and students enough time to have breakfast before the first period, and contributes to reducing traffic congestion and jams during peak hours...", said Mr. Nguyen Thanh An.
Students at Tan Chau High School begin their morning classes at 7:30 AM and leave at 11:00 AM. Afternoon classes start at 1:30 PM and end at 5:00 PM.
The principal of Tan Chau High School believes that a reasonable teaching schedule, ensuring both scientific rigor and practical significance at the school, is beneficial for teachers in difficult circumstances; thereby improving the monitoring of teaching and learning practices among teachers and students. This contributes to better health and work conditions for each individual; accurately assesses the competence of teachers, and reflects the school's teaching situation fairly and transparently.
No classes will be held on Saturdays.
The policy of not teaching on Saturdays was piloted at Tan Chau High School starting in the second semester of the 2018-2019 school year, and officially implemented from the 2019-2020 school year until now.
Teacher Nguyen Thanh An stated that the decision not to hold classes on Saturdays received strong support from the school community and the wider community. On Saturdays, the school dedicates the entire day to extracurricular activities such as tutoring gifted students, providing remedial instruction for weaker students, conducting centralized examinations, organizing clubs, and carrying out activities of the Youth Union, allowing students and teachers to rest on Sunday. If any public holidays fall on a Friday, the school also allows students, teachers, and staff to have a continuous day off on Saturday.
"After a week of teaching and working, arranging the teaching schedule in this way allows everyone time to rest, recharge, and prepare for the new week, which is extremely necessary," said teacher Nguyen Thanh An.
High schools do not hold classes on Saturdays.
Saturdays are entirely dedicated to extracurricular activities such as tutoring for gifted students, remedial classes for struggling students, organizing clubs, and activities of the school's Youth Union...
However, Mr. An also affirmed that the decision to discontinue Saturday classes and change school start and end times is a major policy requiring the consensus of parents, students, and society. The school has thoroughly discussed this, going through several steps from the initial idea, including meetings between school leaders, the head of the Trade Union, and the secretary of the Youth Union. Meetings of key officials and the Party Committee were also held to reach a consensus. Furthermore, this change was approved by the school's teaching council, and importantly, a meeting with the parent-teacher association was required.
"Over the past six years, the implementation of the reformed teaching schedule, starting at 7:30 AM and eliminating Saturday classes, has proven effective, increasing labor productivity. In particular, the school's educational quality has been maintained and is steadily improving, with Tan Chau High School consistently ranking among the top high schools in the province. This change has also helped us improve the learning and teaching environment and conditions; protect the health of teachers and students, and has received support from students, parents, staff, and teachers," said Principal Nguyen Thanh An.
Received a commendation from the Ministry of Education and Training for innovation and creativity.
Tan Chau High School has consistently achieved many accomplishments. In both the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 school years, the percentage of excellent students was above 53%; there were no weak students; and the percentage of students admitted to universities and colleges was above 90%.
In the 2022-2023 school year, the school had 14 students winning provincial-level awards for academic excellence, and 2 students achieved top scores in the An Giang province's high school graduation exam.
In the 2023-2024 school year, the school won 27 provincial-level awards, one third-place national award, and one student achieved the top score in the An Giang province's high school graduation exam. The school's average score in the high school graduation exam ranked third in the entire province.
The school has achieved many successes in teaching and learning, as well as in extracurricular activities.
In addition, the school has many other achievements, including organizing various movements well, participating in competitions organized by the education sector, and effectively organizing online teaching activities; combining in-person and online methods flexibly and efficiently.
Notably, Tan Chau High School is located on the southwestern border of the country. The majority of students' families are farmers, and many students come from disadvantaged backgrounds (approximately 60 students, or 3.6%). However, the dropout rate has consistently been 0% in recent years.
According to Mr. Bui Nhat Vu, the school's vice principal, at the beginning of each school year, the school establishes a committee to encourage students to attend classes. They send lists of students who dropped out the previous year to the local authorities, the Education Promotion Association, and the Association of Retired Teachers to coordinate efforts to encourage them to return to school. Homeroom teachers also directly visit students' homes to persuade them to return to class.
Together with the parent-teacher association and parents, the school will compile a list of students at risk of dropping out in order to promptly investigate the causes and provide appropriate support. For students from disadvantaged backgrounds, the school will support tuition fees, health insurance, provide sponsorship, and offer emergency assistance through fundraising, scholarships, and gifts to help them continue their education. For students with psychological difficulties, the homeroom teacher will coordinate with the teacher in charge of psychological counseling to provide guidance and help students overcome their difficulties.
Students at the high school that 'doesn't have classes on Saturdays' are active in their studies and extracurricular activities.
In the 2022-2023 academic year, Tan Chau High School received a commendation from the Chairman of the People's Committee of An Giang province for "achievements in the field of education and training in An Giang province, period (1982 - 2022)". In the same year, the school received a commendation from the Chairman of the People's Committee of An Giang province for outstanding performance in two consecutive academic years; a provincial People's Committee emulation flag; and a commendation from the Minister of Education and Training for outstanding achievements in the emulation movement "Innovation in management, teaching and learning in the 2022-2023 academic year".
In 2024, a teacher from the school was awarded the title of "Outstanding Teacher" by the President of Vietnam.
The school is about to celebrate its 60th anniversary.
Tan Chau High School (formerly Tan Chau Public High School) was established on October 1, 1964, initially offering the seventh grade (equivalent to today's sixth grade). By the 1975-1976 school year, it had developed into a high school.
The school, with an area of 10,076 m², met national standards in 2008, was re-certified in 2016, and was recognized by the Provincial People's Committee as a national standard school at level 1. It was also recognized by the Department of Education and Training as a quality accreditation school at level 2 in 2022.
The school will be holding a ceremony to celebrate its 60th anniversary on September 28-29.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ngoi-truong-thpt-6-nam-qua-khong-day-hoc-ngay-thu-bay-185240825092620671.htm
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