Summer daycare services are booming.

GD&TĐ - Many parents send their children to language centers, calligraphy training centers, auditing centers, etc., during the summer, even though not all of them are authorized to provide daycare services.

"Day boarding" at her house

With her child about to enter first grade, since May, Ms. Luong Thi Ha (residing in Thanh Binh ward, Hai Chau district, Da Nang city) has been researching information about preschool classes to enroll her child in during the summer months. However, Ms. Ha was mostly only introduced to preschool classes held in teachers' homes.

"When I went to investigate several places, I found that they were all using family spaces to organize classes. The classrooms were just big enough to fit desks and chairs, with no space for the children to play or exercise. That means they spent the whole day confined to a few dozen square meters of the classroom. They ate and slept right there," Ms. Ha commented.

Ms. Le Thi Kieu Nga was introduced to a teacher who teaches at a tutoring center on To Hieu Street (Hoa Minh Ward, Lien Chieu District, Da Nang City). According to the teacher's advice, the class only accepts about 7 students, the tuition fee is 1.8 million VND/month, lunch is provided with the other tutors, and it's a primary school preparatory course for children born in 2019-2020.

The teacher will guide the children on how to hold a pen correctly, how to sit while writing, how to greet and address others respectfully, how to raise their hand to speak, etc.; recognize letters and letter combinations, read long sentences without spelling; understand and become familiar with different types of math and Vietnamese exercises for first grade; and practice writing in standard lined handwriting.

Unable to register her child for the daycare program at the Da Nang Children's Palace, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Ha (An Hai Nam ward, Son Tra district, Da Nang city) chose to send her child, who had finished first grade, to a small summer center.

Ms. Ha said: “Each classroom is large enough to fit 12 sets of wooden desks and chairs for 24 students. Although there is air conditioning, it's still quite cramped. The children will have breaks and play, or watch cartoons right in the classroom. There is one afternoon art class each week, and the rest of the time they will study Math and Vietnamese. The tuition and boarding fee is 2.4 million VND per month.”

Mr. Nguyen Nhan, Director of the Da Nang Children's Palace, said: "In addition to the talent classes taught in shifts, each lasting about 1.5 hours, the Children's Palace has about 400 daycare slots for parents to register and choose from. However, every year, the number of parents registering is three times higher, but we cannot meet the demand because we have to ensure the conditions and quality of service."

Mr. Nhan said that with 28 extracurricular activities divided into aesthetic talents such as drawing, dancing, singing, playing musical instruments, etc., and sports talents such as swimming, basketball, table tennis, etc., each classroom here is a different world for both children and parents to choose from. The classes are designed with a focus on learning through play. Each lesson lasts about 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Children can choose to attend two extracurricular classes in the same morning or afternoon session for the convenience of their parents. Currently, the Da Nang Children's Palace attracts over 2,200 students. The most popular extracurricular classes are dance, drawing, music, basketball, table tennis, and swimming.

Supply "explodes" according to demand.

As the school year draws to a close, recreational services for children flourish in various forms: cultural centers, accommodation centers offering summer learning programs, life skills classes, etc. Some centers that originally specialized in teaching English, life skills, mental math, STEM, etc., also offer summer day camp services for students.

For example, a center for intellectual math on Dong Da Street (Hai Chau District, Da Nang City) offers standard math and Vietnamese language classes according to the Ministry of Education and Training 's curriculum, in addition to intellectual math lessons. Parents can choose between half-day or full-day classes, with or without daycare.

Private daycare centers are also aggressively recruiting students on social media groups. Many individuals advertise themselves as teachers of first-grade preparatory programs, handwriting classes, etc., with very attractive promises about teaching and care quality.

The calligraphy training center on Truong Dinh Street (Son Tra District, Da Nang City) is enrolling students in pre-primary classes for those preparing to enter first grade and those attending preschool (5 years old); tutoring in Math and Vietnamese for students in grades 1-3; calligraphy training; and English tutoring for preschool and primary school students. The center offers flexible class schedules for parents to choose from and also provides day-care classes.

However, among these facilities, not all educational institutions have licenses or operate in a manner inconsistent with their initial registration, posing numerous risks regarding fire safety, lack of space for children to relax and play, etc.

In June 2024, the People's Committee of Cam Le District ordered the closure of an unauthorized tutoring center. Prior to this, the People's Committee of Cam Le District (Da Nang City) had received complaints about a tutoring center in Hoa An Ward where teachers lacked qualifications and pedagogical skills, and the facilities were inadequate. The People's Committee of Cam Le District assigned the People's Committee of Hoa An Ward to investigate and handle the matter.

According to the working report compiled by the Hoa An Ward People's Committee Task Force, this facility, located on Nguyen Dinh Tu Street, is owned by Ms. TNT (born in 1994). At the time of inspection, the facility had three teachers, one of whom held a formal intermediate-level diploma in fine arts education. The other two did not have any records, professional qualifications, or employment contracts. The class was for 45 children, without student records, and the children attending as auditors ranged in age from 5 to 7 years old.

This auditing class has been running since June 3rd. Previously, the owner only taught art to 10 children. However, the facility now offers a lunchtime daycare program because parents are unable to pick their children up due to work commitments. The task force requested the owner to cease all unauthorized extracurricular tutoring activities, release all students, and discontinue the daycare program. Furthermore, they requested the owner to contact the relevant authorities to complete the necessary procedures for obtaining an operating license in accordance with regulations.

Mr. Tran Nguyen Minh Thanh, Deputy Director of the Da Nang Department of Education and Training, stated: “Foreign language, computer science, and life skills centers are absolutely prohibited from organizing summer English day camps, summer life skills day camps, day camp activities for students, and preschool childcare at their operating locations. Organizing these activities is not within the center's duties or authority.”

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/no-ro-dich-vu-ban-tru-he-post737572.html