Concerns about the cost of extra classes outside of school

At the meeting with voters of the National Assembly Deputies of Ha Nam province before the 9th Session of the 15th National Assembly in mid-April, voter Le Xuan Hien in Trung Residential Group, Duy Minh Ward, Duy Tien Town said: We, the people, basically agree and support the implementation of Circular 29. However, after a period of implementation, many privateeducation centers have opened, and the tuition fees for extra classes have also increased, so many parents cannot afford to send their children to study at the centers...

To learn about this issue in the locality, we contacted teacher Nguyen Xuan Thuy, Principal of Duy Minh Secondary School, and learned that in the 2024-2025 school year, Duy Minh Secondary School has over 700 students, including more than 130 grade 9 students. Implementing Circular 29 from February 14 to now, extra teaching and learning activities with fees in the school have completely stopped according to regulations. Recently, the school has organized extra teaching activities without fees for grade 9 students in Math, Literature, English with a duration of 2 periods/week/subject, but many families with children preparing for the entrance exam to grade 10 said that this duration does not ensure the consolidation and improvement of knowledge for students. Therefore, many families have sent their children to extra classes outside of school.

According to information from parents and teachers who are teaching extra classes outside of school in Duy Minh ward, each extra class session currently costs from 40,000 to 50,000 VND/student; for classes with less than 10 students, the price will be higher. This fee is said to have doubled compared to the time before Circular 29 took effect... Principal of Duy Minh Secondary School Nguyen Xuan Thuy shared: Voters have such opinions because they have compared the fact that students who studied extra classes at school previously only had to pay 21,000 VND/session/student (each class session has 3 periods). Now, if they go to study outside, the price of extra classes is one and a half or double. Compared to the income of working people, the cost of extra classes for children is quite heavy.

Regular class hours of 9th grade students at Thanh Nghi Secondary School (Thanh Liem).

In Ly Nhan district, the tuition fee for teachers who register to teach through centers ranges from 40,000 to 70,000 VND/session/student, depending on the number of students in the class. Unlike in urban areas, the percentage of the fee between the center and the teacher is 30 and 60, meaning that if a class, the teacher collects 1 million VND, he will pay the center 300,000 VND. As for classes organized in the form of households registering to do extra teaching and learning, the fee ranges from 20,000 to 25,000 VND/session/student. If the class has less than 10 students, the fee ranges from 50,000 to 60,000 VND/student/session, no increase compared to before. Mr. Tran Van Do, Hoa Hau commune, Ly Nhan district said: There were many junior high school teachers who previously only taught extra classes at home with a fee of 20,000 VND/session/student. When Circular 29 was issued, they were not eligible to register as a business household for tutoring and extra learning because their facilities did not meet the regulations, so they had to go through a center to teach extra. Therefore, the tuition fee for these teachers will double compared to teaching at home before... Parents and many teachers want to organize extra classes for students at school. But I think that is impossible!

According to the report of the Department of Education and Training on the implementation of Circular 29 in the province, as of March 20, the whole province had 286 licensed business establishments in the education sector; of which, Phu Ly city had 100 establishments, Ly Nhan district had 72 establishments, Thanh Liem district had only 23 establishments, Duy Tien town had 24 establishments.

In Phu Ly city alone, according to data compiled by the City Economic Department, as of April 10, there were 331 households registered to do business in the education sector under code 8559. Extra-curricular teaching and learning activities outside of school in Phu Ly city are many times higher than in districts and towns. A survey of opinions of some teachers who are organizing extra-curricular teaching outside of school in Phu Ly city shows that, due to having to pay personal income tax and many other expenses when organizing extra-curricular classes, teachers have to collect more fees from students than before. Many parents are worried when the extra-curricular fees increase, leading to a financial burden on their families. For families whose parents are workers or ordinary civil servants, when their income depends on their salary, having to pay a significant amount for their children to take extra classes as it is now has put a lot of pressure on them.

In rural areas, when tuition fees for extra-curricular classes outside of school are higher than the previous tuition fees for extra-curricular classes in schools, many families have to stop their children from taking extra classes. Mr. Nguyen Van Viet, Vu Ban commune, Binh Luc district shared: If we send our children to extra-curricular classes at centers, it will be far from home and expensive, so our families have to let them stay at home and encourage them to study and review their knowledge on their own.

Despite many concerns and worries, most parents believe that Circular 29 is a right direction to regulate extra teaching and learning activities, ensuring fairness and quality of education. However, in order for this regulation to be effectively and humanely implemented, it is necessary to have accompanying policies and practical support for learners, especially for students in rural areas.

Jiangnan

Source: https://baohanam.com.vn/xa-hoi/giao-duc/noi-lo-chi-phi-hoc-them-ngoai-nha-truong-160435.html