Parents alone in the fight against 'voluntary extra classes'

TPO - Since Circular 29 of the Ministry of Education and Training was issued, extra classes have been organized outside of schools, causing parents' costs to increase significantly. Circular 29 has not actually prevented the situation of involuntary extra classes.

Have to learn whether you like it or not

After Tien Phong newspaper published an article: “After 6 months of tightening extra teaching and learning: Surprised with teachers' income”, many readers responded to the editorial office about the problems they are experiencing.

Reader T. Ha wrote: "With the ban on extra classes at school, teachers are taking students to study at outside centers, teaching each other. My children used to study at school according to the regulations, which only cost 12,000 VND/45-minute class. Now my children study at a center, paying from 70,000 VND to 100,000 VND for a 90-minute class."

Thus, the monthly cost of children's education increases a lot, while people's income does not increase. This person recommends that if extra tutoring is banned, it should be banned absolutely.

Hanoi students during the 10th grade entrance exam. Photo: Nhu Y

Reader Mai Huynh said, "Before Circular 29 on extra teaching and learning, parents paid 500,000 VND/month in tuition. When students transferred to study at a center, the fee was 600,000 VND/month. Parents had to pay more, but teachers refused to reduce their income."

Because all the extra classes take place outside of school, parents and students have a hard time adapting. Reader NV Binh said that his child is in 6th grade, and according to the class schedule, some days his child has 2 periods, some days he has 3 periods. On the days when he has 2 periods, the student finishes school at 3:00 p.m., then has to walk quickly to the center to take extra classes until 5:00 p.m.

“My child’s class has 6 students who do not attend extra classes, including my child. The teacher almost every day encourages those who do not attend to ask their parents to register. When my child comes home and tells us about it, he seems to be worried. When studying at the center, the teachers always teach the knowledge in advance. I do not like my child to study like that. I and the other 5 parents are like strange objects that drift into the group of parents of my child’s class,” Mr. Binh informed.

Sharing with Tien Phong newspaper reporter, a parent living in Long Bien (Hanoi) whose child is in 6th grade said that after less than a week of studying in the new school year, she was added to her extra-curricular group, with the reason being to master basic knowledge. In fact, the children had just gotten used to the new environment and had not yet adapted when they were drawn into the extra-curricular schedule. "We were very worried but it was difficult to refuse because we were afraid that our children would be noticed," the parent said.

Regular school hours of students at a secondary school in Ninh Binh

If the principal does not give the green light, who dares to cross the line?

When Circular 29 was issued, parents initially welcomed it enthusiastically. Because they thought it was time for their children to take extra classes according to their needs. But in reality, after half a year of implementation, teachers had "countermeasures" to circumvent the law such as cross-teaching, using a form of soft power to pressure parents and students to go to pre-arranged extra classes at the centers.

Do school leaders know? A parent (Dong Da ward, Hanoi) said that if school leaders are serious, it is rare for teachers to dare to "cross the line". On the contrary, if a situation occurs where many teachers in a school try to circumvent the law, it cannot be said that school leaders are innocent and do not give the green light.

Even in a reply email to the editorial office, a reader specifically reflected on the principal of a school in Dong Hung ( Hung Yen ) "As soon as the school started, he forced teachers to give students registration forms for extra classes."

And at that time, the fight against negative tutoring and extra learning by parents was an unequal battle. They were alone and completely at a disadvantage. Because teachers and schools were the ones who held the score books, set the questions, and evaluated the students.

On June 12, the Ministry of Education and Training issued Circular 10 regulating the decentralization, delegation and assignment of authority to perform state management tasks of two-level local authorities regarding general education.

Accordingly, the authority to manage and inspect extra teaching and learning activities of individuals and organizations outside of schools belongs to the People's Committee at the commune level.

The leaders of the Ministry of Education and Training are also very enthusiastic about the new regulations on the management of extra teaching and learning, which will be implemented from February 14 (the effective date of Circular 29). Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son once said that extra teaching and learning is a part of the old-style knowledge provision system. If we continue to teach and learn in the old way, education will not be innovative and will face failure.

But in reality, after 6 months of implementing Circular 29, a number of cases of illegal tutoring have been discovered and handled, but that is only the tip of the iceberg. Due to the huge profits from tutoring, teachers still deliberately violate the regulations.

Many parents affirm that the nature of extra classes is not bad, it is a legitimate need when parents want their children to have a better learning environment, with higher quality. Only greed can distort this legitimate need, hidden under the form of "voluntary extra classes".

To implement what Resolution 71 on educational breakthroughs of the Central Committee has determined in the coming time, the management of extra learning and teaching will not stop at the regulations in Circular 29. Because the Circular still has loopholes for teachers to take advantage of and circumvent.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/phu-huynh-don-doc-trong-cuoc-chien-hoc-them-tu-nguyen-post1778511.tpo