After work, Ms. Nguyen Ngoc Hai (Thanh Xuan, Hanoi ) hurried from the office to pick up her child from school and take him to an extra tutoring class in Cau Giay so he could be on time for the evening class at 6 PM.
As early as August 2023, she researched and enrolled her child in extra classes with a renowned math teacher specializing in exam preparation for students aspiring to enter prestigious and high-quality schools. Despite the considerable distance of over 10km from home to the tutoring location, she has been willing to drive her child there for over six months now.
"My child's academic performance is considered quite good by the homeroom teacher compared to the average, but I've heard other parents say that if they want their children to pass the entrance exams to prestigious high schools, they have to send them to tutoring centers early," Ms. Hai shared.
Parents are willing to spend money on tutoring for their children to prepare for the 6th grade entrance exam. (Illustrative image)
She thought sending her child to school in August 2023 was early, but when she registered for the class, she realized that many families were sending their children to extra classes from grades 3 and 4. Because she wanted her child to pass the entrance exam for grade 6 at Thanh Xuan Secondary School, she didn't hesitate to spend over 4 million VND per month (2 sessions per week) on an intensive preparatory class for her child.
Besides math, Ms. Hai also enrolled her child in extra classes in Literature and English, because to get into a high-quality school in Hanoi, the child needs to excel in all three subjects. The total monthly cost for these extra classes amounts to over 10 million VND. "Meanwhile, with civil servant salaries like ours, which are only a little over 15 million VND per month, we still have to grit our teeth and invest in our child's education," the parent shared.
It's not just Ms. Hai; many other parents, despite having to spend millions of dong per month, as well as time and effort, still haven't given up their determination to have their children prepare for entrance exams to specialized schools and high-quality schools.
Ms. Le Thi Nhu (43 years old, residing in Ba Dinh, Hanoi) also spends several million dong per month on her child's extra classes, but she is still constantly worried that her child will not be able to keep up with the curriculum.
"This year my child is in 5th grade, so every month my family has to spend a larger amount of money on extra tutoring in three subjects: Math, Literature, and English. This amount doesn't even include the cost of other materials, and I'm still worried that my child won't be able to keep up with the curriculum," Ms. Nhu confided.
Each tutoring session at the center costs approximately 300,000 - 500,000 VND, depending on the number of students and the teacher's reputation. Even when her child was in 4th grade, Ms. Nhu sought out experienced teachers to help her child gradually grasp advanced knowledge for the exams.
Ms. Nhu's family hopes their child will be admitted to the 6th grade at Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for Gifted Students. If not admitted to this school, their subsequent choices will be Luong The Vinh Secondary & High School or Thanh Xuan High School (a high-quality school). "When our child goes to school, the whole family struggles with transportation and worries, but we encourage each other to try our best and put all our efforts into it for our child," Ms. Nhu said.
The female parent understood that for her child to get into a prestigious middle school, investing money in tutoring at various places was essential. At the same time, proactively encouraging her child to study independently was extremely important.
Don't put pressure on your child.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Nhung, a teacher at a public primary school in Hanoi, believes that providing extra tutoring to thoroughly review knowledge in preparation for entrance exams is good, but focusing too much on studying will leave children with no time for play and experiences.
In addition, parents need to understand that choosing a school and class also depends on each student's abilities. Parents' expectations can sometimes create psychological pressure, negatively impacting their children's development.
"If children attend high-quality schools, that's great. However, that doesn't mean parents should put pressure on their children, forcing them to take extra classes, creating unnecessary stress and anxiety," Ms. Nhung said.
Parents should listen to their children's thoughts and aspirations to choose the right environment. If they feel their child's abilities cannot meet the requirements of specialized schools or high-quality schools, they should look for other options. Any middle school has good classes, and these can also be environments for children to learn and develop.
Khanh Son
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