Parents and the worry surrounding 'voluntary subjects'

The tuition-free policy is expected to reduce the burden on families and ensure equitable access to education. However, at many public schools in Ho Chi Minh City and some other localities, parents report still facing pressure from fees under the guise of "voluntary subjects" or joint courses organized within the school.

"Voluntary" in name, but pressure in reality.

Recently, on many online forums and social media groups for parents, the issue of "voluntary subjects" and joint courses in public schools continues to attract attention and debate. Many parents in Ho Chi Minh City and some other localities have simultaneously shared their payment receipts, timetables, and real-life experiences of their children, expressing frustration at the financial and psychological pressure arising from subjects presented as "voluntary" but which are difficult to refuse in practice.

Students in Ho Chi Minh City learn about STEM applications.

A parent with the nickname TTN (Bien Hoa ward, Ho Chi Minh City) shared a receipt for her child's monthly tuition fees for extracurricular classes at a public primary school in the former District 12. According to her, while the total amount isn't excessively large individually, it's higher than the recently waived tuition fee for the regular classes. What worries her most is the quality and organization of the teaching.

"According to my child, about half of the lessons in the joint subjects are taught by the homeroom teacher, and in many sessions, she teaches Math and Vietnamese instead of the content listed in the subject names," Ms. TTN shared on the forum.

Many other parents have reported that, at the primary school level, integrated subjects are often scheduled for the last period of the day. If they don't register, parents worry about who will supervise their children and what activities they will participate in during the waiting time. Meanwhile, at the secondary school level, these subjects are scheduled at the beginning of the afternoon, making it almost impossible to avoid participating.

An anonymous parent stated that after her eldest child's tuition was waived, the school immediately organized three academic club courses, each costing 90,000 VND per month. The consultation process was based on a "majority consent" system; even if only one parent disagreed, the class would still be held.

"When I spoke with the homeroom teacher, she said that the whole class agreed, and it would be unfair to the other students if only my child didn't attend. In that situation, I couldn't refuse," this parent shared.

Beyond financial pressure, many parents are also concerned about their children's psychological well-being. Not participating in extracurricular activities means children may be isolated from the group, with different schedules and activities, easily leading to feelings of being left out or disadvantaged compared to their peers. This worry causes many families, even those not fully ready, to reluctantly enroll their children in these programs.

Parent Nhat Long (K. Nguyen) said his son is studying native English, life skills, and IC3 computer skills. Meanwhile, parent Pham Thi Thuy Tien commented that, from parent groups on social media, most opinions express dissatisfaction with the integrated courses. "It's very rare for parents to speak up in praise or point out specific, practical values ​​that others can truly accept," Ms. Tien stated.

Many also question the duplication of content, as the current general education curriculum already includes subjects like civics, ethics, computer science, and foreign languages. The addition of life skills, international computer science, AI, and other subjects raises concerns among parents about their actual effectiveness, especially since these subjects are taught during regular school hours.

For "voluntariness" to be genuine and meaningful.

According to parent Phuong Truc, the greatest desire of parents today is to have true freedom of choice. "If the family has the need and the means, parents can absolutely send their children to outside centers to enroll them in advanced skills, foreign languages, or computer science courses. The school doesn't need and shouldn't take over that role," said Ms. Phuong Truc.

A receipt provided by a parent, which lists several voluntary, affiliated courses.

Ms. Phuong Truc believes that when integrated subjects are introduced directly into schools, organized during class time or in the classroom, parents are inadvertently put in a very difficult position to refuse. "Voluntary participation only has meaning when parents have the right to say no without fear of their children being different, disadvantaged psychologically, or negatively impacted in their learning environment," Ms. Truc emphasized.

Parent Nguyen Thi Thu Huong (Binh Chanh ward, Ho Chi Minh City) shared that her child is in 3rd grade at a school in the area. Despite limited facilities, the school still aims for "internationalization" with many integrated subjects. Computer science is divided into curriculum-based and international-standard computer science, requiring additional fees; English has both Vietnamese and foreign teachers, with parents paying separate fees. "The school says it's voluntary, but in reality, my child is still forced to take the international computer science course," Ms. Thu Huong complained.

Parent Nguyen Thi Vien (from Nam Dinh ward, Ninh Binh province) expressed her desire to eliminate subjects with a high fee-based component in public schools. According to her, parents have to struggle to pay the money without seeing clear results, while children need that time to rest and play appropriately for their age. "Education should not become a disguised business, but rather a place to shape children's character," Ms. Vien said.

Earlier, at a meeting with constituents following the 10th session of the 15th National Assembly, General Secretary To Lam frankly acknowledged the situation where the state provides free tuition, but schools impose many other fees. The General Secretary emphasized that schools cannot be turned into service establishments and requested that localities inspect and rectify this phenomenon to ensure the true nature of education.

Many parents expect that, along with the tuition fee waiver policy, the education sector will soon have more comprehensive and clearer solutions in managing integrated subjects, ensuring transparency, genuine voluntariness, and creating a fair learning environment where all students are treated equally and not pressured by choices labeled "voluntary."

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/giao-duc/phu-huynh-va-noi-lo-mang-ten-mon-tu-nguyen-20251217152646201.htm