Still offering tutoring in violation of regulations.

TP - After months of investigation, Tien Phong newspaper reporters discovered that private tutoring, in defiance of regulations from the Ministry of Education and Training, is taking place openly right in the heart of the capital city. What's concerning is that both parents and students are afraid but dare not speak out.

The fear of "extra tutoring"

Recently, reporters received feedback from several parents whose children attend Ly Thuong Kiet Secondary School in Bo De ward (formerly Long Bien district), Hanoi .

According to Circular 29 of the Ministry of Education and Training on the management of extracurricular tutoring, from the junior high school level onwards, teachers providing extracurricular tutoring outside of school are not allowed to teach their regular students in class. However, in Bo De ward, extracurricular tutoring activities by teachers from Ly Thuong Kiet Junior High School continue. As a result, students hardly have a summer break. In early July, some parents received notifications about their children's tutoring schedules. Immediately after the opening ceremony, these tutoring classes were organized extensively at centers around the school area such as Tri Thuc Vang, ALH (Academic Learning Hub), Tri Tue Viet, etc.

Ly Thuong Kiet Secondary School. Photo: Nghiem Hue

Ms. PTH, a parent with a child in 8th grade, said: “My child had only just started the school year when the homeroom teacher suggested that he take extra math and literature classes at a center near the school. What’s even more concerning is that the same teacher who teaches in class is also directly teaching these extra classes, contrary to regulations (Circular 29).” According to Ms. H., the classes are scheduled after regular school hours on weekdays, and on Saturdays, students attend three sessions (morning, afternoon, and evening). On some Saturdays, her child even has to attend four sessions because of upcoming exams requiring more revision.

Speaking with reporters, a representative from a center in the ward stated that they had instructed teachers and enrollment staff to comply with Circular 29. However, they lack a method for classifying students currently enrolled by their teachers. Because there is currently no coordination mechanism between the three parties – the school, the center, and the ward/commune People's Committee – regarding this issue, they lack the legal standing to collect student information. This loophole allows teachers to exploit the regulations.

With the children studying so much at school and at tutoring centers, Ms. H and her husband experienced conflict because her husband worried that the excessive studying would negatively impact their mental health. Ms. H asserted that in class, the teacher wielded "soft power" that made her children afraid to go to school. For example, the teacher would question some children when she learned they were taking extra math classes with another teacher at the school, causing the students to be scared and stay home.

The parent shared that tutoring isn't inherently bad. However, when teachers use underhanded tactics to pressure students into attending extra classes, such as verbal threats or creating test questions related to the tutoring material, it causes frustration for both parents and students. "The math teacher even called parents to get their children to attend extra classes. I'm upset because I don't have the right to choose my teacher," Ms. H. recounted.

Even newly enrolled sixth-grade students are being manipulated. One parent complained: "My child had only been in school for less than a week when they were added to the teacher's extra tutoring group, under the pretext of solidifying their foundational knowledge. Changing grades, getting used to a new environment, and not yet having time to adapt, they're already being drawn into a schedule of extra classes. We're very worried, but we find it hard to refuse because we're afraid the teacher will keep a close eye on our child."

Ms. T., a parent of a 7th-grade student, reported that in class, the teacher said that students would struggle to keep up without extra tutoring. Fearing being judged, the students voluntarily agreed. From then on, the teacher assured parents that the students needed extra tutoring. Parents wanted to object but worried about their children's grades being affected.

What did the principal say about the teachers who gave extra lessons?

Speaking to reporters about the incident, Mr. Nguyen Phu Cuong, Principal of Ly Thuong Kiet Secondary School (where many teachers have been accused by parents of giving extra lessons to their own students), said that about 50% of teachers give extra lessons outside of school; mainly teaching compulsory subjects for the 10th grade entrance exam such as Math, Literature, and English.

In response to the question of whether, in addition to reporting extracurricular tutoring, the school requires teachers to provide a list of students attending these classes, Mr. Cuong replied that this is the responsibility of the centers organizing the tutoring. The centers then report this to the local ward. The principal's authority is limited to requiring teachers to report which center they teach at and how many sessions per week.

According to the principal, after receiving feedback from the reporter, the school conducted an initial review and determined that the extracurricular classes taught by teachers included (the principal's exact words) students from the teachers' regular classes. "I have instructed the teachers to discuss with the center to transfer those students who are not eligible for the extra classes according to Circular 29 (students from the teachers' own classes)," Mr. Cuong said.

Mr. Cuong stated that the Circular stipulates that schools do not have the authority to form inspection teams for these centers; this function belongs to the local People's Committee, and the school participates as a member of the team. "We have reminded the centers. They promised to comply seriously, and any areas that are not up to standard will be rectified," Mr. Cuong said.

Mr. Cuong added that the school held a meeting of the teaching staff council and had addressed the issue of extracurricular tutoring among teachers. However, according to feedback from parents, extracurricular tutoring activities by teachers at Ly Thuong Kiet Secondary School are still taking place as usual.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/van-day-them-trai-quy-dinh-post1799465.tpo