Vietnam: Can teachers who are public employees participate in teaching at centers outside of the school?

Are teachers who are public employees allowed to participate in tutoring at centers outside of the school?

According to Article 2 of the Regulation on extra classes issued together with Circular 17/2012/TT-BGDDT of the Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam:

- For the purposes of this Regulation, extra classes means additional classes that are provided for learners with fees, of which contents base on compulsory education programs but not included in the education plan of compulsory education issued by the Ministry of Education and Training.

- Internal extra classes means extra classes held by a public educational institution (including: compulsory education institutions; vocational training centers; continuing education centers; community learning centers; foreign language and IT centers, hereinafter referred to as institutions).

Additionally, according to Article 4 of the Regulation on extra classes issued together with Circular 17/2012/TT-BGDDT:

Banned extra classes

1. Extra classes shall not be provided for students who have attended curricular classes for 2 sessions per day.

2. Extra classes shall not be provided for elementary students, except for extra-curricular activities: arts, sports, or life skills.

3. Higher education institutions, colleges, junior colleges and vocational schools are banned from hold extra classes with compulsory education contents.

4. A teacher receiving salaries from wage-fund of public service agencies is banned from:

a) Holding external extra classes unless he/she conducts external extra classes;

b) Conducting external extra classes for students who are in his/her curricular classes without the permit of the Head of his/her superior agency.

Teachers who are public employees are among the teachers paid from the public service provider's salary fund and are permitted to participate in tutoring at centers outside of the school.

However, the outside tutoring centers and teachers who are public employees must comply with the following provisions:

- Teachers are not allowed to tutor students whom they teach in their main classes without the approval of the head of their managing agency;

- Centers are not allowed to tutor students who have already been organized into 2-session per day classes by the school.

- Centers are not allowed to tutor primary school students, except in cases of tutoring in the arts, physical education, or life skills training.

- Universities, colleges, professional secondary schools, and vocational schools are not allowed to organize tutoring or extra classes on general education content.

Are teachers who are public employees allowed to participate in tutoring at centers outside of the school? (Image from the Internet)

How is the extra class fee in the school regulated?

According to Article 7 of the Regulation on extra classes issued together with Circular 17/2012/TT-BGDDT:

Collection and management of fees for extra classes

1. Regarding internal extra classes:

a) The fees for extra classes shall be collected to pay remuneration for teachers who are taking or monitoring extra classes of the institution, to pay bills for electricity, water and facility repair that serve the extra classes;

b) The fees for extra classes shall be agreed by the students’ parents and the institution;

c) The institution shall receive receipts, pay expenditures and make declaration of fees for extra classes through the finance division of the institution; the teacher shall not directly receive receipts and pay expenditures in terms of fees for extra classes.

2. Regarding external extra classes:

a) The fees for extra classes shall be agreed by the students’ parents and the extra class provider.

b) The extra class provider shall comply with regulations on financial management of fees for extra classes.

Thus, the extra class fee within the school is agreed upon between the students' parents and the school.

What are the rules for extra classes?

The rules for extra classes are specified in Article 3 of the Regulation on extra classes issued together with Circular 17/2012/TT-BGDDT as follows:

- Extra classes must help to broaden knowledge, skills and character education of students, be suitable for psychological and physical characteristics and not beyond the acquisition of learners

- It is not allowed to reduce the curricular contents of compulsory education program and add them to extra classes; and provide the curricular contents in the extra classes in advance.

- Students taking extra classes are students who intend to attend extra classes with the consent of their families; it is not allowed to compel students or students’ families to attend extra classes.

- It is not allowed to provide extra classes according to the curricular classes; students in the same extra class shall have the same learning capacity; the students are admitted to the extra classes according to their learning capacity.

- Extra class providers shall be responsible for their registration and application for the license.