The Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam requests not to pressure students into extra classes

The Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam requests not to pressure students into extra classes​ (Image from the internet)

On February 11, 2025, the Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam issued Official Dispatch 545/BGDDT-GDTrH to strengthen directives on general education.

The Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam requests not to pressure students into extra classes

The Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam emphasized that the 2024-2025 school year marks the implementation of the new general education program (General Education Program 2018) at all levels from grade 1 to grade 12, with fundamental shifts from content-oriented to student competency and quality development-oriented programs.

To strengthen state management in education and enhance the quality of general education, the Ministry of Education and Training requests that the People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities continue to implement the key contents stipulated in Official Dispatch 545/BGDDT-GDTrH 2025 as follows:

- Direct the education sector to thoroughly organize general education institutions within their jurisdiction to continue synchronously implementing solutions to deploy the General Education Program 2018, ensuring quality. Formulating tests and evaluations regularly and periodically; selecting students for entry-level (primary, secondary) and 10th-grade high school entrance exams must comply with the requirements of the General Education Program 2018, without creating pressure for extra classes for students.

- Absolutely do not relax the tutoring and remediation of students with underperforming results; organize intensive review sessions for final-year students to intensify their preparation for entrance exams, graduation exams following the school’s educational plans, viewing it as the responsibility of the schools to help students meet the desired competencies of each subject as stipulated by the General Education Program 2018.

According to the actual conditions of the locality, the People’s Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities are directed to provide appropriate funding support for educational institutions to conduct tutoring and extra assistance for students, thereby contributing to improving education quality, particularly for students facing learning challenges, final-year students, disadvantaged groups, students from economically challenged families, ethnic minority students, and those from mountainous areas, economically - socially disadvantaged areas.

Principles of extra teaching, extra learning in Vietnam from February 14, 2025

(1) Extra teaching, extra learning is only organized when students, learners (hereinafter referred to as students) have the need, voluntarily participate, and have the consent of parents or guardians (hereinafter referred to as student parents). Schools, organizations, and individuals organizing extra teaching, extra learning must not use any form of coercion for students to participate.

(2) Content for extra teaching, extra learning must not contradict the legal regulations of Vietnam, nor carry biases regarding ethnicity, religion, occupation, gender, social status. No reduction of the teaching content according to the school’s educational plan to incorporate it into extra teaching.

(3) Extra teaching, extra learning must contribute to developing students' competencies; must not interfere with the implementation of the school’s educational program or teachers’ subject teaching schedules.

(4) The duration, schedule, location, and form of organizing extra teaching, extra learning must be age-appropriate, ensuring students’ health; comply with legal regulations regarding working hours, extra hours, and laws related to security, order, safety, environmental sanitation, and fire safety at the location where extra teaching occurs.

(Article 3, Circular 29/2024/TT-BGDDT)

Cases where organizing extra classes for students in Vietnam is prohibited from February 14, 2025

The specific cases where organizing extra classes is prohibited are as follows:

- No organization of extra classes for primary school students, except for skill enhancement in arts, physical education, and life skills training.

- Teachers currently teaching at schools are not allowed to organize fee-based extra classes for their own students outside of school schedules according to the educational plan of the school.

- Teachers from public schools are not permitted to manage or operate extra classes outside school schedules but may participate in teaching outside school.

(Article 4, Circular 29/2024/TT-BGDDT)

More details can be found in Circular 29/2024/TT-BGDDT effective from February 14, 2025.

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