Many parents and students are investing time, effort, and money to find tutoring centers, especially groups of final-year students who need to consolidate and enhance their knowledge in preparation for important, life-defining exams.

Reducing pressure for parents and students

One notable point of Circular 29 is that it prohibits extra classes for primary school students, except in cases of enrichment in arts, sports, or life skills training. Since the Circular came into effect, the fourth-grade daughter of Trần Thị Tân, resident of Residential Quarter No.14, Mường Thanh ward, Điện Biên Phủ city, Điện Biên province, has stopped attending extra academic classes. After school hours, her daughter reviews lessons at home and does homework if assigned, while also having time to play and be physically active. Tân shared: “At first, I worried that without extra classes, my daughter might neglect her studies, but in contrast, she has become more proactive and responsible with her homework. Without evening classes, our family has more time together, and she enjoys her free time, making her happier. Furthermore, because extra classes are not allowed for primary students either in or outside of school, there’s no longer pressure to keep up with peers who are attending such classes.”

With the new regulation, instead of continuing lessons at a teacher’s home after school, many students now have more free time for play, physical activities, life skills development, and family bonding. Childhood becomes more carefree and meaningful, not just about “burying their heads” in books. It also helps reduce financial pressure on parents who would otherwise need to pay for extra classes.

The demand for extra classes and tutoring

However, tutoring remains a real and legitimate need for students and parents. Each student may have different purposes for extra study: reinforcing, reviewing, or deepening their understanding. This is especially true for final-year students at lower and upper secondary schools, who are preparing for the entrance exam to grade 10 or the high school graduation exam and university admissions - high-stakes and competitive exams that clearly differentiate students by ability.

For that reason, Đỗ Khánh Linh, a student in class 9D3 at Pom Lót Secondary School (Điện Biên district), has also registered for extra classes that suit her study needs. Linh is striving to gain admission to Lê Quý Đôn Gifted High School. She must take three core exams (Math, Literature, and English) and her chosen specialized subject, Biology. Linh currently attends extra classes in Math and Biology, four sessions a week, at a center in Điện Biên Phủ city. Linh shared: “Previously, I studied with teachers in the local area, which was convenient. But since the new Circular on extra classes took effect, those teachers no longer offer classes, and I am also not allowed to study with my own schoolteachers. So, I had to find a class in the city, more than 13km from home.”

Linh attends classes during off-hours, evenings, or weekend mornings. Since her parents are busy with their business, they usually drive her to the class, return home, and then come back to pick her up. “The round trip takes nearly an hour. My parents only have one hour to rest before having to pick me up again, it is very exhausting. On days when they’re too busy, they have to hire a car to take me, which adds to the cost,” added Linh.

Sharing the same goal of preparing for the grade 10 entrance exam, more than 10 students from Noong Hẹt Secondary School (Điện Biên district) have registered for tutoring at the center of Đỗ Văn Chánh in Hoàng Công Chất hamlet, Thanh An commune, Điện Biên district, taught by Đỗ Vũ Hưng, a Math teacher at Noong Luống Secondary School.

Đỗ Vũ Hưng said: “In response to student demand, I opened a Math review class for grade 9 students preparing for the grade 10 entrance exam. Math is a mandatory subject, and some students also aim to enter specialized schools. Based on their needs, I design lessons that both reinforce and deepen their knowledge and skills, using a variety of exercises aligned with mock tests and past exam papers. I also guide and support the students to study effectively at home.”

It is known that Hưng’s extra class started last summer. When Circular 29 took effect, the class temporarily stopped operations to complete paperwork and upgrade facilities to meet requirements for licensed tutoring centers. Besides the grade 9 class, the center also offers a basic and advanced Math class for grade 6 students, mostly local children and those from nearby villages and communes, not students from Hưng’s school.

In response to this demand from students and parents, many businesses and individuals in our province have registered to run paid tutoring services outside the school system. While no negative feedback has been recorded regarding tutoring activities in the province, to ensure students’ learning rights and to implement Circular 29 effectively, it is necessary to continue raising awareness, inspecting, monitoring, and supervising extra classes according to regulations by relevant agencies and local authorities.