Nhung, a parent in Hanoi, is busy these days. She is searching information about private tutoring classes for her son on the internet and asking for support to seek such classes from acquaintances.

“He is not doing good in school and he has to attend the entrance exam to public high school next year. He needs to prepare for the exam right now, or it will be too late,” she explained.

Nhung’s son, an 8th grader at a secondary school in Hoai Duc district in Hanoi, has been informed that his extra class will halt from January 12 for indefinite time to observe the Ministry of Education and Training’s (MOET) Circular 29/2024. 

Nhung, who understands her son’s capability, fears that the boy would fail the entrance exam if he cannot receive extra lessons, besides the lessons he receives at school.

Nhung luckily found a private tutor in math for the son, but the tutor only gives online lessons, because her home is 20 kilometers from the city center.

"The exam reviewing center said tutors only run in-person classes to the students in four inner districts. The tuition is VND150,000 per session (one hour and 45 minutes) in four urban districts. The cost is 150,000 VND for a 1 hour and 45-minute online session,” Nhung said, adding that her son has had two sessions so far.

Previously, her son went to extra classes run by his teachers at his school and Nhung had to pay VND400,000 a month in fee for each subject.

Nhung is now looking for private run extra classes in three subjects (Mathematics, Literature and English). If she hires a private tutor for her son, she would have to pay VND4 million a month for two sessions a week.

“VND4 million is really a heavy burden. I have moved heaven and earth these days to seek private tutoring classes at more reasonable costs. Recently, I found another tutor charging VND100,000 per session, and my child is taking trial lessons," Nhung explained.

Nhung said she might gather some students in a group and invite teachers at their schools to give extra lessons to them at home (not at school, because giving extra classes at school is banned per the newly released circular).

Le Phuong Thao from Hoang Liet, Hoang Mai in Hanoi, said her 7th-grade son is attending one-on-one home tutoring in maths and literature, for which she has to pay VND150,000 and VND160,000, respectively, per session.

“The teachers are university students, therefore, the fee is more reasonable. If I hired a teacher with pedagogical certificate, I would have to pay VND200,000 per session,” she said.

“if I chose certified teachers through a center, it would cost 200,000 VND per session," Thao mentioned.

Previously, in the first semester, her child attended three afternoon sessions at school and three evening sessions at teachers' home each week. Since the second semester beginning, the child has been learning with private tutors.

However, Thao is worried about the tutoring quality. “My son said the private tutor is good, but I noted that they spend more time on chatting rather than teaching and learning,” she said, adding that if the tutor doesn’t change her teaching method, she would have to find another one.

Thao applauded the MOET’s newly released circular on prohibiting teachers from holding extra classes for their students at school, and said many parents were confused about their children’s learning hours.

Teachers will end up being more responsible for the lessons in their classes, she said.

“Previously, some teachers skimped on lessons, saving content for extra classes, forcing all students to take additional lessons. If students did not attend the extra classes run by their teachers, they would be bullied and given low scores," Thao said.

“Nowadays, students have the right to choose teachers and classes they want,” she explained.

Huu Dong, a teacher and manager of a knowledge enhancement center for high school students in Ha Dong, Hanoi, confirmed that before Tet and during the first week back post-Tet, the center received many inquiries for tutor recommendations or extra class registrations, especially from parents with underperforming students or those preparing for key exams. 

Extra classes at school have had to close down, but demand for private tuition still exists.

Thuy Nga