No rest for the ambitious
Extra classes deprive Vietnamese children of their holidays.
AS SOON as the 218 Ly Tu Trong Extra Education Centre in Ho Chih Minh (HCM) City listed its summer classes, hundreds of parents began queuing to sign their children up.
The centre offers classes on subjects such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, literature and English for students of all grades in junior high and high school, except grade 10.
Tran Van Quang, a father from Thu Duc District, went to the centre on the first day of registration but was offered an appointment only two days later due to overcrowding. He was relieved to be given a class registration ticket, which meant he had secured a spot for his child.
“It is good because now my child can study at a prestigious centre after the school year ends,” Quang said.
Like the 218 Ly Tu Trong centre, many extra education centres across the country offer summer courses for students, from curricular to extracurricular subjects.
The school year in Vietnam starts in late August or early September and ends in late May or early June.
That means students have about three months of summer vacation, but many don’t actually get any time off.
Many Vietnamese parents worry that a long vacation without studying will affect their children’s education.
Nguyen Thi Hoa from HCM District 10 has found a place at a prestigious centre for her son, who is about to finish 8th grade in junior high school.
“Our family is very worried as he enters the crucial 9th grade in the next school year. I want him to attend extra classes during the summer to review his knowledge and learn 9th grade knowledge in advance so that he is well prepared for the 10th grade entrance exam next year,” shesaid.
“I know not having a vacation is a loss for my son, but it is necessary to sacrifice this summer for the long-term goal.”
Although holding extra classes is officially banned in many schools, they are easy to find and exist in various forms, such as at education centres or at teachers’ houses.
Le Thi Huong, a retired literature teacher in Dong Da District, Ha Noi, has offered literature classes at her house for junior high school students for almost 10 years.
She said many parents asked her to open her class as soon as schools break for summer.
“I often reopen my class in early July after a one-month break in June,” she said.
Even small children cannot escape summer learning.
Le Hoang Thu Phuong from Tan Binh District in HCM is also looking for a summer class for her five-year-old daughter, who has yet to start schooling.
She explained that she wanted her daughter to learn how to write before entering primary school. She is worried that without this skill, her daughter may fall behind her classmates.
Besides fearing that children will be outstripped by their peers, many parents face another dilemma: there are not enough playgrounds and entertainment activities for children off for the summer, especially in big cities.
Vo Xuan Tien, a father in Long Bien District, Ha Noi, wants to find extra classes for his two