Vietnam city to ban classes after 8pm to ease student stress, curb private tutoring
Advocates say Ho Chi Minh City’s move would also help to reduce demand and rein in its unchecked private tuition sector
Ending extra classes by 8pm would allow students to spend more time with family and promote a more balanced lifestyle, said Ho Tan Minh, chief of office at the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, on Friday.
He pointed to the significant time many students already spent in full-day schools, which typically ran from morning until 4 or 5pm, according to English daily Viet Nam News.
The city’s heavy traffic congestion, which added to students’ commute times, also factored into the decision, Minh added.
This move is the latest in a series of efforts over the past decade to regulate Ho Chi Minh City’s booming private tutoring sector.
Previous measures included a ban on private tutoring for primary school pupils and directives requiring school principals to remind teachers of their responsibility to deliver comprehensive instruction during regular hours so that students do not need extra tuition.
