Many provinces and cities have announced the 2025 Lunar New Year holiday schedule for students in public educational institutions. Some places have more than ten days off, but some localities only have 7-9 days off. For example, in Ho Chi Minh City, students will have only 9 days off for the 2025 Lunar New Year, 7 days less than last year. Some readers have raised the question of whether it is possible to reduce summer vacation days in the year to increase the number of Lunar New Year holidays for students?

ILLUSTRATION: HUONG HUE

Especially in Ho Chi Minh City, a locality with a high immigrant population, teachers and students are from many provinces and cities in many regions of the country. Therefore, if there is only a 9-day Tet holiday, it is impossible to arrange to return to the hometown to reunite with grandparents and relatives.

Tet holiday, going back to hometown to visit grandparents is also an opportunity to experience and learn about culture.

Ha Thao, a student at a secondary school in Tan Phu District, Ho Chi Minh City, said: "In my personal opinion, I want the Lunar New Year holiday to last about 2 weeks so that my whole family can return to their hometown for a longer period of time. Buying train and bus tickets to return to the city is not too urgent. I think this is also a common story of many families. At the same time, when the Tet holiday is longer, students also have more time to visit beautiful places to visit, take pictures, and experience culture."

Commenting on Thanh Nien Online , reader Tuong Van wrote: "In reality, many teachers in Ho Chi Minh City have transferred from other provinces to work here, so teachers really need to take many days off during Tet to be able to return home to visit their families."

"Today's education sector always focuses on experiential activities and practical education for students. Lunar New Year is also an opportunity to educate students about many cultural meanings, good traditions of the nation, and family connections. However, with the short Tet holiday, how can students return to their hometowns, reunite with their relatives, and learn about those practical cultures?", Ms. Phuong Anh, a Thanh Nien Online reader and parent living in Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City, shared.

Can we reduce summer holidays to increase Tet holidays?

Mr. VN, a teacher at a public high school in Ho Chi Minh City, said that the Government has issued Decree No. 84/2020/ND-CP detailing a number of articles of the Law on Education. Accordingly, the annual summer vacation for teachers at preschools, general education institutions, and specialized schools is 8 weeks, including annual leave.

There is no document specifically regulating the summer vacation time for students in public educational institutions. Depending on the school year framework program issued by the Ministry of Education and Training each year, the Department of Education and Training of each province and city will announce the school year framework, regulate the school start date, opening date, summer vacation, and Lunar New Year vacation for students in public educational institutions.

Normally, students have summer vacation before May 31st every year, and return to school around August 26th every year, with first graders being able to return to school a week earlier, with the nationwide opening on September 5th. So, public school students usually have nearly 3 months of summer vacation. During the 3 summer months, parents also have to scramble to find a place to send their children, find extra classes for their children or summer courses to have someone to look after their children and hope that their children do not forget their knowledge.

PHOTO: DAO NGOC THACH

"Thus, I think we can adjust the school year so as not to affect the 35 weeks of actual study for students. We can reduce a few days during the summer vacation, the start of summer vacation can be postponed to early June, instead we can increase the number of Lunar New Year holidays for students and teachers. Reducing summer vacation days and increasing Lunar New Year holidays for students and teachers, in my opinion, is reasonable," said Mr. VN.