Within the framework of the project “Research on the lives of teachers in the Southern region: Experiments in Binh Thuan, Tay Ninh and Hau Giang provinces”, the Institute for Policy Development of Ho Chi Minh City National University conducted research, interviewed 132 education managers, teachers at all levels and surveyed 12,505 teachers in the above 3 localities in September and October.

Over 25% of teachers teach extra classes in school

In addition to regular teaching activities at school, there are still teachers who participate in extra teaching activities to increase their income. Over 25% of teachers surveyed teach extra classes at school and over 8% teach extra classes outside of school. Extra classes mainly focus on subjects such as math, literature, English, physics, chemistry (accounting for over 79%). Teachers' extra teaching time also increases gradually according to the level of education, on average teachers who teach extra classes at primary level are 8.6 hours/week, at secondary level are 13.75 hours/week and at high school level are 14.91 hours/week.

The types of extra teaching by teachers are also very diverse, from extra teaching at school, at home, at the center, online and on open learning data warehouses. Extra teaching at school is mainly tutoring, extra classes, and graduation exam review activities with the unified organization of the school and parents. Extra teaching at the center mainly falls on the group of teachers in charge of foreign languages. In addition, teachers still have the situation of extra teaching at home in direct or online forms, although this is still prohibited at present.

However, the research team acknowledged that many teachers confided that apart from a few cases of “a rotten apple spoiling the barrel” in extra-curricular activities, the need for extra classes is real and legitimate. Due to the disease of achievement, many weak students are still “created conditions” to move up to the next grade or transfer to another level. As a result, these students lose their foundation, cannot absorb and keep up with the knowledge they are learning in class, and feel bored with studying. In this case, parents really need their children to take extra classes to consolidate their knowledge.

In addition, the research team also recognized that a number of parents today also have very high expectations for their children, so they really want their children to take extra classes, especially in preparatory classes to get into good schools. In addition, many parents are civil servants or workers, with fixed working hours so they cannot pick up their children on time, they need teachers to take them home, teach them extra lessons, and even take care of their children's meals and drinks. Thus, if teachers teach with heart and students learn because of real needs, then extra teaching and learning is necessary and actually exists.

Faced with these real needs, teachers have to teach “underground”. This, according to many teachers, seriously damages the image of teachers in the eyes of students and society.

Questions that need answers

During the survey, the research team received concerns from teachers such as: why are other professions allowed to do extra work legally but not teaching, why are school teachers not allowed to teach extra work but freelance teachers can open classes? The research team believes that these are questions that need to be answered. Therefore, more than 63% of teachers expressed their desire to legalize extra teaching, including tutoring at home and online tutoring to increase their income from their own abilities. At the same time, maintaining the noble image of the teaching profession in the eyes of students and society is better than doing side jobs that are less related to the profession.

In the study, the group of authors believes that instead of strictly prohibiting extra teaching and learning, we need to build a clear legal corridor, a transparent and public mechanism for extra teaching so that school leaders, parents and the community can participate in monitoring. At the same time, it must be placed in the context of digital transformation of the education sector and on an online management platform with national unity. In addition, we should focus on solutions from many stakeholders to improve the quality of teaching and reduce unnecessary extra teaching and learning instead of focusing on prohibition.

Sharing more about this issue, Associate Professor Dr. Do Phu Tran Tinh, Director of the Institute for Policy Development, Ho Chi Minh City National University, said that the research team wanted to survey more opinions of parents in different local groups to have a more multi-dimensional view on the issue of extra teaching and learning.