Teaching 2 sessions/day: Both happy and worried

There should be appropriate mechanisms and policies for teachers who teach two sessions a day, especially teachers of music, fine arts, physical education, foreign languages, and information technology.

According to the guidelines for organizing 2 sessions/day of teaching just announced by the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET), primary schools will teach 2 sessions/day, each day no more than 7 periods, each period 35 minutes; minimum 9 sessions/week (equivalent to 32 periods/week).

The biggest concern is the lack of classrooms and teachers.

The Ministry of Education and Training emphasized that teaching 2 sessions/day is clearly divided between session 1 and session 2 to ensure scientific , flexible and comprehensive development of students.

In which, session 1 implements the official general education program, including compulsory subjects and educational activities (for general education levels), elective subjects, selected subjects, advanced topics (for high school level) according to regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training.

This is a compulsory teaching content to ensure the requirements of the General Education Program. Session 2 is the time to organize supplementary educational activities, develop capacity, foster excellent students, tutor students who have not met the requirements..., life skills education, financial education, art education, physical education, STEM/STEAM, career guidance, artificial intelligence, foreign languages... in the direction of comprehensive development suitable for students' psychology at each level of education.

The organization of sessions 1 and 2 can be flexible in terms of time, balanced in terms of duration (not fixed in the morning as session 1 and afternoon as session 2), suitable to the conditions of each school. Encourage educational institutions to diversify teaching methods and organize educational activities to improve the quality of comprehensive education for students.

To organize teaching 2 sessions/day, the Ministry of Education and Training has requested localities to calculate many synchronous solutions to overcome the shortage of teachers such as signing teaching contracts, implementing mobilization, secondment, transfer, and inter-school teaching arrangements; not allowing the arrangement and reorganization of the apparatus to interrupt or cause a shortage of teachers, affecting the quality of education.

At the same time, build a mechanism to mobilize highly qualified human resources, including artisans, artists, professional athletes, and foreign volunteers to participate in organizing educational activities in schools, especially in the fields of culture, arts, sports, and life skills.

In fact, the rate of primary school students studying two sessions per day in Hanoi is nearly 100%, but at the secondary school level this rate is low and varies between communes and wards.

A principal of a junior high school in Cau Giay Ward, Hanoi, assessed that the biggest difficulty for junior high schools when implementing 2-session teaching/day is the lack of classrooms, the lack of teachers for some subjects to meet the ratio of 2-session teaching/day, and finally financial difficulties. When implementing 2-session teaching/day without charging fees, schools will have to calculate money from the State budget to pay teachers.

In fact, teachers have taught enough regular classes, if they teach extra classes in the afternoon, they cannot avoid paying wages. Using the State budget to pay for this will mean that the money for additional income at the end of the year will be reduced... Not to mention inviting experts, artisans, artists, athletes... how will the payment be made, where will the funding come from?

From a parent's perspective, Mr. Nguyen Van Dung - Yen Hoa ward, Hanoi - believes that teaching 2 sessions brings many benefits if the 2nd session is really light and flexible, helping students develop more skills and interests. If the organization is not good, there is a lack of teachers and facilities, it can easily become a burden for both teachers and students.

Extracurricular activities of students at a high school in Hanoi Photo: Lan Anh

Contribute to quality improvement

The leaders of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training said that teaching two sessions a day has contributed to improving the quality of education, developing according to qualities and abilities based on a diverse educational environment, helping students develop their common and individual abilities.

The 2-session/day school program helps children have a healthy environment to develop, parents feel secure, and have more time for students to work in groups, participate in collective activities, experience and develop their personal abilities. Students have more opportunities to participate in educational activities, practice life skills, and develop personal abilities.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Truc, Principal of Duong Van Thi High School (HCMC), informed that since its establishment, the school has organized 2 sessions/day. At the beginning of the school year, the school asked parents for their opinions on organizing 2 sessions/day and most parents agreed.

According to Ms. Truc, the Ministry of Education and Training and the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City need to clearly and specifically define the second session program and make it public for parents to know. The second session program mainly guides students on test-taking skills, learns deeply about the subject, and does not teach 50% of the cultural lessons. To do so, depending on each subject, the subject groups will develop specific plans for implementation.

"In the main curriculum, students learn subject knowledge according to the curriculum, and in the second session, they practice skills to dig deeper, explore more surrounding knowledge, or participate in activities that integrate cultural knowledge into reality," Ms. Truc analyzed.

Mr. Ngo Van Loc, Principal of Nguyen Huu Tho Secondary School (formerly District 7), said that when implementing 2 sessions/day, arranging the timetable is one of the biggest concerns during implementation. The school will arrange so that students who do not attend the 2nd session can still have suitable activities, such as reading, ensuring that it is suitable for parents' pick-up and drop-off times. There will be no situation where any student who does not attend class has to leave in the middle.

Need appropriate treatment policy

Before the merger, according to data from the HCM City Department of Education and Training, there were still some districts with many secondary schools with higher student numbers than the regulations, so the rate of students studying 2 sessions/day was low; conditions for playgrounds, practice grounds, libraries... only met the prescribed standards, not creating conditions for improvement and quality of teaching and learning. The increase in the number of students each year led to the requirement to increase classrooms, teachers, and staff, but it was difficult to increase the staff due to creating some difficulties at educational institutions.

The results of the target of 300 classrooms/10,000 school-age population (from 3 to 18 years old) are uneven among all levels of education. The implementation rate at primary and secondary schools is low, concentrated in some areas such as Thu Duc City (old), some old districts such as: 12, Go Vap, Tan Binh, Tan Phu, Binh Tan, Binh Chanh and Hoc Mon.

In addition, the physical conditions are still difficult, many places lack classrooms and functional rooms, and need more investment. The principal of an elementary school in District 3 (old) said that in reality, teachers still only like to teach one session per day. Even when the regulations on extra teaching and learning are strict, teachers still have other jobs with better income... From the above shortcomings, according to the Department of Education and Training of the City, there should be appropriate mechanisms and policies for teachers who teach two sessions per day, especially teachers of music, fine arts, physical education, foreign languages, and information technology.

Sharing the same view, the principal of a secondary school said that the material conditions in schools in Hanoi are still difficult and uneven. Many schools still lack classrooms and teachers, especially teachers of music, fine arts, physical education, foreign languages, and information technology. According to this person, to encourage teachers, the State needs to have appropriate mechanisms and policies for teachers who teach 2 sessions/day to implement the 2018 General Education Program, especially teachers of music, fine arts, physical education, foreign languages, and information technology.

High school level teaching according to the roadmap

According to the instructions, junior high and high school levels will implement teaching 2 sessions/day according to the roadmap, initially teaching 2 sessions/day in schools with adequate facilities and teaching staff.

Schools teach at least 5 days/week, maximum 11 sessions/week, each day no more than 7 periods, each period 45 minutes. Previously, teaching 2 sessions/day was implemented with a maximum of 7 periods/day for junior high school and 8 periods/day for high school, each week no more than 6 days.

Ensure the principle of revenue and expenditure compensation

According to the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City, every year at the beginning of the school year, the department organizes an inspection of the conditions for implementing the 2018 General Education Program in all localities in the area.

Professional clusters in the area all hold conferences to approve school plans at the beginning of the school year to ensure that school plans and two-session plans are developed in accordance with the guidelines and suitable to local conditions.

After the decision to allow teaching 2 sessions/day, high schools will proactively develop detailed teaching plans for subjects based on ensuring program content, knowledge and skill standards and teaching time while ensuring the school's facilities and teachers as well as not causing "overload" for students.

The collection and use of funds must ensure the principles of revenue and expenditure compensation and current financial management regulations. The school only uses funds from the 2-session/day teaching program to pay for teaching and educational activities in the school's 2-session/day plan.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/day-hoc-2-buoi-ngay-vua-mung-vua-lo-196250806213539046.htm