Having three children of school age, Hong Hoa in district 3 is happy with the city’s decision. 

Since the private tutoring at school was prohibited, Hoa had to enroll her children in extra classes run by private training centers. Hoa and her husband spent a lot of time to bring the children to the centers and pick them up after lessons.

Now, as private tutoring at school can be resumed, her children can go to lessons and attend extra classes.

“My son goes to a primary school. One of my daughters is a ninth grader, while the other is an 11th grader. They have to attend extra classes, or they would fail the exams,” she explained.

Hoang Minh in Tan Binh district also said he now ‘can sigh with relief’ with the latest decision by the municipal authorities.

The ban on private tutoring at schools in HCMC has been lifted by municipal authorities amid strong opposition to the ban from teachers and parents.

“My son is now in the 12th grade. Therefore, he must prepare intensively for the high-school finals. If he doesn’t receive private tutoring, he will surely fail the exams in the context of such stiff competition nowadays,” Minh said.

“I cannot arrange enough time to bring my son to training centers and see him off everyday. Therefore, I’d rather to send him to the extra classes at school,” he explained.

However, the city’s decision on lifting the ban on private tutoring at school has disappointed many parents. 

“The local authorities tried to make a revolution. But they have made a step back to allow private tutoring at school again,” a VietNamNet reader commented. “I don’t believe that parents want their children to go to private tutoring classes." 

HCM City authorities, when lifting the ban, emphasized that teachers can only give private lessons to their students on the voluntary basis. Teachers must not force their students to receive private tutoring under any form.

However, few believe that the principle of ‘voluntary basis’ will be respected.

“Teachers always said at parents’ meetings that going to extra classes at school is not compulsory. However, if your children do not attend the classes, they won’t become good students,” said Minh Hai, a parent in Thu Duc district, adding that teachers have their methods to ‘force students to go to extra classes on voluntary basis’.

Dinh La Thang, the HCM City Party Committee’s Secretary, made the decision that teachers at school must not give private tutoring to their students.

Le Van