However, director of Secondary Education Department Nguyen Xuan Thanh affirmed that Circular 29 covers both public and private schools. Like public schools, private schools have to build their education plans and follow the same curricula set by MOET.

“If private schools organize two teaching sessions a day (morning and afternoon), and if they teach curricular subjects in the afternoon, this will be listed as ‘extra classes’. Meanwhile, if they organize two teaching sessions a day, but reserve the afternoon for extracurricular activities, such as group activities, clubs and community activities, they should be encouraged,” Thanh said.

As such, if students learn curricular subjects both in the morning and afternoon, this will be counted as extra teaching.

Circular 29 also clearly states that the people involved are "private tutors, extra learners; organizations and individuals organizing extra teaching and learning and related organizations and individuals", not just public school teachers.

Thus, private school teachers must also comply with the provisions of Circular 29. They cannot offer extra teaching to primary school students (except for training in the arts, physical education, life skills, etc) and cannot offer off-campus extra teaching to their school's students for money. 

However, private school teachers have the right to register for business, participate in management and operation of extra classes outside school. Public school teachers can only offer extra teaching at knowledge-refreshing centers but cannot register extra teaching as a business.

Circular 29 also emphasized that private schools cannot organize extra classes for primary education students or private teaching in their schools for money.

Private school teachers are not allowed to give private tutoring to students, except for those belonging to three following groups: weak students with bad learning records;  students chosen for teams to attend competitions for excellent students; and students preparing for school finals who voluntarily attend exam review preparation classes.

The organization of extra teaching and learning must satisfy many requirements. First, extra teaching hours must not be interspersed with curricular timetables. Second, teachers must not teach curricular lessons in advance at private tutoring classes. Third, no more than two private teaching periods a week are allowed.

MOET said the ministry on February 21 organized an inspection delegation in charge of examining and supervising the implementation of Circular 29, from February 20 to March 20.

MOET has advised the Prime Minister to release a telegram on strengthening the direction of secondary and high school enrollment and the management of extra teaching and learning activities. 

Thanh Hung