When asked about her family’s new timetable for summer days, Nguyen Thi Lan Anh, 37, in Tan Binh District, HCM City said she is still busy as usual.

“I have to bring my child to an extracurricular class, from Monday to Friday. The lesson there begins at 8 am. I have to pick him off at 4 pm,” she said.

Lan Anh is an office worker, while her son is a second grader. The boy only had one week for relaxing after the academic year finished before he began a new semester at an extracurricular class.

Lan Anh is satisfied about the class. “This is a good choice. He has the chance to learn life skills which curricular lessons do not teach. He can also play with friends. I do not have to take care for him all day,” she said.

The boy’s training course lasts one month, for which Lan Anh has to pay VND5 million.

“The new academic year begins in mid-August,” she said. “You know, children nowadays do not have much time to play, and academic years start sooner, in August instead of early September”.

Man Luan, an office worker in District 1, has also enrolled her two daughters in ADAM KHOO, an extracurricular center. 

The two girls, one a sixth grader and the other a third grader, practiced English in previous summers. However, their mother decided that they need to learn more this summer.

Luan said the eight-week training course for the two girls would cost her about VND25 million.

Life skill classes are the most frequent choice of urban parents. All of them are fully booked during the summer and parents are willing to spend big money on expensive courses.

The life skill training course that Nguyen Thi Quynh Huong in District 7 registered for her daughter, which only lasts three full days costs VND6 million.

Huong said the class provides 3-in-1 service, therefore, she does not think VND6 million is too expensive.

“The trainers not only take care of my child, but also teach her life skills and give useful knowledge, the thing that babysitters cannot do. She can also play in a safe environment,” she said.

Van Chung