Nguyen Van Khoi from Nam Dinh Province said, "Both of my children are staying home as the school-year ended two weeks earlier than previous years. I registered for an online English class and a life-skill course for my children. The courses last for 60 days and cost VND2.3m. The kids will take a 60-minute class three to four days a week."

Hong Phuong from Hanoi said her kid will be in fifth grade, the final grade in primary school, so she wants her kid to be prepared for the exams for secondary school.

"I registered maths, literature, and English classes for him so he will learn everything early and have more time to revise," she said. "Online courses are the best option during the ongoing pandemic."

However, parents are also warned about online scams. Hong Phuong said she had to research carefully before choosing a course for her children. Another parent, Ngoc Oanh, said she also searched for online extra classes for her children last year. The centre advertised that there would be a free computer class besides the usual English classes.

"After making the payment, I realised that the fee already included the computer class. My kids also said the classes were very boring," she said.

Tran Thuy Duong, a teacher from Hai Phong City, said, "Since outdoors and entertainment activities are curbed because of the pandemic, the children mostly stay home with the TVs and computers. That's also one of the reasons why more and more parents register their children on online extra classes. Many people have become more familiar with online classes in the past year. Parents can save time they’d have spent on traveling too."

However, Duong went onto say that the effectiveness of online classes depends on the children's self-discipline. Since it's summertime, many children will not want to study. Parents should make clear what they want from online classes to choose the best option.

"A large number of online classes have appeared now and many of them lack teachers with experience and skills. Art and English classes are the most suitable options," Duong said.

Source: dtinews

Second consecutive academic year affected by Covid-19 pandemic

Entering the second year of the pandemic, teachers and students across Vietnam are prepared to switch to online learning if necessary.