The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) has decided that the opening day of the 2020-2021 new academic year is September 5 and requested schools not to organize teaching before that day.

Schools can gather students to prepare for the opening day, but only from September 1.

The news that schools cannot begin teaching has raised concerns among private schools.

Private schools have been hit hard by Covid-19. Many of them are on the verge of bankruptcy. And their situation would be even worse if they cannot receive students during three summer months.

“Private schools are now in distress because of Covid-19. And the decision on a 3-month summer holiday will deal another blow on them,” Nguyen Xuan Khang said, asking MOET to allow private schools to call students back to school four weeks earlier than state-owned schools.

Agreeing with Khang, Nguyen Van Hoa, chair of the board of management of the Nguyen Binh Khiem Education System, said ‘a big threat is hanging over private schools’.

The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) has decided that the opening day of the 2020-2021 new academic year is September 5 and requested schools not to organize teaching before that day.

“I myself have to use every minute I have to learn and work. Why do the students at the ages of 15-18 need a 3-month summer holiday?” he said.

According to Nguyen Thi Hien, chair of the board of management of Doan Thi Diem School, if private schools only provide the curriculum designed by MOET, they won’t be able to attract students.

“We design special curriculums of our own and we need more time to implement our programs,” she explained.

Private schools need to begin new academic year sooner than state-owned schools, so they have time to implement their plans and organize international cooperation education programs.

Representatives of some schools in Hanoi have signed a petition to MOET, asking the ministry to make reasonable adjustments on the time for summer holiday for private school students.

Parents also think that it would better to let their children go back to school in August instead of September.

Tuyet Mai, a parent in Hanoi, who has three children going to private school, said as parents are busy at work, it would be better to send their children to school. She would feel more secure if her children stayed at school with teachers.

Linh Ha 

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