VietNamNet Bridge – Scientists say that excessive study could be the cause of high school students’ mental health problems.

The conclusion has been made by a group of scientists from Hue City Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Queensland Technology University and the Ministry of Education and Training after they conducted a survey of 1,600 high school students.

The scientists focused on the students’ daily workload and analyzed the relation between extra study and the symptoms of depression of students in Hanoi, Thua Thien-Hue province and Can Tho.

Professor Michael P. Dunne noted that extra private tutoring lessons and after-school lessons at learning centers is very popular in Asian countries.

He noted that many Vietnamese parents send their children to extra classes when they are  “kindergarten students”, noting that a “private tutoring industry” has taken shape in Vietnam.

Ninety-four Vietnamese students said they currently have extra classes, a proportion higher than most other Southeast Asian countries.

He noted that students in urban areas whose parents have higher education take extra study hours.

The researchers, after analyzing the students’ GPAs in math, literature and foreign languages, found that extra learning plays an important role in helping students improve their achievements.

However, the number of extra learning hours is not directly proportional to achievement levels.

If the students who have two hours of extra classes per day take more than two hours of extra lessons, the achievements would be still the same.

While analyzing the relation between the learning time and mental health, the researchers found that the students with 2-3 extra learning hours have the best health.

Those who do not have extra classes or have more than three hours of extra learning were in worse health. The students showed signs of depression and worried about their future.

The professor noted that students with the worst mental health conditions were those who have both lessons at learning centers and with private tutors.

Many students follow all three forms of after-school supplementary learning – doing lessons at home themselves, going to extra classes and learning with private tutors. Of the three forms, doing lessons at home on their own is the most effective learning method for students.

The professor noted that the students who rely on extra classes and private tutoring cannot improve their GPAs, and they have poorer mental health.

Tien Phong