VietNamNet Bridge - Students from the first to the fifth grades of some primary schools in HCMC have a new extracurricular subject – Scientific Experiments for Fun. The new learning subject has raised controversy.

Nearly 2,600 students of Luong Dinh Cua Primary School in district 3 are enrolled Scientific Experiment for Fun for the 2016-2017 academic year. All students of the school can carry out experiments with test tubes and chemical materials such as seasoning powder, fish sauce, salt or vinegar.

Trang, whose daughter is a fourth grader of Luong Dinh Cua, said her daughter was happy with the new learning subject. 

Students from the first to the fifth grades of some primary schools in HCMC have a new extracurricular subject – Scientific Experiments for Fun. The new learning subject has raised controversy.

“She talks a lot about the lessons and asks me to buy materials to carry out experiments,” Trang said. “She asked me to buy violet cartridges and some other materials to make violet ink for fountain pens in accordance with the formula given by the teacher."

“Children always like experiments because they can do things with their hands,” she commented. 

Also according to Trang, the experiments are given very strange names such as ‘gang tay ma quai’ (ghostly gloves), or “dia nguc noi loan’ (the hell in rebellion). However, her daughter likes these names because they stimulate children’s curiosity and eagerness for discovery.

In fact, these experiments just serve lessons about baking soda, which is familiar to people in daily life.

Funex – Fun Experiment - is a Japanese educational program designed for the students from the first to fifth grades. As for first graders, the program aims to familiarize students with the feeling of fun and encourages them to ‘do the experiments once again, at home’. 

First graders mostly learn about simple things and the phenomena they can see around them such as soap bubbles, the power of the air, salt and sugar.

Meanwhile, second graders are not only asked to predict the result of the experiments, but also to analyze the results after the experiments.

The main topic for third graders will be ‘scientific phenomena around you’ with the lessons about power, fire, microscope, volcano and earthquakes.

However, while many parents welcome the teaching program, others feel worried that students are carrying out experiments too soon. 

“Is it reasonable to ask fourth graders to get familiar with chemical formula?” a student questioned.

Meanwhile, another parent said it is a financial burden on her as she has to pay VND230,000 a month for the subject. Besides, she also has to spend money on materials and tools for experiments.

There are two schools in HCMC that run the program, Luong Dinh Cua and Vo Truong Toan in district 10.

Mai Thanh