Parents across Vietnam are clashing over new school timetables, with many expressing frustration about Saturday classes and inconsistent dismissal times.
Just 10 days into the new school year, many parents are expressing frustration over unreasonable schedules that leave their children exhausted and disrupt family life, casting doubt on the education sector’s goal of reducing academic pressure.
According to a new regulation by the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET), schools are limited to a maximum of seven lessons per day. This move aims to improve the quality of official class time, curb excessive supplementary tutoring, and promote well-rounded student development.
However, as the school year begins, many parents are upset that students are being dismissed as early as 3:20 PM on weekdays but still required to attend school on Saturdays. In Ho Chi Minh City, after widespread parental complaints, the Department of Education and Training quickly adjusted the policy: schools must now ensure students stay until at least 4:00 PM and no later than 5:00 PM. Saturday classes have been suspended, and schools are allowed to flexibly arrange timetables, even exceeding the seven-lesson limit if necessary. Meanwhile, MOET has yet to make an official statement, and the Hanoi education department has not announced any adjustments.
Following extensive coverage on disrupted schedules, VietNamNet received hundreds of polarized comments concerning academic pressure, students’ rest time, logistical burdens for families, and school autonomy.
Parents worry their children lose weekends entirely
Parents wait to pick up their children outside a secondary school in Hanoi. Photo: Hoang Linh
Many parents voiced concerns that Saturday classes deprive their children of meaningful rest days.
Reader Oanh Tran shared: “Weekends should be for rest, but instead, children still have to go to school. Cut back on extracurricular programs like STEM or life skills and focus on core subjects to reduce overload.”
Another parent, Hai Anh, compared the current system to her school days: “We only had half-day classes in elementary and high school, with the other half for self-study or optional tutoring. Now kids are in school full-time and still go in on Saturdays, while private schools give them the day off. Do we want quality education or just ticking off a checklist of hours?”
Many families also reported increased financial strain and scheduling difficulties. One reader commented: “My child’s school added full-day Saturday classes, which raised transport costs by an additional $12 per month. Saturdays were our only chance to rest, and now we're rushing to school again. It’s not just costly, but also hard to plan anything for the weekend.”
Teachers, too, have expressed their desire for full weekends off. Ms. Anh Trang, a teacher in Hanoi, said: “I don’t finish until the fifth lesson on Saturday morning, and sometimes I have meetings in the afternoon. I can’t even visit my hometown for the weekend. Saturday is exhausting. We need clear guidelines so both students and teachers can rest.”
Many readers highlighted the importance of weekends for family bonding and extracurricular development. “Family is the cornerstone of society. Kids need Saturdays free to help at home, learn to swim, play sports, and build life skills,” one commenter wrote.
Nguyen Khang asked: “Adults get Saturdays off, so why do we make kids go to school? Sometimes we want to visit relatives or let our kids go on field trips, but we have to cancel because they have class.”
These concerns reflect not just the academic load but also the disruption to family life and daily routines.
Some parents believe the reason behind Saturday classes lies in how supplementary subjects are integrated into the core timetable. Long Tran shared: “I checked my child’s schedule and saw that partnered programs like English and STEM were inserted into the main timetable. If parents don’t sign up, the kids are forced to wait outside - it makes no sense.”
Mixed reactions and calls for change
Many parents ask: If adults get Saturdays off, why do children have to go to school?
Amid the backlash, some readers argue that families need to be more flexible and help their children adapt since “no schedule can please everyone.”
Reader Hong Ha wrote: “If students have just one morning of classes, parents ask who will watch them in the afternoon. If there are full-day classes, parents say it’s too much. If school ends at 3:30 PM, they complain about pickup. If school ends at 5:00 PM, it’s too tiring. They want more life skills but also fewer classes. They object to Saturday school but also to seven lessons per day. What’s the solution?”
Another commenter offered a comparison: “My niece in Australia finishes school around 2:30-3:30 PM, and aftercare is expensive - but we accept it. A school isn’t a marketplace where parents dictate everything.”
Parent Nhu Tran from Ho Chi Minh City emphasized building independence: “If children finish early, teach them to take the bus or ride a bike. That reduces traffic from school pickups and eases pressure on parents.”
Suggestions from readers
Reader Minh Thi proposed that MOET issue clear guidelines preventing supplemental subjects from being merged into core class hours, allowing parents to decide whether to pick up their children or let them leave early. Ben Nguyen recommended reducing the curriculum and integrating life skills and health subjects - such as martial arts, art, and music - into regular class time.
Many readers supported cutting the curriculum or reorganizing weekly schedules to eliminate Saturday school. Van Khoa emphasized: “MOET should mandate that Saturdays and Sundays are rest days, just like summer break, and adjust the curriculum accordingly.”
Another parent, Pham Minh, suggested: “With 29 core lessons per week, five morning and three afternoon sessions are enough. The remaining two afternoons can be for free tutoring for advanced or struggling students.”
Other proposals included keeping school libraries and activity rooms open after hours so students can wait for working parents, or starting school later in the morning instead of ending early, helping reduce traffic and ease commuting challenges.
These wide-ranging discussions underscore that changes to dismissal times and Saturday classes affect more than just academic schedules - they impact household logistics, expenses, and family time. While a perfect solution may be elusive, most commenters agree on the need for clear, consistent, and student-centered guidelines that balance learning quality with rest and wellbeing.
Vietnamnet.vn
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