The content above is part of a circular amending certain articles of Circular 29 on tutoring and additional classes, announced by the Ministry of Education and Training on 8/4.

Specifically, the maximum duration for additional classes in schools remains hai periods per week per subject, applicable to ba groups of students: those who have not yet met academic standards, those preparing for gifted student exams, and those in their final year of a school level. However, schools are permitted to exceed this limit if students in these ba categories have a demand. In such cases, the director of the Department of Education and Training will consider the request, based on the principal's proposal.

A new point is that the Ministry requires tutoring centers to publicly and regularly update information on subjects, durations, locations, formats, student lists, and tuition fees. The phrase "regularly update" was not mentioned in the current regulations.

Teachers providing classes outside of school must also report similar information to the principal, including their relationship with the organizers of tutoring businesses.

Additionally, communes, wards, and schools must publicly display hotline phone numbers on their website or post them at their headquarters, to receive public feedback on non-compliant tutoring activities.

The amended circular takes effect from 15/5.

Students at Do Muoi High School, Hanoi, 2/2026. Photo: Hoang Giang

Circular 29, effective from mid-2/2025, stipulated that secondary and high schools could only provide additional classes to ba groups of students and that these classes must be free of charge. Teachers were prohibited from collecting fees for additional classes from their own students.

These regulations have sparked debate over the past one year. Many experts assessed that Circular 29 brought some positive outcomes, such as reducing widespread tutoring and alleviating parental apprehension about not enrolling their children in additional classes with school teachers.

However, many people objected, as parents faced costs increasing by 2-4 times compared to in-school tutoring, even for the same duration and class size.

In early March, at a voter outreach conference in Hanoi, Hoang Minh Son, acting Minister of Education, affirmed the Ministry's commitment to "combating unhealthy phenomena" in tutoring and additional classes. He stated that the Ministry would consider diverse perspectives. He and the Ministry will thoroughly research to both ensure students' right to learn and develop individual capabilities, while also fostering fairness and minimizing negative issues.

Thanh Hang