Deputy Minister of Education and Training Bui Van Ga has stressed that his ministry has not yet licenced any class providing training courses which allegedly help stimulate children's brains so that they can become more intelligent.

According to Ga, the Ministry of Education and Training has received information about such a brain-stimulation class in HCM City. "Any method of education must be carefully studied and licenced by management agencies to avoid any negative impacts on the development of children," he said.

At brain-stimulation class, learners are asked to touch things and guess the colours of the things

The ministry has requested HCM City's education authorities to specifically report on the operation of the class, the official noted.

Many parents in Vietnam’s cities have taken their children to training courses to stimulate their children’s brains, in the hope they could become prodigies or geniuses in the future.

The centres which organise these classes said that there are always parts in human brains that may never be used in their lives, so, the training can help balance two cerebral hemispheres, improving children's memory, their ability to concentrate and boost confidence.

At the class, learners are asked to touch things and guess the colours of the things or they can read news just by touching the newspapers.

Speaking to DTiNews, some education experts expressed their doubts over such teaching claims and the effect they can have.

A lecturer from Hanoi National University of Education said there was scant evidence that these sorts of courses had any effect at all.

According to Dr. Tran Thanh Nam from the Vietnam National University, Hanoi, this kind of education method has not yet been applied in countries which have developed education systems such as the UK, the US and Singapore. He has also not yet found any documents which prove any good influences on children's brains.

Meanwhile, the method could actually have serious consequences on children, Dr. Nam warned.