School students are no longer forced by their teachers to attend their private classes and it has become “voluntary,” a senior Ho Chi Minh City education official said, explaining the process is closely monitored now.

School teachers complain they cannot live on meager salaries. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Tran Thi Kim Thanh, deputy director of the Department of Education and Training, told delegates from the National Assembly’s Committee on Culture, Education, Youth, and Children at a recent meeting that teachers who organize such classes have to report about the fees they get, number of students, and learning conditions to their schools.

The practice came under fire a few years ago after school teachers, to earn some extra income, reportedly forced their students with threats of poor scores.

Thanh said students mostly go willingly these days.

However, a member of the delegation admitted it is impossible to ban private tutoring since teachers are not paid good enough salaries.

A teacher in the southern metro earns VND3.8 million-4.5 million on average, according to the Department of Finance.

Teachers complain this is not enough to live on despite increased allowances, Hua Ngoc Thuan, deputy chairman of the HCMC people’s committee, said.