The regulation of 35 students per elementary school class: Difficult to align with reality.
Article 16 of the Regulations issued with Circular 28/2020/TT-BGDĐT stipulates the following regarding classrooms, classroom organization, grade levels, and primary school locations: Students are organized into classes. Each class has "no more than 35 students" and is supervised by one homeroom teacher. However, in many localities of Nghe An province, this is very difficult to implement.
Overcrowding
The Hung Dong Primary School (Vinh City) prioritized allocating 12 new classrooms for first-grade students. Despite the new classrooms, new desks and chairs, and improved facilities, the initial school year was challenging in finding seating arrangements for the students.pupilIt's not easy.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Dieu Linh, homeroom teacher of class 1D at Hung Dong Primary School, said: "The class has 18 desks, divided into 3 rows, with an average of 2 students per desk. Currently, the class has 39 students, so some desks will have to accommodate 3 students. When the children are young, this arrangement might be acceptable. But when they reach grades 3 and 4, their bodies grow rapidly, and some even grow taller than 1.5 meters, making it very cramped. Not to mention, the whole class is doing it."boarding schoolAnd taking a lunch break right at the desk in class makes it difficult to ensure comfort.
Reportedly, Hung Dong Primary School is one of the schools with the largest number of students in Vinh City, with 1,530 students and 39 classes. On average, the school has 39 students per class, with some classes having more than 40 students, exceeding the regulations of 35 students per class for primary schools.
For urban schools, implementing the regulation of 35 students per class is highly impractical. Firstly, there wouldn't be enough classrooms to accommodate the additional classes. Secondly, there wouldn't be enough teachers. At our school, for three consecutive years, we had to implement a staggered class schedule due to a shortage of classrooms. This year, we've had 12 new classrooms built, but even that is barely enough. Furthermore, we are currently short 6 teachers. If we adhere strictly to the class size regulation, the number of classes would increase from 39 to 43, and we wouldn't have enough teachers for all the general subjects.
Ms. Tran Thi Thu Hang - Principal of Hung Dong Primary School - Vinh City
At Phuc Tho Primary School in Nghi Loc District, due to teacher and class sizes, this year the number of second-grade students transitioning to third grade will be reduced from 5 to 4 classes, averaging just over 43 students per class. Despite the large class size, the classrooms, built many years ago, are insufficient to accommodate all the necessary desks and chairs. Some desks are placed close to the edge of the blackboard (less than 1 meter away). Teaching under these conditions is not only difficult for teachers but also hinders students' learning and can negatively impact their eyesight.
Not only the 3rd grade, but all other grades at Phuc Tho Primary School exceed the regulations with an average of 39 students per class. Ms. Ngo Thuy Duong, the homeroom teacher of the 1st grade at this school, added: "The regulation is 35 students per class, but I've never been able to teach exactly that number; some years there were 5-6 more. Due to the overcrowding and insufficient classroom space, organizing teaching is very difficult, especially for students."New General Education ProgramThis requires flexibility in teaching, organizing various activities, games, or group activities.
According to the plan for the 2024-2025 school year, Phuc Tho Primary School will have 903 students in 24 classes, an increase of 1 class compared to the previous school year. Due to the increase in classes but the lack of expansion in facilities, the school has had to convert one functional classroom into a regular classroom. Next year, as the number of classes continues to increase, the school anticipates that it may need to convert another computer room or library room to provide enough classrooms for all students.
Primary schools today face significant pressure regarding class sizes, facilities, and teachers. Our school, despite having a large number of students, only has 1.2 teachers per class, requiring us to hire three additional teachers on contract. In the current context, the regulation of 35 students per class is difficult to implement in densely populated areas.
Teacher Dang Van Ha - Principal of Phuc Tho Primary School - Nghi Loc
Difficult to adapt to all regions.
At the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year, the Ministry of Education and Training sent a document to the relevant authorities.Department of Education and TrainingRegarding the implementation of primary education tasks for the 2024-2025 school year, it is required that primary schools ensure class sizes do not exceed 35 students per class.
In fact, this is not a new regulation and has been implemented in schools for many years. However, due to the specific characteristics of each locality, its implementation is difficult to standardize.
InVinh CityFor many years now, most classes in the area have exceeded the prescribed quotas. For example, this year the entire city has 7,384 students entering first grade in 204 classes. Thus, the average class size is over 36 students/class, and schools in central areas like Le Loi, Ha Huy Tap, Quang Trung, and Quan Bau will have higher class sizes than schools in suburban areas like Hung Hoa, Nghi Kim, and Nghi Lien. At Le Loi Primary School, for instance, this year there are 11 first-grade classes, but only one class has 39 students/class, while the rest have 40 students/class.
In Dien Chau district, due to its high annual birth rate and having one of the highest student populations in the province, class sizes often exceed regulations significantly.
At Dien Phuc Primary School, teacher Ngo Thi Loan shared: "In nearly 30 years of teaching, there have been many years when I had to be the homeroom teacher for classes with more than 35 students, including some years with over 41 students. If the class size is smaller, teachers will have more time to pay attention to, guide, and correct students, and also have the opportunity to take better care of them."
According to the Ministry of Education and Training, reducing the number of students per class is an important and sustainable solution to both improve the quality of teaching and learning and ensure the rights of each student. In localities, this also serves as a basis for approving plans and allocating teacher staffing for each school year.
A current problem in Nghe An is that while many localities have to combine classes and increase class sizes due to the large number of students, mountainous districts, due to the numerous scattered school locations, do not meet the prescribed class sizes. The fact that a single school may have multiple campuses and classes, but when reviewing plans or allocating teacher quotas, is based on a general 35 students per class is not in line with reality.
In our area, only schools in the town of Tam Quang have the required 35 students per class. However, throughout the district, the general ratio is 22 students per class, and in some places, even with only 5 or 7 students, we have to open separate classes and branch schools to ensure the rights of the students. Implementing the mechanical 35-student-per-class ratio forces us to consolidate many school branches, putting pressure on school facilities and causing difficulties for parents in commuting. The current problem is that Tuong Duong district does not lack primary school teachers; if the class size remains the same, there would still be enough teachers. However, in the 2024-2025 school year, due to mergers, while 32 classes were reduced, the entire district now has a surplus of 25 primary school teachers. This forces the district to reorganize the teaching staff in schools, transferring teachers from areas with a large surplus to areas with a smaller surplus, which will cause some disruption.
Mr. Thai Luong Thien - Head of the Education and Training Department of Tuong Duong District
Given the unique regional characteristics, the regulation of 35 students per class was expected to reduce pressure on schools and avoid wasting facilities and teachers. However, this regulation, when implemented, has revealed many shortcomings and inconsistencies that are not suitable for practical situations or for many areas. This also makes it difficult for schools and localities to develop plans, arrange staff, and implement regulations, leading some to believe that it "only has theoretical value."
