The extra-class habit

MinhAnh_mum: My son is in Grade 8 in Hanoi. He goes to extra classes five evenings a week, in maths, English and physics, and gets home at nine. Some nights he does homework until eleven. He's exhausted and he's stopped playing football. His grades are fine. I'd like to cut back, but I'm scared he'll fall behind his classmates, who all go. Has anyone here actually done it?

TeacherHuong: I teach maths at a secondary school, so here's the view from the other side. Since February 2025, teachers aren't allowed to give paid extra classes to students they already teach at school. That rule came in because some teachers were saving key material for their evening classes. If your son's school follows the rules, he shouldn't miss anything important in normal lessons.

Ba_Long: We did exactly what you're thinking of. Last year we dropped from five evenings to two. For the first month my daughter panicked, because her friends had already seen next month's lessons. By the end of the term, her marks were roughly the same and she'd started drawing again. She's also much less grumpy at breakfast. Honestly, it was the best decision we made all year.

QuocViet: I'll be the voice of caution here. My nephew stopped all his classes in Grade 9 and struggled with the entrance exam for high school. There's fierce competition for places at good public schools in this city. I'm not saying five nights is right, but don't drop everything at once. Keep the subject he finds hardest.

TeacherHuong: One more thing. Kids who study from morning to night rarely have time to be bored, and boredom is often when they come up with their own ideas. Many of my students get very good at spotting exam questions without learning to think for themselves. A patient tutor can make all the difference for a child who's really struggling, but that doesn't sound like your son.

MinhAnh_mum: Thank you, everyone. We've talked it over with him. He's keeping maths, dropping physics and doing English online on Saturday mornings. He asked if he could have Tuesday evenings for football, and I said yes. He looked happier than he had in months.