Children can't finish homework all Tet, many parents are haunted

This Lunar New Year, Ha Anh - the youngest daughter in grade 5 of Ms. Bui Thi Thu Thao (41 years old, Nam Dinh) had 11 consecutive days off. Before the holiday, Ms. Thu's daughter received 10 pages of Vietnamese homework, 3 math problems and 2 English problems (not to mention some small requirements from history and geography) from the teacher, along with a reminder to submit her homework at the first class of the new year.

This is not the first year that Ha Anh has received a “lucky money” for homework for Tet. Looking at the amount of homework her daughter was given, Ms. Thao could not help but feel discouraged. The parent calculated that to finish all that homework, her daughter would need at least 4-5 days, taking up nearly 2/3 of her Tet holiday.

Ms. Thao was upset, even adults do not want to be assigned work during the holidays, so why should children be required to do homework just because they are afraid that they will forget their knowledge? "Think about it, parents are busy preparing for Tet, busy visiting relatives, but still let their children worry about homework, is that right or not?" Ms. Thao said.

According to the female parent, Tet is an opportunity for students to connect with their families, so there is no need to assign any form of homework. "Let children enjoy Tet to the fullest, just like when adults take leave, they also need to disconnect from work. Assigning homework for Tet to students is no different than making parents not take Tet holiday because they have to take care of their children," Ms. Thao expressed.

Sharing the same opinion, Ms. Nham Thuy Ha (43 years old, Hanoi) thinks that it is unfair for adults to celebrate Tet while their children have to struggle with piles of homework.

"Not many students are happy when they receive a pile of Tet homework and are afraid of being scolded and compared to their friends, they are forced to complete it," said Ms. Ha, adding that in many cases, when the family goes back to their hometown or goes on vacation, the children still have to bring their homework and sit in a corner to do it, making the whole family unhappy.

With only a few days off for Tet, students still cannot forget their knowledge. Tet holiday is a time for children to experience and learn about traditional customs. Therefore, the female parent hopes that the school and teachers will create conditions for students to have a real Tet holiday.

Besides the objections, many parents still believe that if they do not assign homework, after Tet, their children will "return what they have learned to their teacher". "The children's Tet holiday usually lasts from one to two weeks. Having homework helps them focus on studying instead of being absorbed in social networks or playing games", said Ms. Phan Thi Ngoc (34 years old, Hanoi), a parent with two children in primary school.

According to the female parent, if there is a lot of homework, instead of sitting there complaining, parents can help their children plan their homework, how much time they will spend each day, and how many questions they will answer. That is a way to help children practice discipline and be more responsible in their studies.

Ms. Ngoc hopes that during each holiday, teachers will assign homework so that students can further improve their knowledge, especially for senior students because they are in the acceleration stage for the transfer exam.

Amidst many conflicting opinions, Ms. Nguyen Thao Linh, Co Loa High School (Hanoi) said that whether or not to assign homework to students during Tet is the initiative and flexibility of each teacher. She said that during Tet holiday, not assigning homework not only makes students and parents happy but also reduces pressure for teachers.

"I often tell students that if anyone needs to do homework or practice questions during Tet, they can send a private message and I will send it to them to do, not assign it to the whole class at the same time. After all, students' freedom to have fun during Tet is a legitimate need and should be supported," said Ms. Linh.

Teacher Bui Thi Nhan, Phuc Khanh Secondary School (Thai Binh), a female teacher often chooses to turn dry theoretical exercises into life skills experiences, bringing more excitement to students. Specifically, every year, before Tet holiday, Ms. Nhan gives students specific exercises such as: helping grandparents and parents, cleaning the house, participating in making banh chung, decorating the house for Tet...

"I usually don't give homework to students during this time, because this is the time for them to gather with their families and experience traditional culture. When they return to school, students are very excited, telling me and their friends about their experiences and what they did during the Tet holiday," said Ms. Nhan.

The female teacher advised that 1-2 days before returning to school, students should review their lessons and quickly regain their learning momentum because many students still want to play after Tet and have not yet caught up with their studies.