City K-12 students wrestling with English at school

Ho Chi Minh City K-12 students have too much on their plate at the moment, as they have to deal with a heavy English language curriculum at school.

Kids at Ky Dong Elementary School in District 3 are currently participating in four different English programs, with classes meeting far more often than normal.

At another institution, Luong The Vinh High School in District 1, enrollees study English up to nine times more than the norm, which is two classes a week.

Some of the Luong The Vinh students are required to attend intensive English courses, and are taught math and science using the foreign language as the medium of instruction.

Many students are already set up for failure as parents compete to enroll their children in schools that offer international curricula.

“My kid complains that he always feels exhausted after school,” said H., the mother of a student at Nguyen Binh Khiem Elementary School in District 1, which offers English courses developed by a U.K. university.

Some parents have even hired tutors to teach their kids at home in a bid to save them from falling behind.

“Without private tutoring, my kid would likely be left behind,” said a parent whose child is enrolled at Le Ngoc Han Elementary School.