Students at a high school in Ho Chi Minh City.
The adjustment, effective from the 2025–2026 school year, follows a new regulation from the Ministry of Education and Training that limits daily lessons to a maximum of seven periods, instead of eight. Schools said the later start is designed to ensure students still finish at around 4pm, allowing for convenient pick-up times.
Nguyen Huu Tho High School will begin morning classes at 7.30am, 30 minutes later than last year, with afternoon classes at 1.30pm instead of 1.15pm. “Students will still be dismissed at 4pm,” principal Do Dinh Dao said.
Thanh Da High School is also reviewing changes and is likely to set start times at 7.30am and 1.30pm, about 15 minutes later than before, to ensure dismissal remains at 4pm after seven periods.
At Vo Truong Toan and Nguyen Du secondary schools, students have been notified that classes will begin at 7.30am in the morning and 1.30pm in the afternoon, compared with 7.15am and 1pm last year. Dismissal will be between 4.20pm and 4.35pm, nearly the same as before.
Schools said the adjustment aligns with the ministry’s new requirement for two daily sessions. Around 93 per cent of secondary and high schools in Ho Chi Minh City have already adopted the two-session model.
“If we kept last year’s schedule with only seven periods of 45 minutes each, students would finish at around 3.15pm, making pick-up inconvenient. Adjusting start times allows dismissal to remain between 4.25pm and 4.35pm,” said Tran Thuy An, principal of Vo Truong Toan Secondary School.
Dao added that the later start will give students more time for commuting and breakfast while still allowing parents to pick them up conveniently. After 4pm, students may stay at school to play sports or read while waiting for their parents.
