Nearly 80% of Nghe An students have returned to school.

Ensuring safety when returning to school

On the morning of September 21, more than 45,000 students at 67 primary and secondary schools in 33/37 districts, cities and towns in Dien Chau district returned to school. In particular, students in 4 communes are practicing social distancing according to theDirective No.16including Dien Nguyen, Dien Hong, Dien Yen and Dien Doai continue to study online.

To ensure the safety of students, from early morning, at schools that allowed students to return to school, staff and teachers were present early to take their temperature and remind students to comply with the 5K measures, wear masks, and disinfect their hands before entering the gate.

Dien Thinh Primary School (Dien Chau) checks students' temperature when they return to school. Photo: Mai Giang

In the previous days, the school's Board of Directors coordinated with parents to supplement medical equipment and supplies to ensure safety in Covid-19 prevention and control at school, such as hand washing systems, soap, and hand sanitizer.

Lighting systems, fans, water supply and drainage, toilets... are also checked and reviewed to ensure safety and best condition to be ready to welcome students back to school.

Because the epidemic still has many potential risks, Dien Chau district will currently implement teaching and learning according to two options and implement block and session spacing for primary school. In which, students will only study 1 session/day and divide grades 1, 2 and 5 into morning classes and grades 3, 4 into afternoon classes. At the same time, they will maintain one online session per week to improve online teaching and learning skills, ready to convert direct teaching to online when required. Secondary school students will study normally.

Installing water taps will help students wash their hands regularly when they come to school. Photo: Mai Giang.

Currently, Dien Chau district has 8 primary schools implementing this program.boardingfor students. Mr. Pham Nam Trung - Deputy Head of the District Education and Training Department said: We have directed primary schools that organize boarding to grasp the wishes of students. If conditions are favorable, from next week we will allow schools to implement allowing students to stay at school.

Earlier this week, in addition to Dien Chau, students in Yen Thanh district, Cua Lo town, Hung Nguyen… returned to school as usual. In Nghi Loc district, students will return to school tomorrow.

On the first day back to school, many schools in Cua Lo town gave Mid-Autumn gifts to many students in difficult circumstances. Photo: PV.

Although students have returned to school, at this time, the organization of teaching and learning is still being considered. For example, in Cua Lo town, through discussion, Mr. Phung Duc Nhan - Head of the Department of Education and Training of Cua Lo town said: After many months of having to stay at home, we are now very happy because students across the town have returned to school. However, in the current context, the industry has not yet advocated semi-boarding, schools still divide into two sessions, morning and afternoon, to distance students. To ensure safety, schools also have strict regulations to ensure epidemic prevention and control such as measuring body temperature and checking health before entering class. Students are required to bring their own water bottles and wear masks regularly when coming to school. Parents are not allowed to gather in large numbers in front of the school gate.

In addition to studying directly at school, schools also organize 1 to 2 online teaching sessions each week to supplement students.

No rush to organize face-to-face teaching

Yesterday (September 20), some schools in Quynh Luu district allowed students to return to school after communes inspected safety at the schools. However, this morning, school attendance was suspended again because at some schools, there were too many parents gathering in front of the school gates and Quynh Luu district requested the education sector to review all conditions for organizing teaching and learning even though the area has switched to Directive 19. At present, the district's viewpoint is that safety must be the top priority.

Kim Lien Secondary School (Nam Dan) conducts disinfection spraying to prepare to welcome students back to school. Photo: PV

Nam Dan District is also implementing Directive 19, but so far, the district has not organized direct teaching. Mr. Le Trung Son - Head of the District's Department of Education and Training said: This morning, the People's Committee of Nam Dan District met with communes and towns in the area to deploy tasks to prepare for direct teaching and listen to comments from the grassroots. Currently, the whole district has 18/19 communes that have switched to Directive 19 and if according to regulations, these communes can implement direct teaching. However, to ensure the safety of students when going to school, the district requires the authorities of communes and towns to direct schools to clean school facilities: disinfect, sterilize, clean, and wash classrooms. Strictly implement 5K when going to school, ensure going to school but must be safe.

Hoang Mai Town has also prepared conditions for students to return to school after the town switched to Directive 19. However, currently, students in the town are still studying online due to the lack of approval from the town government. It is expected that after the town's Department of Education and Training presents the teaching plan, the District Steering Committee will meet and review the conditions of each school before coming up with a final plan.

Students of Keng Du Secondary School for Ethnic Minorities (Ky Son) have returned to school and are staying in boarding houses. Photo: PV

Hung Nguyen district also organizes in-person teaching, but schools close to Vinh city such as Thai Lao and Le Hong Phong high schools have not resumed teaching yet because many teachers and students are still in areas covered by Directive 15.

In Vinh city, it is expected that this afternoon the city will also hold a meeting to discuss plans for teaching and learning to respond to the Covid-19 epidemic. However, in the current context, although students can return to school, Vinh and other localities still advocate implementing both online and in-person options in parallel and taking advantage of the "golden time" to supplement knowledge for students.

In addition, the organization of teaching and learning according to any plan must have the consensus and consent of the Steering Committee for epidemic prevention and control of districts, cities and towns when all necessary conditions for epidemic prevention and control have been ensured.

According to the Department of Education and Training, currently, in addition to Vinh city, Que Phong is implementing online teaching because the locality is still implementing Directives 15 and 16. The remaining localities that have just been transferred to Directive 19 are Nam Dan, Quynh Luu, and Hoang Mai town, and are expected to return to in-person learning this week. Nghi Loc district alone will start school tomorrow morning. The rate of students attending school has reached nearly 80%.