Nghe An 'isolated' to ensure safe teaching and learning in the context of the epidemic

Zone each classroom

Dien Chau 4 High School has just had a student related to a case that tested positive for the virus.Covid – 19in Dien Hai commune, districtDien Chau. The patient is the brother of a student in class 11A12, who recently returned from the South and is at high risk of contracting the disease. Upon receiving this information, Dien Chau 4 High School immediately decided to switch the entire class 11A12 from in-person to online teaching. Other classes still attend school as usual. The school also promptly notified parents of students related to this F1 case so that families can take measures to prevent the disease.

The decision to only let one class off instead of the whole school was considered by the Board of Directors of Dien Chau 4 High School. However, because the school had previously done a good job in preventing the epidemic, especially in zoning off “green zones” in each classroom, the option of isolating only one class was considered quite appropriate.

Students and teachers at Dien Chau 4 High School wear masks regularly in the classroom. Photo: MH

To do this, the school is divided in two, with one half attending in the morning and the other in the afternoon. Students in each grade will go through two separate gates and enter and leave school at two different times, so they hardly see each other. In the classroom, students and teachers are required to disinfect, wear masks regularly, and limit recess and contact with students from other classes. The school also regularly prepares medical masks for students and regularly promotes awareness of epidemic prevention.

Teacher Ho Truong Son - Principal of the school said: For high school students, having to switch to online teaching is an unavoidable thing. Therefore, to keep the school safe, we require all students to raise their awareness of epidemic prevention. Only then can we build a safe teaching and learning environment.

Today, more than 1,000 students of Quynh Luu 2 High School also returned to school after 2 weeks of switching to online teaching. Only students of class 11D3 - the class with a student who tested positive for Covid-19 - still maintained online teaching.

Schools are equipped with enough hand sanitizer. Photo: MH

This is the best solution at the moment when the school still has 58 F1 cases related to this case, including 47 students and 11 teachers. It is expected that teaching and learning will return to normal after two weeks when all of these cases have completed their 14-day quarantine and home monitoring period. Because it involves quite a few teachers who are in quarantine, even though teaching has resumed, some lessons of many other classes in the school will still have to be taught online. In addition, the school also assigned other teachers to teach extra lessons to support teachers who cannot come to school.

Previously, when hearing that class 11D3 had a case of Covid-19 infection, many teachers and students at Quynh Luu 2 High School fell into a state of anxiety. As the school principal, teacher Vu Ngoc Tuan added: At that time, what we were most concerned about was the spread in the classroom and school because this student had contact with many people. Therefore, the first solution was to let all students of class 11D3 stay home from school and then consider the whole school. However, now that the epidemic has been well controlled, students have returned to school to stabilize teaching and learning.

Establish “green zones” in each school

The new school year has started for nearly 2 months, but up to now, students in Vinh city have not been able to return to school and this is the only locality in the whole province that has maintained online teaching since the beginning of the school year until now. Over the past two weeks, Vinh city has repeatedly planned to organize students to return to school, but at least twice this plan has been postponed because of community transmission cases in the area. Online learning is the most optimal option at the present time, but if it continues, the learning of students in the whole city will certainly be affected.

Luc Da Kindergarten (Con Cuong) checks the health of students when they return to school. Photo: MH

Last week, kindergarten, primary and secondary school students in Thanh Chuong town were temporarily suspended from school and had to switch to online teaching when there was a positive case in the community. After a week, students returned to school at the beginning of this week, including kindergarten.

Discussing more about this, Mr. Tran Xuan Ha - Head of the District Department of Education and TrainingThanh Chuongsaid: As soon as there was a case, the Thanh Chuong District Steering Committee analyzed the source of infection and screened those in close contact. To initially ensure safety, the steering committee temporarily let students take a week off from school. Currently, all subjects have been isolated and basically close contacts have been quarantined, so we have allowed students to return to school to ensure learning. However, at this time, we will strengthen disease prevention measures to a higher level, such as F2 cases will temporarily not go to school. In schools, in addition to measuring body temperature and wearing masks, students will not be allowed to gather during recess outside the classroom, will not organize extracurricular activities, and will strictly implement "one route, two destinations".

Measuring body temperature for students at Ton Quang Phiet Secondary School (Thanh Chuong). Photo: MH

Establishing green zones in each school and isolating areas to contain the epidemic is also a solution being advocated by the education sector in the context that the epidemic may continue for a long time.

Mr. Nguyen Trong Hoan - Chief of Office of the Department of Education and Training said:Department of Education and TrainingThere is a scenario for teaching during the epidemic season and there are solutions and possible situations. The industry's viewpoint is that wherever there is an epidemic, it must be contained, minimizing the risk of spreading the disease, ensuring the safety of teachers and students. However, besides that, it is still necessary to do a good job of organizing teaching and learning, ensuring the rights of all students.