On March 9, nearly 185,000 secondary school students in Nghe An returned to school.

To welcome students back to school, schools are urgently cleaning, disinfecting, and preparing conditions to best ensure school safety and hygiene.

In Con Cuong district, although the conditions are still difficult, according to the Department of Education and Training, 50% of schools have carried out the second spraying of pesticides. Previously, the Department of Education and Training also issued an official dispatch requesting schools to focus on mobilizing resources to urgently install additional hand washing systems with soap, arrange enough clean water systems for hand washing with soap (at least 30 students/tap for middle and high school students and 10 children/tap for preschool children). At the same time, each classroom must be equipped with at least 1 dry hand sanitizer bottle and must be completed before March 9, 2020.

Class time of students at Chau Phong Secondary School for Ethnic Minorities (Quy Chau). Illustrative photo by My Ha.

In Tuong Duong district, in recent days, school sanitation work has been carried out very vigorously and urgently, so school hygiene and safety are quite assured. However, the department leaders also reminded schools, especially in 12 secondary schools for ethnic minorities and secondary schools for ethnic minorities, which have more than 2,000 students living in dormitories, to pay attention to the eating, living, activities and travel of students after gathering at school. It is expected that from tomorrow (March 7), schools will begin to welcome students back to dormitories and some schools will measure their body temperature.

Mr. Kha Van Lap - Head of the Department of Education and Training of Tuong Duong district also said: Due to the large number of students, we can only use thermometers to measure the body temperature of students who show signs of fever or cold. Many schools have also tried to buy thermometers but there are no products. The district has also counted more than 500 students whose parents work in China, but now the incubation period has passed and their health is stable.

Regarding students returning to school, in the past time, the Department of Education and Training has also issued many documents to guide and direct. Most recently, on March 5, the Department issued Document No. 365/SGD&DT-VP requiring schools to arrange enough hand washing systems with soap for students with a minimum of 30 students/1 faucet and must complete before students return to school. This also stems from the Department's inspections, which discovered that many schools have not installed hand washing systems for students and teachers as prescribed.

Subject teachers enthusiastically guide students to review lessons at home during the holiday in Tuong Duong district. Photo: Dinh Tuan

The Department also requires schools to strengthen the cleaning of rooms and classrooms, and proactively ask parents to support the school in cleaning rooms and classrooms right after the school day ends.

In addition, the Department of Education and Training will continue to inspect Covid-19 prevention and control work at schools, and resolutely handle units that do not comply or do not comply on time according to the Department's regulations.

According to the Department of Education and Training, in the first week of high school students returning to school, Nghe An had about 600 - 700 students absent per day out of 91,000 students (accounting for about 0.9% of the total number of students, about 0.2% higher than normal). According to the schools, the mood of students going to school was comfortable and happy, and disease prevention work was carried out quite well. On average, Nghe An had about 10 students quarantined at home per day because their family members had just returned from countries with epidemics.

My Ha