First two schools in HCMC reopen after Covid-19 lockdown ends

In the Thanh An Primary School, teachers was ready to wait for students at the school in the early morning. The pupils were required to queue into two lines, measure body temperature and wash hands with hand sanitizer.

Head of the Thanh An Primary School Le Huu Binh said that the school has prepared Covid-19 prevention plan for the reopening of six first and second grade classes. 100 percent of teachers was fully vaccinated.

The school has prepared Covid-19 prevention plan for the reopening of six first and second grade classes. 100 percent of teachers were fully vaccinated. Classes have been arranged in different times to reduce exposure and limit transmission. The school has also coordinated with the local authorities, police, militia and self-defense force to ensure the security of school.

In the first week, teachers will organize exchanges with students, send words of encouragement, provide rules and routines in the classroom, pandemic prevention and control measures, and require them to implement the health ministry’s 5K as well as review previous learning before beginning new lessons, he added.

Huynh Thi Bao Uyen, ninth grade student of the Thanh An High School expressed her happiness in coming back to school and meeting teachers and friends after long-term social distancing.

Ms. Vo Thi Ngoc Ha, mother of a pupil of Thanh An Primary School said that in-person learning is more beneficial to students than online learning.

Ms.Nguyen Thi Kim Xuyen, a relative of another student said that her family firstly expressed their concerns about in-person learning due to the complicated situation of the disease. Teachers then explained that in-person classroom learning was better than online learning. In addition, the island district is considered as the “green zone” at low risk of Covid-19 transmissions.

Can Gio District has allowed 230 students of the first, second, sixth and ninth grades of Thanh An Primary School and Thanh An High School to return to schools when the educational units’ pandemic prevention and control activities have been completed, said Head of the Department of Training and Education of the district Vo Thi Diem Phuong.

The decision on reopening schools in Thanh An was carefully considered based on surveys taken by the HCMC Department of Health, and the Department of Tranining Education. Vice chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Duong Anh Duc noted that the school reopening must be suitable to the age and developmental psychology of the child and create favorable conditions for students and teachers in learning and teaching.