Kids are playing in each small group at a kindergarten in District 3 to prevent the spread of the virus.
Speaking at the meeting, Head of the Ideological Politics Division under the Department of Training and Education Trinh Duy Trong said that the People’s Committee of HCMC previously approved a plan on direct learning for students in grades 9 and 12 starting on December 13; students in grades 7, 8, 10, 11 from January 4; and kindergarten and primary school pupils and grade 6 students starting on February 14.
The division has required educational units to try to bring all activities at schools back to a normal state to meet the demand of parents and students; and build Covid-19 preparedness and response plan approved by the district’s Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control.
According to statistics, the ratios of children going back to in-person learning at kindergartens and primary schools were 66.3 percent and 95.00 percent on the first day of returning to schools on February 14 respectively while the figures in secondary schools and high schools were 96.89 percent and 98.93 percent.
In the second week, the ratio of students at kindergartens and primary schools increased up to 70.51 percent and 96.1 percent but saw a slight decrease when Covid-19 cases among children have spiked dramatically.
The city recorded 40,385 students who tested positive for Covid-19 or have symptoms for the virus infection, including 2,160 cases detected at schools; and 3,689 teachers and school staff infected with Covid-19, including 381 cases identified at schools. At present, districts of 1, 12, Binh Thanh, Tan Phu and Thu Duc City have the highest number of Covid-19 cases.
An in-person learning class in a kindergarten in District 3
Most schools are facing shortages of Covid-19 medical equipment, especially rapid antigen testing kits, skills of solving Covid-19 infections and suspected cases at schools, and staff with medical training.
In the academic year 2020-2021, the city had 2,339 educational facilities, including 1,319 units having medical staff. In the beginning of the academic year 2021-2022, the number of school nurses has fallen, making difficulties in preventing and controlling the pandemic.
The Department of Training and Education has suggested the municipal People’s Council pay attention to policies supporting school health personnel.
In addition, schools neen’t launch unnecessary regulations in the disease preventing and controlling, for instance they have to implement weekly Covid-19 testing for teachers and students or students infected with Covid-19 have to get PCR test, or they have to suspend canteen and boarding school, Deputy Director of the Health Department, Dr. Nguyen Huu Hung added.
The sectors of health, education and training will cooperate to organize a conference on training medical school staff in March.
