Safe adaption to pandemic when reopening schools

The 2021-2022 school year is a very special school year, due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Since the beginning of the new school year, the local sector of education and training sector, the society and pupils as a whole have properly implemented the motto of "Don't go to school but don't stop learning". When the pandemic was basically controlled, before the Lunar New Year, the sector was proactive to plan face-to-face learning for students at all levels. However, the sector has still paid special importance to taking measures against the pandemic to ensure safety for students returning to school when the pandemic is not over yet.

Over the past time, the local sector of education and training well implemented measures against the pandemic, especially its plan to welcome students back to school after the Tet (Lunar New Year) festival has been carefully and closely prepared. In addition, the sector has also organized training on anti-pandemic processes among teachers, managerial officials, and staff and asked for them to guide students to follow them when returning to school. On the first days of reopening, schools have disseminated rules among students; organized activities to create excitement and psychological comfortableness for students; guided students on anti-pandemic knowledge…

According to statistics, the whole country has now had over 6.5 million students aged 12-17 who have received the first shot of Covid-19 vaccine, or of 90.10% of total. The rate of students in the age group with full two shots is 72.24%. There are 82% and nearly 30% of officials, teachers and staff with boosters (third dose) and second-dose injections, respectively. In addition, surveys show that the risk of Covid-19 infection in schools is very low. Therefore, it is time for reopening schools safely in the "new normal" state to create favorable conditions for parents to keep their mind on work, contributing to economic recovery and social stability.

The safe adaptation to the pandemic when students return to school in the "new normal" state must still ensure the spirit of the content of the Minister of Education and Training’s Official Dispatch No. 136 dated February 8 on a number of things to keep in mind when students return to school directly as the opinion of a leader of the Ministry of Education and Training: "Bringing students back to school at this time is necessary and needs to be implemented quickly, promptly, and resolutely for all levels of education from preschool to university. This is not only the matter of opening schools, but also consolidates and rebuilds education after the pandemic.”

Reported by Nhat Huy-Translated by Kim Tin