After many edits and additions, the draft set of safety assessment criteria in epidemic prevention and control at educational establishments was submitted to the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee on October 18 by the Department of Education and Training.
Accordingly, when opening in-person learning, the number of classes and the maximum number of students in each class must be less than 50% of the prescribed number (current standards are 35 primary school classes, 45 middle school classes).
Mr. Nguyen Dinh Do, Principal of Thanh Nhan High School, said that dividing classes and shifts is a difficult problem for schools.
For schools with limited facilities, this seems impossible because there will not be enough classrooms to accommodate.
High schools in the suburbs, with densely populated areas such as Tan Phu district, Binh Tan district, district 12, Hoc Mon district, have many class sizes over 50, making separation even more difficult.
`The plan I’m thinking of right now is to combine face-to-face and online teaching. The schedule will be rearranged so that some subjects will still be studied online as before, while others will be learned in class. Number of classes returning to school
Students of Tran Van Giau High School see the list of separated classes when returning to school after the May 2020 epidemic.
Ms. Kim Nguyen Quynh Giao, Principal of Nguyen Van Linh High School, offered another option.
`Of course, when students return, safety is still paramount. I agree and support this regulation and will find a way to fix it if the industry allows the school to reopen,` Ms. Giao said.
Not only are they worried about lack of classrooms and teachers, many schools are also concerned about budget issues.
Dr. Dang Van Sang, Principal of Ho Chi Minh City Polytechnic Intermediate School, said that with more than 300 `9 plus 3` students, many classes of 50-60 people, the school will even have to split into three classes, at a high cost.
`The problem now is balancing revenue and expenses. Tuition fees cannot currently increase because of the epidemic, but by dividing classes, costs will clearly increase. Autonomous schools must find ways to adapt to ensure
According to Mr. Sang, safety criteria such as wearing masks, declaring health conditions, dividing lanes, and washing hands regularly can be implemented.
Students of Tran Van Giau High School are arranged to sit in the large hall to ensure social distancing.
Class separation also becomes difficult for schools in balancing the curriculum.
`This not only causes overload in teaching but also affects the school’s overall plan. A class where 90% go to school in person, while the rest still want to learn online, it is considered that they have to be organized into three small classes.
Mr. Ngo Van Tuyen, Head of the Department of Education and Training of Binh Tan District, acknowledged that when tightening safety measures, it is necessary to organize direct teaching evenly.
The set of criteria for evaluating school safety includes 10 components.
The requirement for the maximum number of students and teachers concentrated at the same time is only one of 10 component criteria to evaluate school safety.
The set of criteria for assessing Covid-19 safety at educational establishments was first issued by the Ho Chi Minh City Covid-19 Prevention Steering Committee in April 2020.
In addition to the first two schools in Can Gio district reopening today, schools in Ho Chi Minh City are expected to learn in person from January 2022.
Manh Tung
