School staff and teachers of Mạc Đĩnh Chi School in Hà Nội clean up classrooms on Saturday to welcome students back on May 4.

HÀ NỘI — Teachers, parents and schools staff in many cities and provinces across the country have spent the weekend cleaning classrooms ahead of student’s return today.

At Yên Hoà High School in Hà Nội, parents brought buckets, pots, rags, disinfectant and gloves to school to help teachers clean the classrooms on Saturday.

"The students have been absent for a long time, so the classrooms, walls and tables and chairs are mouldy. In the past, the school sprayed disinfectant several times.

"But since students are coming back on Monday, we’re cleaning up everything, disinfecting the tables and chairs, classroom walls, all the places where students often go to and touch, and also disinfecting teaching equipment,” Nguyễn Thị Nhiếp, principal of the school told Tuổi Trẻ (Youth) Newspaper.

Nguyễn Quốc Thắng, a parent of a student of the school, said he wanted to join the clean-up to show parents’ were sharing responsibility.

"The school is now clean, there is enough sanitiser and soap, students will have their body temperature measured from the school gate and monitored daily.  With such preparations, we feel more secure when our children come back to school,” he said.

Similar preparations have been made in HCM City.

Hoàng Sơn Hải, principal of Nguyễn Chí Thanh High School in Tân Bình District, told Tuoi Tre the school will not turn on air conditioners and open all classrooms’ windows and doors.

Tran Dai Nghia High School for the Gifted, meanwhile, sent a notice to parents reminding students to keep a distance of at least one metre when having their temperature checked at school. Students with high body temperature, fever, cough and shortness of breath will be moved to the waiting room, and medical staff will contact the student's parents.

Coming back

In many provinces and cities, school and high school classes will welcome students back from May 4 while kindergarten and elementary schools will return on May 11.

HCM City announced its ninth and 12th graders will return to school on May 4 to finish their second semester before the high school entrance and high school graduation exams respectively in late July and early August.

Students in other grades between four and 11 in HCM City will start on May 8, those in grades one to three on May 11, and those in kindergartens and nurseries on May 18 at the latest.

Hà Nội plans to reopen high schools and universities from May 4 while elementary schools and kindergartens will resume from May 11.

In Đà Nẵng City, students of secondary and high school level will come back to school on May 4, those in elementary schools on May 11 and kindergartens on May 18.

On April 29, Chairman of Hà Nội’s People’s Committee Nguyễn Đức Chung announced detailed requirements for schools to prepare for their reopening after a long period off due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The city Department of Education and Training requires schools and educational institutions to reduce the number of pupils in the classrooms, to arrange different class times and lunchtimes, and other activities to avoid many students being gathered at one place at one time.

The physical distancing rules in schools will be entirely determined by the schools.

The Hà Nội Department of Education and Training also requires schools and educational institutions to hold online meetings with parents of students before returning to school.

For the measures to be implemented effectively, schools should rehearse scripts and role-play among employees for pandemic prevention and control.

In addition, students need to wear masks when travelling from home to school, during school time and until returning home, the department said.

A total of 219 of the 270 COVID-19 patients have recovered in the country, with no deaths reported, while there are 443 suspected cases and nearly 35,000 people being monitored and quarantined as of Friday evening, according to the ministry.

Việt Nam eased social isolation guidelines from April 23, though restrictions will continue in some high-risk areas.