HCMC may reopen first school next week

The Thanh An Secondary and High School plans to receive 131 students for in-person classes, principal Nguyen Ngoc Bao said Tuesday, adding the plan has been sent to the district’s People’s Committee and Department of Education and Training for approval.

Two 6th grade classes, two 9th grade classes and one 12th grade class would be allowed to commence in-person lessons, with the curriculum split equally between online and in-person classes. Other classes would continue online.

Among the 27 teachers at the school, 24 have been fully vaccinated.

"As the number of students in a classroom is quite low, between 25-30 students, there is no need to split classes. After the first week, if in-person classes prove to be safe and effective, we would consider expanding the scale," said Bao.

The Thanh An school, on Thanh An Island, could become the first school in Ho Chi Minh City to allow in-person classes for the 2021-2022 school year if the plan is approved.

Previously, the municipal education department had sent the municipal People’s Committee a plan to reopen schools in districts deemed "safe" amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Kindergartens, first and second grade classes would be prioritized to reopen, followed by 9th and 12th grade classes, prior to the rest. Classes would be divided throughout the day to prevent large gatherings.

Certain requirements for schools to reopen include fully vaccinated teachers. In-person classes are voluntary, while online and televised lessons would still be available to those who can't attend school.

Can Gio has recorded over 1,500 Covid-19 cases so far. It, along with Thu Duc City, Districts 1, 7, Cu Chi, Go Vap, Nha Be, Phu Nhuan, and Tan Binh have all announced they’ve contained the coronavirus crisis.