Saigon school prepares to welcome back students after long Covid-19 break

By Nguyet Nhi   May 2, 2020 | 11:27 pm PT
Teachers and staff at a high school in Saigon's District 10 spent Saturday cleaning classrooms ahead of students’ return to classes on Monday.
Saigon school prepares to welcome back students after long Covid-19 break

In fact, they have been cleaning Nguyen Du High School regularly to ensure dust and dirt do not accumulate. The city administration announced that over 150,000 million students would resume school on Monday after a three-and-a-half month break.

Saigon school prepares to welcome back students after long Covid-19 break

Thanh Van, a staff member, cleans a board. 

Schools will get back students in a staggered manner. Over 87,000 ninth graders who are about to take high school entrance exams and over 63,000 12th graders who need to take their high school graduation exams will return on Monday and start normal classes the next day.

Students in fourth to eighth grades and 10th and 11th grades will return on May 8 and start classes on the 11th. Those in first to third grades will attend school on May 11 and start classes the next day.

Saigon school prepares to welcome back students after long Covid-19 break

Van said the school chose to clean regularly rather than wait until the last minute to do so.

Saigon school prepares to welcome back students after long Covid-19 break

In the school library, Nguyen Tan Cuong, a teacher, cleans books and magazines which have not been touched for months.

Saigon school prepares to welcome back students after long Covid-19 break

Nguyen Kim Huong, the laboratory manager, cleans the door of her workplace. The labs and IT rooms were cleaned every week, she said.

Saigon school prepares to welcome back students after long Covid-19 break

The corridors being cleaned.

Saigon school prepares to welcome back students after long Covid-19 break

Pham Van Mua, a worker, prunes trees in the school yards for the first time in months.

Saigon school prepares to welcome back students after long Covid-19 break

Local medical workers on April 29 disinfected every part of the school, including corridors, classrooms and door knobs.

Saigon school prepares to welcome back students after long Covid-19 break

A teacher gets the classroom signs from the storage.

Saigon school prepares to welcome back students after long Covid-19 break

Plastic stools used during the weekly flag salute ceremony get a dusting. The school said the ceremony on May 4 would be held in classrooms to avoid congregating.

Saigon school prepares to welcome back students after long Covid-19 break

"I have worked for 35 years and never seen the school without students for such a long period of time," a teacher said.

Saigon school prepares to welcome back students after long Covid-19 break

Huynh Thanh Phu, the principal, said the school has bought thermometers and would also instruct students to stay 1.8 meters from each other, wear masks and use personal water bottles. "After students come back, we will spend three or four weeks revising what they have learned, and then we will prepare for the exams."

 
 
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