In the wake of complicated developments of the COVID-19 in the country, students at all levels in Binh Duong province continue to be off school, receive online classes to prevent control the pandemic, ensure the health and safety of teachers, students. This decision of Binh Duong province was agreed by all parents and the whole community across the province.
During this time, schools carry out disinfection of classrooms, functional rooms, cleaning of tables, chairs, equipment to prevent and control the epidemic.
Schools and parents are unanimous
On February 15th, as receiving information that students continued to be off school, Hong Loan in Dinh Hoa ward (Thu Dau Mot city) felt relief. She has two children, a second-grader and a preschool kid. "Children do not go to school, parents go to work. Despite some difficulties, we, parents, are feel more assured. Although schools take measures to prevent and control the epidemic, children are young and do not have a sense of self-protection; they are active, usually play with each other, hence they cannot reach the required safety".
Binh Duong has a large number of workers' children coming from outside the province. Every year, on Tet holiday, the children usually follow their parents back to their hometown, then return to Binh Duong. Meanwhile, currently the number of COVID-19 infection cases in some provinces and cities is increasing, and the epidemic situation is very complicated. Therefore, it is essential to extend the off-school time to ensure safety. A primary school's principal in An Phu ward (Thuan An city) said, more than 50% of their students were workers' children coming from outside the province. Before Tet, the school checked the number of students returning their hometown during the holiday. After the holiday, the school once again checked the number of students returning from epidemic zones to promptly report to local health sector and apply effective disease prevention and control measures.
To strengthen epidemic prevention and control
To proactively prevent and combat the coronavirus in schools, on February 8th, provincial Department of Education and Training developed a plan for the COVID-19 prevention control and safety assurance in schools. Nguyen Van Phong, Deputy Director of provincial Department of Education and Training, said that healthcare and safety for students, teachers and staff is put on top; the authority also improved effectiveness to meet the requirements of COVID-19 prevention and control; ensure safety and fight against the pandemic in schools, depending on epidemic situation and progress.
According to the proposed plan, the department asked schools not to neglect; to identify epidemic prevention control to be a key task in the present time. Leaders of educational institutions have the accountability in formulating plans, gathering resources, and effectively organizing the implementation of epidemic prevention and control at their units. Mr. Nguyen also demanded that schools needed to strictly and fully implemented guiding documents from the central to the province and health sector on Covid-19 prevention and control. In addition, schools need to continue boosting communication and dissemination among students, teachers, teachers, school staff about the causes, levels of danger, consequences and measures of COVID-19prevention control. While students are still absent from school, schools continue to implement measures to prevent and control the epidemic in schools.
According to Mr. Nguyen, the authority also asked schools to organize training courses, assign epidemic prevention control tasks to teachers, administrators, and school staff; instruct students as they return to schools, especially primary schools, preschools, and kindergartens. Schools need to have plans for surrounding environmental sanitation, ensure hygiene material facilities and medical equipment to serve the epidemic prevention control, such as: body temperature measuring tools, hand sanitizers, hand washing places... Schools also disinfect classrooms, functional rooms, cleaning, cleaning tables and chairs, teaching equipment, learning tools, toys for children, door knobs, handrails...
To assure absolute students' safety on the day when they return to school, in the near future, provincial Department of Education and Training will set up teams to inspect Covid-19 prevention and control at schools. Accordingly, these delegations will inspect the implementation of epidemic prevention and control; hear reports on these works of schools, including epidemiological statistics of teachers and students who went to and returned from epidemic areas and centers during the Lunar New Year holidays. The delegations will also check the actual COVID-19 prevention and control situation, assess the level of safety and disease prevention control...
Stop going to school but don't stop studying
"Currently, Binh Duong has controlled the COVID-19 situation. However, the province has cases of teachers and students, who returned to their hometown on Tet in many other provinces and cities throughout the country. Therefore, to guarantee safety, students continue to be off school to control the epidemic. The majority of parents agreed with this decision.
With the motto "Students stop going to school but do not stop learning", department leaders asked schools continue to provide online teaching and review for students. School administrators require teachers to assign homework to students, and regularly instruct, answer questions, and examine students' learning. In addition, schools need to continue monitoring the schedule of teachers and students during Tet holidays to report to Department of Education and Training and health authorities".
(Nguyen Van Phong, Deputy Director of DoET)
Reported by Anh Sang - Translated by Ngoc Huynh
