HCMC – The HCMC government decided on December 8 to shelve a plan to allow first-graders and five-year-old kindergarten children to return to school, citing their parents’ concerns over the risk of Covid-19 transmission.
The decision was made following the municipal Department of Education and Training’s proposal, the local media reported.
Earlier, the city had a plan to allow first, ninth and 12th graders to return to in-person classes from December 13 and five-year-old children a week later. However, only ninth and 12th graders of schools meeting Covid safety requirements and approved by the anti-Covid steering committees of Thu Duc City and districts will attend in-person classes from December 13.
After piloting the plan on ninth and 12th graders from December 13 to 25, the municipal government will assign the Department of Education and Training to coordinate with the Department of Health and the anti-Covid steering committees of Thu Duc City and districts to conduct a review and propose if it should be expanded to other graders to reopen in-person classes citywide from January 3 next year.
On the sidelines of the fourth session of the HCMC People’s Council on December 7, the secretary of the HCMC Party Committee, Nguyen Van Nen, said the city was aware of parents’ concerns over Covid-19 infection.
The HCMC Department of Education and Training had earlier conducted a survey on parents of first graders on the reopening of in-person classes for them. Over 70% of parents disapproved of the school reopening plan.
