A classroom of 12th graders in Hanoi
Tran Nhan Tong High School has 681 students of the 12th grade but only 33 came to class on the first day it reopened on December 6. The number fell to only nine on December 7.
Speaking to the media on December 8, headmaster Vu Thi Hau, said that following instructions from the municipal Department of Education and Training, they reopened school to 12th grade students since December 6.
"The students are divided into two groups with half studying on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and the remaining studying on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday," she said. "However, only 33 came to class on Monday and only nine turned up on Tuesday."
Explaining the situation, the headmaster said that many students were living in locked-down areas or staying in quarantine so they couldn’t go to school at the moment.
"A student at our school tested positive for Covid-19 after getting a Covid-19 vaccine at the school and now his teacher and classmates have been sent to quarantine areas," she said. “Twelve other students in our school have also been infected with Covid-19 so many parents have not supported our reopening. In a recent survey carried out on parents of 12th graders, only nine agreed to let their children return to school at this time."
The headmaster said that they would still organise on-site classes even with one or two students. And the classes would be broadcast live to other students to follow from home.
Head of Me Linh District Department of Education and Training, Nguyen Van Hau also said that many students were absent after local schools reopened.
"Most of them are related to Covid-19 cases in the area and can’t return to class now," he said.