At Nguyen Binh Khiem Primary School in District 1, many teachers, parents and students arrived early to prepare for the reopening of schools after the summer holiday.
Parents and pupils were required to have their temperatures taken and had to wash their hands with hand sanitiser for Covid-19 prevention before entering the school.
The school prepared teddy bears as presents for first-grade pupils on their first day at school.
Teachers formed two lines at the entrance to welcome students. The homeroom teachers then took their students to their classrooms to introduce the children to the school regulations and timetables.
Principal of Nguyen Binh Khiem Primary School, Do Ngoc Chi, said they welcomed 263 Grade-1 pupils on August 22. Then, from August 25, the school will welcome pupils in grades 2, 3, 4, and 5.
"As planned by the Department of Education and Training, in the first two weeks, local schools will focus on helping pupils familiarise themselves with the study routine and some skills, such as teamwork, skills to serve themselves, and Covid-19 prevention activities," the teacher said. "We'll only start the syllabus after the new school year opening ceremony on September 5."
According to the HCM City Department of Education and Training, the city will have nearly 700,000 elementary students, over 400,000 middle school students, and about 245,000 high school students for the 2022-2023 school year.
HCM City was among the first localities in the country to reopen schools today. Several localities including Hanoi, Ha Nam, Ninh Binh, Ha Tinh, Ben Tre, Dong Thap, and Bac Giang also welcomed the first-graders to school today while students with higher grades will return to school on August 29. Schools nationwide will all organise new school year opening ceremonies on September 5.
