VietNamNet Bridge - The 2015-2016 new academic year opening ceremony will take place on September 5, 2015, Pham Ngoc Phuong, chief secretariat of the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) has announced.

The decision was made after Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam asked to choose one day for schools to organize new opening ceremonies. 

Dam said it would be better if students all over the country can attend the ceremonies at the same time, implement the flag saluting rite, listen to the President’s letter and observe other etiquette.
 
The information was good news for students and their parents, who want to have significant ceremonies to start new academic periods.

However, this could not be done in the last few years. Schools opened their new academic years on different days, depending on their conditions. 

Hoang Thu Ha, an office worker, said she was glad about the news. “The day when students begin going to school must be a national day, when all parents bring their children in good dress to school,” she said.

“You will feel happy when you attend the ceremonies and you know that millions of other students are also present at their ceremonies here and there, all over the country,” she added.

Ha’s daughter last year felt sad because her academic year opening ceremony took place on September 5, while the boy next door attended his ceremony one day earlier.

“My daughter heard from her teacher that the school initially planned to organize the ceremony on September 4, but it later decided to delay the ceremony, because the VIP guest the school expected could not come on that day,” Ha said.

The headmaster of a primary school in HCM City said that schools all wish to invite VIPs to come to attend their opening ceremonies, because the presence of VIPs at the ceremonies is an honor for students and teachers. 

“The invitation cards show the ceremony would begin at 7 am, and we need to be ready at 6.45 am. However, some VIPs only turn up at 8 am. As a result, students and teachers have to stand in school yards for several hours and wait for VIPs under the scorching sun, ” she said.

The headmaster of a state-owned school in Hanoi said in Tuoi Tre that school leaders have to “take full advantage of the relations with VIPs and try any possible means to invite VIPs to the ceremonies”.

Chi Mai