Hanoi has decided to reopen schools after a 14-day closure. Many parents are thrilled that their children can return to classes.

With the school year ravaged by COVID-19 induced school closures nationwide, the all-important high school examinations are set for a slight shake-up, but universities want to stand pat.

Students in nearly 30 provinces and cities across Vietnam returned to school on April 27 after a long break since early February due to COVID-19.

Schools will stay closed if the COVID-19 situation in the local area remains high risk, while those classified as low risk will consider local circumstances in deciding upon a reopening date, said an education official.

The Ministry of Education and Training has allowed education departments to cut curricula taught in primary, secondary and high schools due to the prolonged school closure caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The curriculum will be streamlined in the second semester of the 2019-20 school year but will ensure students received fundamental knowledge.

Many cities and provinces in Vietnam have continued to keep local schools closed amid the rise in Covid-19 cases.

The schools complained that the consequences caused by Covid-19 to the education sector have been disastrous.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on late March 9 that the total number of coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 cases in the country has risen to 24, asking for all school closure in Manila capital city in four days from March 10.

The move was taken after Hanoi confirmed the first case of Covid-19 on March 6 and the city’s authorities continued to postpone the reopening of schools.

As many as 150 private educational institutions are seeking assistance from the Government, as nationwide school closures triggered by the spread of the novel coronavirus have caused great difficulties for them.

Hanoi has decided to continue let students remain off to avoid the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak.

As many as 60 out of 63 provinces and cities in Vietnam have decided to further delay reopening of kindergartens, primary and junior secondary schools until March 17.

University and high school students in 23 provinces will go back to school on March 2, local authorities announced on Friday.

The month-long closure will affect 13 million students, the government says.

The authorities in HCM City said that it was not safe to reopen schools for nearly two million pupils while the Covid-19 outbreak hasn't ended.

The mandatory closing may be closed until the end of February or more depending on the evolution of the epidemic.

As of 11.20 on February 14, 30 cities and provinces have reported to the Ministry of Education and Training on their decision to allow students back to school from February 17, after a two-week break due to Covid-19 outbreak.

Despite teachers’ efforts to continue teaching and advising students online amid the coronavirus outbreak, Vietnamese parents have expressed deep concerns over their children’s academic progress during the prolonged school closure.