will take the “second phase” of the national high school examination on September 2-4.

National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, was held in Monday in Hanoi. — VNA/VNS Photo Duong Giang

Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Huu Do announced the decision at Monday’s meeting of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control in Hanoi.

Nearly 1 million high school students from the rest of the country sat the tests which determine graduation and entry into universities on August 8-10, and many localities said they have completed scoring the tests.

“Despite the lower number of test-takers in the second phase, the education ministry is committed to carrying out the dual goals of ensuring safety for students, while making sure that the examination is fair, just, objective and conducted with integrity,” Do said.

Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Son, Deputy Minister of Public Security, said the ministry would mobilise the police force to ensure the security of the examinations.

At the meeting, members of the Steering Committee agreed that the pandemic situation in Da Nang, Quang Nam and the cluster in Hai Duong Province has been getting under control.

With the anti-pandemic efforts witnessed in the past months, the Ministry of Health will compile the experience to be used in drills that will be organised in all localities to enhance preparedness for potential outbreaks.

In addition, the Ministry of Health, in co-ordination with localities and State agencies, will issue guidelines to co-exist safely with the pandemic.

The first will be on anti-pandemic guidelines in schools, heard the meeting.

The Ministry of Health will continue to review machines in medical facilities along with biologicals research projects to raise the effectiveness of COVID-19 testing and diagnosis.

The Steering Committee asked the Ministry of Health to closely monitor the research and production of COVID-19 vaccines around the world, and at the same time, facilitate domestic COVID-19 vaccine projects.

At the meeting, the public security representative said many localities have not closely followed standard procedures on registering special entries of foreign experts, highly skilled workers and investors, the few exemptions to Vietnam’s foreign entry ban.

There have been cases of exploiting the policy to bring “ineligible” foreigners into Vietnam, Son said.

The committee demanded more vigilance and stricter management of all entries and exits given the complex developments of the pandemic.

The committee asked all organisations and the media to continue conveying health recommendations to the public – including refraining from going outside for non-essential purposes, wearing masks in public, frequently washing hands with soaps or sanitising solutions, and not letting their guards down against the virus.

On Monday, Vietnam recorded six new COVID-19 cases, four in Da Nang City and two in Hai Duong City, all connected to known clusters, pushing the country’s caseload to 1,022.

A total od 70,620 people, who either returned from virus-affected regions or came into close contacts with confirmed cases, are under quarantine across the country.

Also today, 20 more patients recovered from COVID-19, bringing the total recoveries to 588.

The death toll is at 27, all patients with underlying health problems.

 
How do poor students who cannot afford computers learn online?
 

Online learning has gained increasing popularity in HCM City amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

But Nguyen Thuy Ngoc Diem of Pham Van Coi Primary School in Cu Chi District admitted, “Not all students have the necessary equipment to stay connected online.”

So teachers have to make a hard copy of all teaching materials and tell parents of children who could not participate in online classes to come and collect them, she said.

“Despite their poor background, many people with children at my school pay great attention to their kids’ education.”

She spoke about the astonishing demand some parents make to teachers to teach them a lesson chapter by chapter so that they could in turn teach their kids.

Though there are many difficulties, parents’ support makes everything easier for both the school and children, she added.

The principal of Pham Van Coi Primary School in Cu Chi District Le Van Bong, said distance learning is not easy for primary school students since they are young and need parents’ support. 

“We have some parents who are too busy to teach their children. In cases like this, teachers ask parents to bring their kids to school for lessons on days they are there. Luckily, such cases were not that many and our school is able to strictly comply with anti-pandemic measures.”

The head of the District 9 Department Education and Training, Nguyen Thi Thu Hien, said her department has stepped up efforts to support students from poor backgrounds.

“At the moment many schools are thinking of providing students with computers to be used in school for online learning if they do not have computers at home.

“However, this has caused some concern among parents amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the department has to seek reports from all schools in the area before analysing and coming up with specific solutions.”

Ho Xuan Phuc, principal of Le Minh Xuan High School in Binh Chanh District, said even when poor students are allowed to study in the school’s computer lab, safe distancing rules have to be strictly followed to keep safe.  VNS

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