Students attend school in Cần Giờ District’s Thạnh An island commune on October 20. HCM City secondary and high school students will be allowed to attend in-person classes with a varying number of lessons per week, depending on local COVID risk levels. – Photo tuoitre.vn

HCM CITY – Secondary and high school students in HCM City will have 12 to 30 in-person lessons per week, depending on COVID-19 risk levels, when the city allows schools to reopen.

According to the city Department of Education and Training, students attending schools in areas of low risk would have no more than 30 in-person lessons per week, while extra classes will be held online.

Under the plan, schools in areas of medium risk would teach no more than 18 in-person lessons per week. These lessons will mainly be from the main curriculum and for tutoring purposes to make up for past online lessons. Students in the sixth, ninth and 12th grades in medium-risk areas will be allocated more in-person lessons, but no more than 24 per week.

Schools in high-risk areas can only attend up to 12 in-person lessons per week, and cannot hold other school events. Students in the sixth, ninth and 12th grades in these areas can have up to six more weekly lessons.

Schools in “very high” risk areas will have online classes only.

Students living in other provinces who cannot return to HCM City, who have underlying health problems, or are under quarantine will continue online classes or through another medium such as television.

Secondary and high schools have been asked to evaluate their online teaching during the past semester, and be prepared to organise tutoring classes when students return to school.

Schools must also discuss pandemic safety measures with parents and submit plans to city districts' and Thủ Đức City's pandemic prevention and control steering committees by December 5.

The city will begin a pilot school reopening period of two weeks beginning on December 13 when students from the first, ninth and 12th grades will be allowed to return to school. Five-year-old children will be permitted to attend kindergarten on December 20.

Students in other grades will gradually be allowed to return to schools beginning on January 3.

Meanwhile, Thạnh An island commune in Cần Giờ District, which allowed students from some grades to attend school on October 20, will welcome back students at all levels on December 13.

Exams for the first semester for all schools will be held from January 10-22.

As of the end of November, more than 598,000 children aged 12 to 17 in HCM City have been fully vaccinated. – VNS