The HCM City Department of Education and Training wants to allow 7th, 8th, 10th and 11th graders to return to in-person classes on January 3, 2022. — Photo laodong.vn

HCM CITY — The HCM City Department of Education and Training has sought approval from the city’s People's Committee to allow an additional 680,000 students to return to secondary and high schools following the New Year holiday.

The proposal has called for 7th, 8th, 10th and 11th graders to resume in-person classes starting January 3.

The city’s People Committee held a meeting this week with local authorities on school reopening plans, and most districts agreed to reopen secondary and high schools starting January 3.

The proposal was made as students in these grades have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the local media reported.

Many schools have said they are ready to reopen classes starting January 3, as they have prepared safety responses and more students have returned to classes than surveys expected.

Trương Thị Đẹp, principal of Nguyễn Du Secondary School in Gò Vấp District, told Tuổi Trẻ (Youth) newspaper that while waiting for the final decision of the city authority, the school has developed a plan to welcome back 7th and 8th grade students.

Nguyễn Thị Thanh Trúc – Principal of Dương Văn Thì High School, Thủ Đức City said the school had  informed parents of students in grades 10 and 11 about teaching and pandemic prevention plans.

Children who cannot go to school could study at home by connecting to the school’s computer system to listen to lectures delivered from the live classroom.

Despite recent surveys showing only around 30-40 percent of parents agree with letting their children go back to classes, several schools have said they were ready to reopen classes as they have prepared safety responses and more students have returned to classes.

Previously, as part of a pilot programne, around 150,000 9th and 12th graders in the city returned to school starting December 13. Two weeks after schools reopened, 47 Covid-19 cases were detected among schools in 15 districts, including 40 students.  — VNS