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

But Nguyễn Thuỵ Ngọc Diễm of Phạm Văn Cội Primary School in Củ 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 Phạm Văn Cội Primary School in Củ Chi District Lê Văn Bồng, 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, Nguyễn Thị Thu Hiền, 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.”

Hồ Xuân Phúc, principal of Lê Minh Xuân High School in Bình Chánh 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