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(Photo: Nguoi Lao Dong)

Hanoi People's Committee on Thursday afternoon agreed with the municipal education department’s proposal that the summer break of the school year 2020-2021 will start from May 15 instead of May 28, as originally planned.

The remaining curriculum will proceed at in-person classes when the pandemic abates. Therefore, schools that are yet to organize final exams are advised not to do it virtually. According to the department, certain educational facilities are not fully equipped with technology infrastructure and other criteria to make sure the examination goes smoothly and there is no cheating.

Senior students (9 graders and 12 graders), however, will continue with virtual classes which they have been sticking to since May 3. The high school and university entrance examinations, set to take place on June 10, 11, will be put off until further notice.

This is the first time students of all levels in Hanoi “enjoy” a summer break without finishing their school year.

(Photo: Thanh Nien)

Earlier on May 3, educational facilities across the city switched to distance classes following the surge in new cases. Foreign language, computer and other training centers had also been told to close. At the time, experts evaluated the infection risk in Hanoi as very high, citing the large number of commuters traveling in and out during the recent holiday break.

Other localities had followed suit, including the central city of Da Nang. Da Nang People’s Committee issued an official dispatch asking for educational establishments to switch classes from online starting May 4. Teachers were tasked to ensure teaching quality.

Teaching in many universities in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City was also halted. Vietnam National University was the first university to deploy online classes. Dozens of universities had made similar move, including Hanoi University of Science and Technology, the Academy of Journalism and Communication, and the University of Transport and Communication.

Education disruption has been common in Vietnam since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Last year, students across the country returned to school in mid-June after 4-months of online tuition, an event unprecedented in history. The National University entrance exam was also put off until September, nearly two months later than normal.

Trang An primary school, Hanoi are left deserted on the first day classes switched to online (Photo: VNE)

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