The Da Nang Department of Education and Training has announced that the city will resume face-to-face teaching from November 22 based on the rollout of the vaccination programme for adolescents aged 12 to 17.

As such, 12^th graders will be the first back campus on November 22, and grade 10 and grade 11 students will then resume a week later on November 29. Years 8 and 9 students will join in-person classes within 14 days after their first vaccination.

Reopening plan and schedule for preschools, primary and junior high schools and other educational establishments in Da Nang will be announced later.

Citywide schools must implement mitigation strategies and put in place strictest health and safe protocols during all their activities to successfully reopen and keep them open in line with the current direction from national and municipal governments.

Face-to-face instruction will be only allowed to be conducted in areas at alert COVID-19 levels 1 and 2, and only students and staff in these areas are allowed to attend in-person classes. Students and staff who are living in areas at alert levels 3 and 4 will not be allowed to attend face-face classes. Students who are living in areas at alert levels 3 and 4 will access to education with online learning if their schools are located at areas at alert levels 1 and 2. Schools in in areas at alert levels 3 and 4 will continue their online teaching.

Currently, there are no specific guidelines for vaccinating children under 12 years old against COVID-19 from the Ministry of Health. Therefore, the health agency will work with the education sector to create plans for safely resuming in-person instruction in primary schools and preschools based on the COVID-19 situation in the city. These schools will keep their staff, parents and their children informed about the city’s decision for reopening one week in advance in order to help them prepare for safely returning to classrooms.

Reporting by NGOC HA – translating by H.L