Plan 3997/KH-UBND Ho Chi Minh City 2021 organizing on-site learning at education institutions in Ho Chi Minh City

PLAN

On organizing on-site learning at education institutions in Ho Chi Minh City

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Pursuant to the Resolution No. 128/NQ-CP dated October 11, 2021 of the Government on Interim Regulation on “safe and flexible adaptation and effective control over the COVID-19 pandemic”;

Pursuant to the Decision No. 4800/QD-BYT dated October 12, 2021 of the Ministry of Health, issuing the Interim Guidance for implementation of the Government’s Resolution No. 128/NQ-CP dated October 11, 2021 promulgating the Interim Regulation on “safe and flexible adaptation and effective control over the COVID-19 pandemic”;

Pursuant to the Directive No. 800/CT-BGDDT dated August 24, 2021 of the Minister of Education and Training on the implementation of tasks in the school year 2021 - 2022 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, continuation of reform and determination to reach quality objectives of education and training;

Pursuant to the Official Dispatch No. 4726/BGDDT-GDTC dated October 15, 2021 of the Ministry of Education and Training on organizing on-site teaching activities at education institutions;

Pursuant to the Directive No. 18/CT-UBND dated September 30, 2021 of the Chairperson of the City People's Committee on continuation of control and adjustment of COVID-19 prevention and control measures and step-by-step socio-economic recovery and development in Ho Chi Minh City;

Pursuant to the Decision No. 3900/QD-UBND dated November 16, 2021 of the City People's Committee on the interim regulation on measures for “safe and flexible adaptation and effective control over the COVID-19 pandemic” in Ho Chi Minh City,

The City People's Committee promulgates the plan on organizing on-site learning at education institutions in Ho Chi Minh City as follows:

I. PURPOSES - REQUIREMENTS

- Ensure safety and suitability with the COVID-19 pandemic situation when organizing on-site education and training activities at education institutions.

- Take full advantage of periods of on-site learning in localities and education institutions that are eligible for COVID-19 safety prevention and control to ensure education quality and help stabilize society.

- Support education institutions for safe and flexible adaptation and effective control over the COVID-19 pandemic in education and training.

II. CONTENT

1. For early childhood education, general education, and continuing education institutions

1.1. Point of view of organization

- Effectively implement the Resolution No. 128/NQ-CP and the Decision No. 3900/QD-UBND; ensure safety and effectively control the COVID-19 pandemic in on-site education and training at education institutions in accordance with the COVID-19 pandemic situation of each locality.

- Organize on-site teaching for students in some grades so that the education institutions can adapt safely, flexibly, and effectively control the COVID-19 pandemic in education and training. Then, summarize, evaluate, and learn from experience before organizing mass on-site teaching.

- Priority is given to education institutions that meet the conditions of facilities and resources and have a complete plan for students to go back to schools.

1.2. Principles of organization

The People's Committees of Thu Duc City and districts shall issue plans and decide on the organization of on-site teaching and change the operating status of education institutions¹ in the localities:

- Education institutions with high school level shall operate according to the pandemic risk level of Ho Chi Minh City, the remaining education institutions shall operate according to the pandemic risk level of Thu Duc City or districts where the education institutions are located. Prioritize organizing on-site teaching first at education institutions with good conditions of facilities, ensuring safety in the COVID-19 prevention and control.

- Education institutions shall change the teaching organization status according to the pandemic risk level announced every Monday morning by the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City according to regulations.

- The school safety of education institutions must be assessed in accordance with the set of safety assessment criteria in the COVID-19 prevention and control for education institutions before organizing on-site teaching and inspected regularly during on-site teaching.

- Individuals participating in on-site teaching and learning are those who are not subject to quarantine for pandemic prevention

- Students, teachers from the red zone conduct tests according to medical instructions.

1.3. Time - Scope - Object

1.3.1. Preparation phase

- Organize parent-teacher conferences: Implement issues to be noted in coordination with the schools to take care of and organize for students to study on-site at schools before December 5, 2021.

- Train staff, teachers and staff in pandemic prevention and control in the new situation: December 08, 2021.

- Organize activities to guide students on safe work when they go back to schools on December 10, 2021.

1.3.2. Period of organizing on-site teaching

- Period from December 13 to December 25, 2021: pilot organization of on-site teaching (2 weeks)

+ Object: all students in first grade, ninth grade, and twelfth grade.

• From the second week: 5-year-old children.

• For Can Gio district: Thanh An Kindergarten, Thanh An Primary School, Thanh An Lower-Upper Secondary School shall organize on-site learning in all grades from December 13, 2021.

- Period from December 27, 2021:

+ Organize preliminary conference, learn from experience for 2 weeks of on-site teaching at education institutions (period from December 13 to December 25, 2021).

+ Based on on-site teaching and learning results after 2 weeks and COVID-19 pandemic situation, the Department of Education and Training shall coordinate with the Department of Health in advising the City People's Committee to consider and decide whether to continue, gradually expand the objects or organize on-site teaching throughout the City from January 3, 2022.

1.4. Specific regulations on pandemic prevention and control when the education institutions resume on-site teaching

1.4.1. Plans for pandemic prevention and control at education institutions when resuming on-site teaching

Education institutions shall develop and complete plans for pandemic prevention and control at education institutions when resuming on-site teaching before December 3, 2021.

Before organizing on-site teaching, education institutions must be inspected and appraised by the Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control of Thu Duc City and districts for plans for pandemic prevention and control at education institutions, with the following contents:

- Content 1: Decision on establishment of Steering Committees for COVID-19 Prevention and Control of agencies and units; Decision on establishment of school COVID-19 Safety Team.

- Content 2: Self-assessment on safety for COVID-19 prevention and control recognized for safety by the Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control of Thu Duc City and districts according to the set of safety assessment criteria in the COVID-19 prevention and control for education institutions².

- Content 3: Plan to handle situations upon detecting suspected case of COVID-19 infection at agencies or units (according to the Official Dispatch No. 6666/BYT-MT dated August 16, 2021 of the Ministry of Health), which clearly shows:

+ Specific tasks, contact points and responsibilities of each individual in agencies, units or schools.

+ Diagram and arrangement of movement flow in one-way direction at agencies, units and schools.

+ Minutes of plan drills upon detecting suspected case of COVID-19 infection at agencies, units and schools.

- Content 4: Scenario and assignment of daily COVID-19 prevention and control at agencies, units and schools, ensuring the good implementation of the following contents:

+ Use QR codes of quarantine points to manage people entering or leaving the unit and make health declarations.

+ Organize body temperature measurement, ask employees and guests to make health declarations, disinfect hands, wear mask and keep distance according to regulations; manage the guest cards to enter the unit; control the density of people entering the unit.

+ Manage people entering/leaving the schools in one direction as prescribed.

+ Manage students at the beginning and at the end of lessons, at recess, in crowded areas.

+ Monitor compliance with 5K message throughout the day's activity.

- Content 5: Facilities, personnel management

+ Facilities: Arrange rooms/areas for temporary quarantine, perform cleaning and disinfection for classrooms and waste management; increase ventilation in transport vehicles, workplaces, cafeterias, meeting rooms; reduce contact, install partitions at canteens and provide separate meals; equip adequate waste bins with lids; arrange places for handwashing, restroom and hand sanitizer, etc.

+ Personnel: manage employees' information including full name, year of birth, people’s identity card/citizen’s identity card/passport number, residence address, phone number, address of native place; organize daily monitoring of workers' health; give instructions for signing commitment to comply with regulations and guidance on COVID-19 prevention and control.

- Content 6: Organize training on COVID-19 prevention and control before on-site teaching; organize propaganda, dissemination and provide guidance on pandemic prevention and control in the school's pedagogical council, students' parents and students throughout the schools.

1.4.2. Tasks before and when students go back to schools

a. Before students go back to schools

- Train and assign specific tasks to teachers, managers, and school staffs on pandemic prevention and control procedures to implement and guide students when going back to school.

- Review and fully implement the actions to prevent and control the COVID-19 pandemic mentioned in Appendix 4 of the Official Dispatch No. 6666/BYT-MT dated August 16, 2021 of the Ministry of Health on guiding the COVID-19 prevention and control at agencies and units.

- Perform cleaning and disinfection for classrooms and waste management in accordance with Appendix 2, of the Official Dispatch No. 6666/BYT-MT dated August 16, 2021 of the Ministry of Health on guiding the COVID-19 prevention and control at agencies and units

b. When students go back to schools

- On the first day students go back to school, the heads of the units do not organize learning activities, only organizes health checks, health declarations, training and guidance for students on self-prevention measures and deployment of school hours, study plans, and pandemic prevention and control plans so that students can go to school with peace of mind and ensure safety when going to school.

- Organize the implementation of shift difference, time difference, strengthen supervision to ensure the safe distance before school hours, play time and after school.

- If students, teachers, officers and school staffs have symptoms of fever, cough, shortness of breath, loss of taste or smell, they must stay at home, immediately inform the school and take them to the nearest health facilities for examination, consultation and treatment. When cases of high temperature or specific symptoms of COVID-19 are recorded in the school, they must be handled according to the procedures under the guidance of the health sector.

- The school shall maintain cleaning and disinfecting of schools and classes according to regulations; check, review and promptly replenish sanitizer or soap and other necessary items after each school day. Organize disinfecting and cleaning of frequently-contacted surfaces, hand washing areas, toilets, and stairs according to regulations.

2. For higher education institutions, colleges:

- Higher education institutions, colleges shall organize on-site teaching according to the pandemic risk level of the City, in which:

+ In areas at level-1 and level-2 pandemic risks, on-site training shall be organized provided that it complies with the regulations on safety in COVID-19 prevention and control and the guidance of the Ministry of Education and Training, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs and the set of safety assessment criteria in the COVID-19 prevention and control for education institutions, vocational education institutions in Ho Chi Minh City.

+In areas at level-3 and level-4 pandemic risks, training institutions may continue to organize online teaching or combine on-site and online teaching under the specific plans of the schools approved by the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City.

- Participants in teaching and learning must fully satisfy one of the following conditions: Have been fully vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19 within 6 months and fully comply with regulations on safety in COVID-19 prevention and control under the guidance of the Ministry of Education and Training, Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs.

- Particularly for vocational education institutions: In the immediate future in 2021 and by the end of the first quarter of 2022, it will allow on-site learning of theory and practice for final-year students and trainees to do graduation thesis.

III. IMPLEMENTATION ORGANIZATION

1. Department of Education and Training

- Actively coordinate with the Department of Health to review and advise on the adjustment of the Safety Criteria for education institutions (if necessary).

- Implement professional guidance on plan of organizing on-site learning suitable for each education level and flexible according to the pandemic risk levels.

- Preside over and coordinate with the Department of Health to organize a meeting to comment on plans on safety of COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control of some pilot education institutions to re-organize on-site teaching.

- Work closely with localities to supervise and inspect the organization of on-site teaching in the localities; promptly report to and advise the City People's Committee.

- Review and promptly advise on policies to support teachers and students with difficulties, and support education institutions, especially non-public education institutions.

- Assume the prime responsibility for receiving teaching plans of higher education institutions, teachers’ training colleges in areas at level-3 and level-4 pandemic risks and coordinate with the Department of Health to submit them to the City People's Committee for approval.

2. Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs

- Actively coordinate with the Department of Health to review and advise on the adjustment of the Safety Criteria for vocational education institutions (if necessary).

- Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Department of Health, the City Center for Disease Control, the Medical Centers, the Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control of the districts and Thu Duc City, where the vocational education institutions are located in, appraising and reporting to the City People's Committee on the plan on on-site learning. Organize delegations to supervise and inspect the organization of on-site teaching of vocational education institutions, and promptly rectify vocational education institutions that do not ensure the COVID-19 prevention and control during on-site teaching.

- Actively guide vocational education institutions to disinfect the entire campus, classrooms and working rooms according to the guidance of the Health sector before organizing on-site learning for students and trainees; fully arrange disinfectant solution bottles in classrooms, working rooms, practice workshops and toilets. Build quarantine rooms and develop plan to use the quarantine rooms as well as detailed handling scenario in case detecting students with suspected symptoms; make health declarations according to the guidance of the Health sector for all officers, teachers, employees, students, etc.

3. Department of Health

- Issue regulations on guiding the implementation of COVID-19 prevention and control measures in education institutions according to current regulations; coordinate with the Department of Education and Training to issue leaflets for propagation of pandemic prevention and control in schools.

- Issue handling plan when detecting F0 and F1 cases in schools.

- Coordinate with the Department of Education and Training to organize a meeting to comment on plans on safety of COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control of 01 pilot education institution to re-organize on-site teaching.

- Direct the Medical centers of Thu Duc City and districts and related units to guide education institutions on cleaning, disinfection before resume operation. Coordinate in the implementation of COVID-19 prevention and control work during organizing on-site learning for students.

- Coordinate with the Department of Education and Training to advise the City People's Committee on the pilot plan on on-site teaching, to learn from experience and expand on-site teaching in the City.

4. People's Committees of Thu Duc City and districts

- Promulgate plans to flexible and safe organization of on-site learning in the locality in accordance with the actual situation of the locality.

- Select 01 education institution to give comments on plan and implementation plan on safety of COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control, thereby serving as a sample for the remaining education institutions in the area.

- Direct their district-level Department of Education and Training to act as a Standing unit to implement the plan on organizing on-site learning in the locality.

- Organize the inspection and appraisal of plans on safety of COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control at education institutions (according to Section 1.4 - Part II).

- Regularly check and adjust the learning method according to the local pandemic risk level.

- Direct relevant specialized departments to ensure the school's operating conditions (personnel, funding, etc).

- Build quick response team with the participation of the local education and health sectors to promptly receive information and propose treatment directions for suspected cases in schools during on-site teaching.

5. Educational institutions

5.1. For higher education institutions, colleges

- Assign principals of higher education institutions to be responsible for developing plans on safety of COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control, based on the scale of schools and classes, arrange the number of students, trainees participating in on-site learning to ensure safe distance and safety for pandemic prevention and control; arrange a quarantine room for handling plan upon detecting any F0 cases.

- Implement training on COVID-19 prevention and control for all officers, teachers, staffs, students and trainees before going back to school.

5.2. For general education institutions

- Develop plans on safety of COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control at education institutions (according to Section 1.4 - Part II), and submit them to the Steering Committees for COVID-19 Prevention and Control of Thu Duc City and districts for appraisal and approval.

- Develop on-site teaching plan under the professional guidance of the Department of Education and Training.

- Implement plans, scenarios, teaching and learning plans under the situation of facilities, resources and students of the units.

- Non-public education institutions with boarding schools shall develop plans for facilities and human resources for teaching and learning plans in accordance with regulations, ensuring safety for pandemic prevention and control.

- Implement training on COVID-19 prevention and control for all officers, teachers, staffs, students and parents of students before going back to school.

- Education institutions shall organize parent-teacher conferences to deploy and disseminate on-site teaching plans in conditions of ensuring the prevention and control of COVID-19 pandemic; coordination between the schools and the parents during on-site learning to ensure the safety of students in pandemic prevention and control.

6. Parents of students

- Take responsibility for coordinating with the schools to organize for students to strictly follow the pandemic prevention and control measures according to the guidance of the health sector and on-site learning according to the plans of the education institutions.

- Take care of and monitor students' health, guide students to well implement COVID-19 prevention and control measures. Not allow students to go to school when they have symptoms of cough, fever, shortness of breath, etc. or are subject to quarantine according to the regulations of the health sector.

- Timely inform head teachers and schools of unusual health problems of students, especially ones related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The above is the plan on organizing on-site learning at education institutions in Ho Chi Minh City, the relevant units are requested to comply with such plan, during implementation process, if there are difficulties or problems, they must promptly report them to the City People's Committee (through the Department of Education and Training) for consideration and resolution./.

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¹ Early childhood education, general education, continuing education, and special education institutions; foreign language and informatics centers; education institutions and units engaged in life skills-based education and extracurricular activities in Ho Chi Minh City.

² Decision No. 3588/QD-BCD dated October 15, 2021 of the Ho Chi Minh City Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control on promulgating the set of safety assessment criteria in the COVID-19 prevention and control for early childhood education institutions; general education institutions; foreign language and informatics centers; education institutions and units engaged in life skills-based education and extracurricular activities in Ho Chi Minh City.