The new academic year has started today [September 5] in Vietnam with nearly 23 million schoolchildren, from kindergarten to high school grades.

Activities to celebrate the new school year take place since the early morning in a most enjoyable atmosphere.

Nearly 23 million schoolchildren across Vietnam start the 2020-2021 academic year

Flags and flowers are on stages, in schools, and on the streets to welcome schoolchildren on a festive occasion.

The new school year opens at a time when the novel coronavirus has been contained in Vietnam while safety measures have been strictly imposed.

In such a situation, the song “Vietnam oi! Danh bay Covid” (Hey, Vietnam – Pushing back Covid-19) is highlighted during the ceremony while art performances are removed from the celebrations.

Hanoi

Marie Curie School in Hanoi. Photo: Ngoc Thanh

To ensure safety, Hanoi’s authorities ask schools to limit the opening ceremony to no more than one hour while social distancing is strictly required.

Beginning the 2020-2021 academic year, the city has 2.1 million schoolchildren, the largest number nationwide.

Many classes in populous urban districts of Hoang Mai, Nam Tu Liem, and Dong Da have more than 50 each.

Ho Chi Minh City

Phu Nhuan School in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Minh Tam

Le Hong Son, director of the city’s Department of Education and Training, said the department sets up four tasks for the school year namely to train students to be qualified citizens capable of adapting to the international integration; to become dutiful children; to be capable of finding good jobs; and to contribute to the city and country's development.

Nguyen Du High School in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Huu Khoa

Danang

Danang, the hotspot of the novel coronavirus with 551 infections from the resurgence of SARS-CoV-2 on July 25 until now, holds no school opening ceremonies for its 270,000 schoolchildren.

On the same day, a brief program was broadcast on DanangTV1 and DanangTV2 channels instead.

The 2020-2021 academic year, with nearly 23 million pupils from kindergarten to high school, begins from September 5, 2020 to January 16, 2021 for the first semester, and ends before May 31, 2021.

In this school year, the education sector begins using new textbooks for the first grade, focuses on improving teachers’ qualifications, and boosting training quality in English.