The Hanoi Department of Education and Training has decided that the academic year of 2022-23 will start on September 5 as usual, according to a decision issued by Vice Chairman of Hanoi People's Committee Chu Xuan Dung.

The decision will be applied to educational facilities from kindergarten to high schools, as well as centers for continuing education.

Ceremonies to kick off the school year city-wide are scheduled for September 5, with the first and second semesters planned to be completed before January 16 and May 25, respectively.

“The school opening day is set at the appointed time after the Covid-19 pandemic has been controlled. However, educational institutions will have to strictly implement measures to prevent and control the Covid-19 disease in accordance with the protocols as the pandemic threat remains,” Dung said.

He noted that inaugural ceremonies held for elementary pupils are important and the facemask rule has to be observed to ensure safety.

“At the ceremonies, schools will not be allowed to organize parades, singing performances, and balloons releasing,” the vice chairman stressed.

Ceremony to kick off the school year at Nhat Tan Secondary School in Hanoi’s Tay Ho District. Photo: Tran Oanh

Officials, teachers, staff, students and delegates with symptoms of cough, fever, and shortness of breath are advised not to attend the opening of schools ceremony. Parents should not be inside the school premises or gather outside the school.

Besides, schools are asked to perform cleaning and disinfection before the first day of the school year and maintain daily disinfection.

Holidays during the year will follow regulations set by the Labor Code and related annual guiding documents.

The city has asked the director of the municipal Department of Education and Training to seriously implement the timeline planned for the academic year and propose changes in such special cases as natural disasters and disease outbreaks.

The 2022-23 year is expected to finish before May 31 next year.  

In preparation for the 2022-23 school year, Hanoi has stepped up investment in equipment and built new classrooms and schools to meet teaching and learning requirements, especially for grades 3, 7, and 10 according to the 2018 General Education Program.

According to Deputy Director of Hanoi Department of Education and Training Pham Xuan Tien, in the 2021-22 academic year, the city has 2,835 schools with nearly 73,000 classrooms and over 2,206,900 students, the largest number in Vietnam.

Tien said the number of schools that meet the national standards as of April 2022 is 1,766 (reaching the rate of 79%). Reducing the number of students in the classroom is one of the tasks that need to be done to improve the quality of training.

However, it is difficult to achieve the set plans as Hanoi is facing a rapidly growing population. Although the capital city annually builds many new schools, teachers still have to teach overcrowded classes, Tien said.

The rapid population growth, especially in the core and developing districts, has put great pressure on the capital city's education sector in arranging classrooms and ensuring that the schools meet the national standards.

Moreover, the Covid-19 pandemic has also affected the progress of investment projects, renovation work, and equipment procurement.