Debating the proposal to stop in-person learning if there are more than 100 heavy F0s

Most schools support stopping direct schooling if the number of severe F0 cases in children increases sharply, but it is recommended to consider each specific location.

Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health Tang Chi Thuong said that from February 14 to now, 7,505 cases have been recorded in schools, including more than 700 teachers and nearly 6,800 students.

The health sector is closely monitoring the number of cases, severe cases needing respiratory support at hospitals; advise the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City to consider stopping face-to-face school when the number of children infected with Covid-19 has severe symptoms and needs respiratory support, more than 100 cases per day. The proposal is interested by many school leaders, especially at elementary and preschool levels because children of this age have not been vaccinated.

Ms. Ngo Thi Thuy Lan, Vice Principal of An Hoi Primary School, Go Vap District, said that, after nearly two weeks of face-to-face learning, the school recorded more than 50 F0 students, three cases being teachers. Five classes at the school had to stop face-to-face and switch to online; the remaining classes have F0, two forms must be organized in parallel.

With more than 3,700 students, An Hoi Primary School is the second largest school in the city; Each class has an average of 45 students. The school also organizes day-boarding for more than 1,100 students. The increase of F0 this week puts great pressure on the school’s management and teaching.

According to Ms. Lan, if the city had an average of 100 F0 children with severe symptoms, the density of F0 in schools would then be very large, far exceeding the current number. Many classes of a school, even the school may have to stop in-person, move online. Parents at that time did not feel secure sending their children to school.

“The problem of face-to-face and online parallel teaching is very complicated at the moment. Therefore, synchronously switching to online learning in the context of more than 100 severe cases is reasonable. Learning can slow down, students’ health can be affected. birth is more important,” Ms. Lan said.

The principal of an elementary school in the inner city also agreed to stop direct school when the number of severe F0 cases in children is over 100 per day. He supported this idea from the fact that less than three weeks after Tet, the number of F0 in schools reached thousands, of which many students had not been vaccinated.

“If the city has more than 100 seriously ill children, the number of F0 in schools could be 5-7, even dozens of times higher than now. At that time, learning at schools almost had to be moved to online. Quynh decided to stop completely. centralized learning, moving everything online is better than teaching one style at a time,” the principal said.

Currently, although the number of F0 children in the community is increasing, most of them are mild cases. Of the 100 children being treated as inpatients at the city’s three children’s hospitals (including 15 cases transferred from other provinces), 89% have moderate or mild symptoms.

At Children’s Hospital 2, Doctor Do Chau Viet, Head of Covid-19 Department, said that out of 52 children being treated, only three cases of respiratory support, the rest are monitored and given medication to treat symptoms. background medicine.

The number of F0 children being hospitalized at the City Children’s Hospital is lower, with 12 cases, and no children need respiratory support, according to deputy director Nguyen Minh Tien. At Children’s Hospital 1, out of more than 30 children being treated, only 5 need respiratory support to treat pre-existing medical conditions.

Although agreeing with the plan of the Department of Health in the criterion “number of severe cases per 100”, many school leaders proposed to combine the “locality” criterion when deciding to stop face-to-face learning.

Teacher Le Ngoc Phong, Principal of Nguyen Thai Binh Primary School, District 4, said that if most of the cases are concentrated in a few districts, the remaining localities should teach directly. This avoids wasting time and resources studying in green areas, where the epidemic is under control.

Mr. Phong said, Nguyen Thai Binh Primary School in the past two weeks recorded eight F0 students. In some classes, students have to switch to online learning. The teaching and half-boarding are evaluated stably and quite effectively.

Mr. Tran Tu Duy, Executive Director of Tre Viet School System, District 12 shared the same view, saying that it is necessary to assess the epidemic situation in specific districts, wards and communes. “You should only transfer online in areas with a high risk of infection. The area is assessed as safe. Face-to-face learning should be organized to ensure the interests of students and reduce pressure on parents,” Mr. Duy said. speak.

Meanwhile, many principals disagree with the proposed plan of the Department of Health.

According to an elementary school leader in District 8, F0 appearing in the school is a forecasted situation, carefully prepared before opening. The treatment plan F0, F1 of the health sector has just been issued in detail, schools can do it skillfully. The time to isolate F1 is also shortened to 7 days for children who have not been vaccinated and 5 days for children with full shots. These are facilities that help schools deal with arising incidents quickly and neatly.

“In fact, the possibility of infection in children when going to school or at home is not much different. The most important thing now is how to handle F0, F1, arrange so that learning takes place continuously rather than calculating the method. suspension,” she said.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Quynh, the investor and manager of four preschool facilities in Thu Duc City and District 12, said that at the primary and preschool levels, children go to school according to their residential area, with little movement. , wide exposure.

“It is necessary to carefully consider and calculate the criteria for schools if the number of severe F0 cases in children increases sharply, should not be rigid at one number. If they have to open and close continuously, it will be very tiring for parents”, Ms. Quynh speak.

Currently, preschool children are over three years old, all students from primary to high school in Ho Chi Minh City learn directly. Many schools are maintaining the model of face-to-face teaching combined with online in the context of a sharp increase in the number of F0 cases.

Manh Tung

Cart

Login