Hanoi, (VNA) – The Ministry of Educationand Training has asked schools to provide psychological support for studentswhen they return to in-person classes, an official has said.

In an interview with the Vietnam News Agency (VNA), NguyenThanh De, Director of the Physical Education Department under the Ministry ofEducation and Training (MoIT), said students should have more chances tointeract with each other at school, especially first graders.

According to the official, the MoIT has coordinatedwith the Ministry of Health to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, consolidate medicalservices in schools and vaccinate children against the virus.

The MoIT has also instructed the provincial and municipal Departments ofEducation and Training to take measures to improve teaching and learning standards,saying more attention should be paid to twelfth graders and that educationalinstitutions should sketch out plans to conclude the 2021-2022 academic yearbefore June 30.

Localities that fail to wrap up the academic yearbefore the end of June will need to submit detailed reports, De added.

Educational institutions should work to fill theknowledge gaps for students after months of online learning, and take measuresto support students who have to suspend their in-person classes due to thepandemic.

As of April 12, all 63 centrally-run cities and provinces across the country havereopened schools or made detailed plans on school resumption. Kindergarteners in Hanoi will reopen on April13.

De pointed out that during the first days of reopening,schools have met difficulties in dealing with students infected with COVID-19,and those who have had close contact with them./.