Cold weather school closure regulations should be flexible

A teacher leads physical activities for preschool children at Quan Hoa Preschool in Hà Nội’s Cầu Giấy District. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The extremely cold weather in the northern region has caused disruptions for many families with young children attending preschool and elementary school in Hà Nội in the past two days. Many schools unexpectedly closed, forcing parents to take leave from work, work from home, or quickly find someone to care for their children when they cannot attend school.

Under the city’s Department of Education and Training’s regulations, preschools and elementary schools across the city notified parents not to send their children to school when the temperature dropped below 10 degrees Celsius.

For the past two days, Trần Duy Hưng in Quỳnh Lôi Ward, Hai Bà Trưng District, has had to take his 8-year-old son to the office instead of sending him to school as usual. His son’s school, Ngô Quyền Primary School, suspended classes due to the temperatures dropping below 10 degrees Celsius.

“My child is happy, but we are not. Towards the end of the year, when work is busy, we cannot take time off. Leaving the child at home alone is not a good solution, and taking him to work affects my job,” he told Việt Nam News.

What dissatisfies him is that the house is only 400 metres from the school. Instead of going to school, his child must travel over 10 kilometres to his workplace.

Hưng said his son is adequately dressed in warm clothes, so the cold weather is not an issue. Moreover, the classroom is equipped with two-way air conditioning, and there are warm blankets and pillows.

“I think applying a general rule for children to stay home when the temperature is below 10 degrees is not appropriate. Not every family has grandparents nearby to ask for help. Besides, the workplace is even farther, and not every workplace allows children to come,” he said.

Sharing the same opinion, Nguyễn Thanh Chung, whose child attends Mai Động Elementary School in Hoàng Mai District, said that the current rule of suspending classes due to the cold is not flexible according to different regions.

“Schools should be flexible in accepting children if families have the need. Most schools in the inner city have good facilities, so there is no need to close schools. If children stay home, adults must take time off or find a way to send the child to someone to take care of,” she said.

When temperatures drop below 10 degrees Celsius, in mountainous areas, suburban areas, or schools lacking cold-resistant facilities, priority should be given to the health of the students, she added.

Chung mentioned that her son’s school has shifted to online learning. She also recalled her own childhood days when, on many cold days below 7 degrees, her hands were so cold that she couldn’t hold a pen, but she still enjoyed going to school.

Nutritious, warm food is prepared for preschool children at Quan Hoa Preschool. — VNA/VNS Photo

On Tuesday morning, dozens of elementary schools and kindergartens in Hà Nội announced class suspensions when the outdoor temperature dropped below 10 degrees Celsius. Some schools completely suspended classes, while others still managed students and assigned homework to those who didn’t attend. Some schools proactively arranged online learning or announced a delayed start.

The city Department of Education and Training’s regulations on cold weather closures have sparked discussions among parents. Some agree with students staying home, stating that it’s a general rule for the majority and has been in place for a long time. However, others disagree, suggesting that in harsh weather conditions, children should learn to adapt and simply dress warmly when at school.

To address this issue, many schools have implemented flexible solutions.

Vũ Thị Kiều Nga, principal of Quan Hoa Preschool in Cầu Giấy District, said 140 out of a total of 340 students attended school yesterday.

The school announced a one-hour delayed start, so children didn’t have to leave home early.

The classrooms are equipped with heating, and all classrooms have foam-padded floors, hot water dispensers, and tightly sealed glass doors to prevent drafts. Bedding items for nap time, including blankets, mattresses and pillows, were also provided, she said.

Nga said the school sent notifications to parents as soon as it received information about severe cold weather. This helped parents feel confident in sending their children.

At Nghĩa Tân Elementary School in Cầu Giấy District, only 12 students attended school out of a total of 3,287 students in the entire school yesterday. Despite the low attendance, the school still arranged for teachers to manage and care for students.

“Parents can rest assured to go to work and pick up their children as on normal school days,” said the school’s vice principal Trịnh Thị Chung Thủy.

In the mountainous area of Ba Vì, schools in the district continue to operate normally, with officials, teachers and staff performing their duties as usual. Schools plan makeup lessons for the days students miss due to the cold.

Phùng Ngọc Oanh, director of the Ba Vì District’s Office of Education and Training, stated that given the geographical characteristics of the mountainous region, several days before the weather turned severely cold, schools in the district proactively reviewed their facilities to ensure warm classrooms and protection from drafts.

Preschools and elementary schools prepared food supplies to serve students who come to school, he said.

According to Hà Nội’s Department of Education and Training, on the first day of severe cold weather, the attendance rate at both public and private preschools was relatively high. Tây Hồ District had an attendance rate of over 80 per cent, Hà Đông District was at 59 per cent, Nam Từ Liêm District achieved over 52 per cent, and Thanh Xuân District reached 46 per cent. — VNS

BOX: Temperature drops significantly, students in mountainous provinces take days off

LAI CHÂU – The Department of Education and Training of Lai Châu Province reported that due to the continuing decrease in temperature, a total of 70 schools with 27,783 students were given days off to avoid the cold yesterday.

Among them, schools with students on leave were mainly located in the districts of Sìn Hồ (30 schools with over 8,330 students), Tam Dương (13 schools with more than 5,960 students), Phong Thổ (11 schools with around 5,300 students), and the remaining schools were in Than Uyên District.

In Yên Bái Province, nine preschools with nearly 2,800 children in highland communes where the temperature dropped below 8 degrees Celsius, granted leave for the children. In areas with higher temperatures, students attended school as usual.

In Mu Căng Chải District, there were four preschools with nearly 2,000 students in the high mountainous communes of Nậm Có, Cao Phạ, Nậm Khắt and Chế Tạo, where students were on leave.

According to information from the Department of Education and Training of Lào Cai Province, in Sa Pa Town, 17 out of 59 schools with 7,402 students were on leave. In Bắc Hà District, 12 schools with 3,624 students were on leave.

The provincial Department of Education and Training has requested schools to regularly monitor and assess weather conditions and develop strategies for preventing cold-related issues for students. – VNS