In the northern province of Bac Giang, once a coronavirus hotspot, the new school year will begin on September 6 and end on May 25 next year in line with the MOET’s plan.

First-graders will begin school from August 23 to acquaint themselves with the new school environment and regulations before the school year formally begins.

In May, Bac Giang was Vietnam’s COVID-19 epicentre but now only a handful of cases are reported each day and 99.8% of patients have been discharged from hospital. The province has also administered vaccines to 18% of its population.

Other provinces such as Ninh Binh, Yen Bai, Tuyen Quang and Ha Tinh also have similar plans as first-graders will begin to go to school on August 23.

The only difference in their plans is the end date of the academic year, all no later than May 31.

Under the MOET’s guidelines, each locality can formulate an agenda appropriate to their actual situation but the key dates are not allowed to be 15 days later than in the general plan.

For provinces and cities where strict social distancing measures are still in place, students can start their new school year in mid-September or even October and finish their school year in June next year.