School administrators make ready for resumption of classes
 
Many primary and secondary schools in Vientiane are cleaning classrooms and arranging preventive equipment and suitable seating with social distancing for students as precautionary measures in readiness for the resumption of lessons.
Classes for Grade 5 at primary school and Grades 4 and 7 at secondary school are set to reopen on May 18. All state and private schools nationwide should implement precautionary measures to ensure the well-being of students and teachers and to prevent further outbreaks of the coronavirus, authorities have advised.

The Ministry of Education and Sports and National Taskforce Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control have recommended numerous actions for primary and secondary schools across the country.
Homsavanh School, a private primary and secondary school in Vientiane, is one of many schools implementing preventive measures ahead of reopening.
School Director, Mr Vannakone Phongsisay, told Vientiane Times on Tuesday, they were following instructions from the ministry so they could be organised in time.
“To be ready for the resumption of classes on May 18, we have increased the number of classrooms for Grade 5 primary and Grade 4 secondary students. We have arranged suitable seating for students with social distancing, and improved the curriculum by focusing on important subjects, including mathematics and Lao language,” he said.
“Our school is keeping the premises clean to reduce the risk of infections by cleaning classrooms once a week, and will promote handwashing activities three times a day,” he added.
In addition, school staff have arranged set places for parents to pick up their children to reduce overcrowding, and everyone must have their body temperature checked before entering school premises.
School administrators, teachers and parents will monitor student temperatures closely. Anyone with flu-like symptoms will be taken to a hospital for observation or ordered to stay at home, and school administrators will inform the taskforce committee.
Meanwhile, classes for other grades along with tertiary institutions and kindergartens will remain suspended until they receive official approval from the government.
In response to the closure of schools, the Ministry of Education and Sports has launched a new television and radio teaching programme covering vital primary subjects.
Curriculum writers and a media production team from the Research Institute for Educational Sciences have been working to produce, on average, three video lessons per day.
The subjects covered for Grades 1 to 5 are Lao Language, mathematics and English. The programme is broadcast on Lao National TV Channel 1and on Lao National Radio FM and AM.

By Keoviengkhone Bounviseth
(Latest Update May 13, 2020)