Waiting for the school yard to be filled with joyful music

Lecture hall of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi on the first days back to school

The weather in Hanoi since Tet has been humid and cold, my chronic sinusitis has made me cough, have difficulty breathing and have to see a doctor every day. The doctor said my illness is not contagious, but I should avoid crowded meetings because my cough makes others worry.

Remember the "youth" of university

Except for mandatory meetings at school, I work at home. Proofreading students' papers, doing research, preparing lectures... are jobs that can be done well without going to school. I miss my students and long to be in the cheerful, lively atmosphere of the university, always full of youthfulness, that I am used to. But at this moment, thinking about the dynamism of the students, I don't know why I feel a little apprehensive and my imagination has the opportunity to activate scary scenarios.

Under the credit system, each student has their own timetable, which means they do not study all the subjects together during the day. A student can study 3-4 subjects in a day, in the same class with completely different students. Each class can have up to 100, even 120 other students. Their mobility and contact coefficient is therefore very high. If unfortunately one student is infected with COVID-19, the risk of spreading this terrible disease will be very wide and fast.

My eldest son is preparing for his final high school exam, the most important exam of his school life. My youngest son is only 9 years old. We live in an apartment building. What if I get infected or come into contact with someone who is sick and have to be quarantined? What will happen to my family, the people who live in my apartment building... A series of questions I cannot answer myself and cannot find official guidance anywhere.

Each person is conscious, the community will be safe

More than a month off after Tet because of the COVID-19 epidemic in anxiety, worry, daily routine and work were disrupted, my body wanted to change state because of the feeling of stagnation while my mind was still wondering like that, it was really tiring.

I think if I just sit here and worry, it won't solve anything, while the school's assigned tasks still need to be carried out. So I need to call on students to raise their personal awareness of epidemic prevention. If everyone is aware, there will be a safe classroom, a safe school, and a safe community.

So I posted on my Facebook page a message to the students about what to expect when they return to school next week. I informed them of my health status and suggested ways to protect themselves. I also reminded them to let me know if they had any symptoms and I would support them in finding a solution while trying to ensure their best learning interests in my department.

I didn’t expect so many students to respond positively to my words. I felt warm and more confident. Having students share my worries and responsibilities to others gave us all hope that we would be able to safely get through this stormy semester.

Life goes on

During the first days of school, both teachers and students came to school with an indescribable sense of excitement. The school had prepared enough hand sanitizer, posted notices on disease prevention instructions in each lecture hall and bulletin board; and disinfected all lecture halls, campus, hallways, and restrooms...

Students are advised to avoid close contact, temporarily stop shaking hands, and are required to wear masks at all times in the classroom. Microphones are sterilized and wrapped in cloth bags, and replaced after each use...

In many lecture halls, the number of students attending classes was only about 70% because many students were waiting and waiting to hear from their classmates who had already come to school, and some students reported being sick. I asked a few students about their feelings when they returned to school, all of them seemed not too worried but no longer as carefree and happy as before. Not all of them wore masks throughout the class because they felt stuffy and stuffy.

I stood in the hallway looking down at the deserted schoolyard. Here and there, a few students wearing masks huddled together chatting after a long time apart. In the study room, only a few people wearing masks quietly read books.

I hope that the school yard will soon be bustling again, bustling with excited faces, lively and energetic dance groups and especially the bright smiles like before. Yes, the school yard lacks music and smiles. Tomorrow, I will suggest that the school play happy songs during break time... Life will still have to go on.

According to Tuoi Tre Online