Hanoi (VNA)𒅌 – The three-day high school graduation examination took place in a smooth and safe manner, according to the Ministry of Education and Training after receiving reports from 63 Steering Committees for the exam in localities across the country.

Arriving at the testing location even earlier than candidates, Hoang Minh Hang, Vice President of the Vietnam Youth Federation of Thanh Tri district in Hanoi, and other volunteer youngsters carefully wore gloves and rearranged facemasks and hand sanitisers and thermometers, getting ready to welcome contestants. Hang said that she was part of more than 3,000 youth volunteers of the capital city as well as hundreds of thousands of others across the country as well as the force of sectors and localities who are joining hands in organising the exam in a proper and safe manner amidst the complicated developments of COVID-19.

Tightening pandemic prevention measures

Reaching the exam site at Ngo Thi Nham high school in Hanoi, Tran Thai Binh, a candidate from Ngoc Hoi high school, was welcomed right from the school gate by the volunteers who gave her facemask and hand sanitisers. “Despite the spreading of the pandemic, I feel comfortable to sit here for the exam as all testing rooms are equipped with hand sanitisers for contestants. We also received free facemasks,” said Binh. After the candidates entered the testing rooms, the volunteers delivered water bottles to parents who were waiting for their children at the school gate, while popularising distancing measures to prevent the spreading of the pandemic. Thanh Tri district has four testing locations. The district Communist Youth Union was divided into eight teams to work with local youngsters, students and teachers to support the examinees. They were all covered by insurance. “This year, the pandemic has forced the volunteer activities to focus on disease prevention to ensure safety for candidates and those engaging in the exam. Volunteers are asked to wear gloves while delivering face masks to candidates and their parents to ensure safety,” said Hang. This year examination also saw the active engagement of health care staff. Prior to the examination date, Doctor Nguyen Huu Binh and his co-workers at the Ha Dong medical station sprayed antibacterial chemicals at all five exam locations in the locality. All activities were calculated carefully to ensure highest safety for candidates. “After spraying the chemicals, we opened all the rooms’ doors so that all contestants are not affected by the chemicals,” said Doctor Binh.

Safety first

The testing location at Ngo Thi Nham high school hosted 461 candidates. Phung Van Tan, Principal of Ly Tu Tan high school who is in charge of the location, said that there are three back-up rooms with six supervisors in case students are found have symptoms of COVID-19. All officials have temperature checked and are required to wear masks and gloves, he added. Meanwhile in another testing place at Nam Tu Liem secondary school, all test takers were asked to make health declarations while processing registering procedures for the exam on August 8. They stood two metres away from each other while queuing in front of the testing rooms’ doors. At another testing location at Viet Duc high school, staff from the Hoan Kiem district medical central cleaned the rooms three days before the exam took place. Le Thi Quyen, who is in charge of the location, said that ensuring the health safety of officials, supervisors and test takers is the top priority. “We reminded candidates to strictly implement preventive measures like wearing masks and throughout the exam,” said Quyen. The strict application of the preventive measures helped candidates feel peace in mind to focus on the exam. Nguyen Phuong Linh, a candidate who took the exam at Viet Duc high school, said that she feels safe as all people get body temperature measurement, wear face masks and make health declarations. This year, Hanoi had nearly 80,000 students registering for the exam. Le Ngoc Quang, Vice Director of the city Department of Education and Training said that no exam in the past did the city have to prepare more plans to ensure safety for test takers than this year due to COVID-19./.