LaoCai (VNS/VNA) - Schools in the northern mountainous provinceof Lao Cai are working hard to keep their students warm amid the chill ofwinter.

Accordingto regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training, when the temperatureis below 10 degrees Celsius, students should be off school. However, if thisregulation was applied, there would be too many days off for kids in Lao Cai.Therefore, highland localities such as Bac Ha, Sa Pa and Si Ma Cai districtshave to flexibly apply this regulation depending on the weather and thefacilities in schools.

OnDecember 18, when the temperature in the area fluctuated between 5-8 degreesCelsius, only one school in Sa Pa Town had to let students stay off, which isSa Pa Primary School with 35 classes and 1,229 students.

DoVan Tan, Head of the Sa Pa Town Department of Education and Training, saidgiving students a cold break is done by schools on the basis of the actualweather situation.

"Thereare many sub-regions of different climates in Sa Pa, for example, Muong Hoa communeis often warmer. Therefore, the town People's Committee has writteninstructions on days when the temperature drops below 6 degrees Celsius, schoolprincipals will decide on school leave", he said.

Tanadded that some schools, despite the weather, maintain normal teaching andlearning because they are equipped to beat the cold. Some students even find itwarmer at school than at home.

On cold daysin Sa Pa Town, the attendance rate of students in the lower secondary andprimary grades has not decreased significantly, only about 0.3 percent.

Todo that, Tan said, the fight against the cold for students has received carefrom the Sa Pa Department of Education and Training since the beginning of theschool year.

Thedepartment invested more than 10 billion VND (more than 431,000 USD) inmaintaining and repairing classrooms such as windows, doors, roofing and buyingbasic items of schools and classes to prevent cold such as blankets, sheets,mattresses and pillows.

Itdirected schools not to allow students to go outdoors and to stay in theclassroom.

InSa Pa, the town education sector has upgraded the electricalinfrastructure for schools, adding heating equipment for students, especiallypreschool students. Currently, all schools with grid electricity in Sa Pa Townare provided with heating in the classroom by the education department.

Thesame measures are taken in Si Ma Cai District.

NguyenKieu Oanh, head of the district’s division of education and training, said thaton cold days, the attendance rate of the district's students is still high,including 97.5 percent in kindergarten, primary school 99.3 percent and juniorsecondary school 97.7 percent.

Theeducation department noted that based on the conditions of each region,schools can adjust the study time, not force students to wear uniforms if theyare not warm enough and limit outdoor activities.

Inaddition, to ensure school safety in the winter, in a recent letter on preventingcold for students, Duong Bich Nguyet, Director of the Lao Cai Department ofEducation and Training, requested schools pay attention to the prevention offire and explosions when using heating equipment for students./.