Hanoi schools cancel classes, shift to online learning as storm Kajiki hits

Several schools that had scheduled student gatherings ahead of the new academic year suspended plans to ensure safety.

Under current regulations, only students of grades 1, 9, and 12 are attending school before the September 5 opening ceremony.

Principals said they informed parents early in the morning after monitoring weather and flood reports.

Cao Thanh Nga, principal of Phan Huy Chu High School, said she used electronic platforms and text messages to notify students to stay home.

The school will switch to online teaching until after Vietnam’s National Day (September 2) due to the impact of the storm and parade rehearsal schedules for the National Day celebrations.

Other schools across Tay Ho, Hai Ba Trung, and Dong Da Wards also suspended classes, citing heavy rain coinciding with students’ arrival times.

Parents said they contacted schools directly and were advised to keep their children at home.

Tran The Cuong, director of the Hanoi Department of Education and Training, confirmed to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that schools have been instructed to remain flexible, suspend in-person teaching where necessary, and ensure students’ safety during flooding.

Universities in the Vietnamese capital also shifted to remote learning.

The Hanoi University of Civil Engineering announced that all classes scheduled for Tuesday would be conducted online.

The Hanoi University of Languages and International Studies under the Vietnam National University-Hanoi postponed health checks for new students and moved orientations online.

CMC University delayed its Orientation Day, while Banking Academy of Vietnam, East Asia University of Technology, and Thuongmai University also switched to online classes.

At Thuongmai University, students began online classes from the second shift and will continue until Wednesday due to road closures and traffic restrictions for the National Day parade rehearsals.

On Saturday last week, the Ministry of Education and Training issued an urgent directive requiring provinces from Quang Ngai northward to take precautions against typhoon Kajiki, the fifth to enter the East Vietnam Sea this year.

The ministry warned of widespread flooding, landslides, and flash floods in low-lying areas and ordered local schools to safeguard facilities, relocate equipment, and prepare to resume classes quickly after the storm.

Kajiki made landfall in the north-central provinces of Nghe An and Ha Tinh on Monday afternoon.

The storm damaged nearly 7,000 homes, inundated 28,800 hectares of rice plantings and felled 18,000 trees, Reuters reported, citing the Vietnamese government.

The system’s lingering circulation has also brought intense rainfall in Hanoi, causing severe flooding across major streets including Thang Long Boulevard, To Huu, Nguyen Tuan, Nguyen Trai, Nguyen Xien, and Nghiem Xuan Yem on Tuesday morning.