A hybrid teaching model and the most hygienic of educational facilities combined with strict Covid-19 protocols are just some of the steps taken by True Visions International School as it welcomes students back to their classrooms.

With students’ and staff members’ health and safety given top priority, teaching is taking place in a safe and hygienic environment under the watchful eyes of caring and diligent teachers.

“It is time for children to return to school. They have been away from their classes for far too long. Online teaching is fine, but children really need to attend classes and meet their teachers and friends because this is a more productive way of learning.

“In every way, True Visions is ready to welcome back our students. My advice to parents is that we need to learn to live with Covid-19 and we need not fear it as most of us in Phnom Penh have been properly vaccinated.

“We at True Visions are following all the necessary SOPs [standard operating procedures] as set out by the Ministry of Health and the government,” said True Visions founder and CEO Seng Bona.

High school students at Grade 7 to Grade 12 have returned since September, and once the government permits all schools to reopen after months of shutdown due to the pandemic, kindergarten and primary students will rejoin their regular classes with all True Visions campuses having reopened.

Like the other educational institutions in Cambodia, True Visions’ in-classroom teaching was scuttled by the pandemic, disturbing regular timetables and forcing students to stay away from school.

In response, True Visions chalked out its own successful strategy to ensure education continued – quickly revamping its teaching methods, with traditional in-class teaching replaced with virtual learning to ensure students’ studies continued uninterrupted.

With changing conditions as Covid-19 cases are showing signs of decline, the government is slowly permitting businesses and schools to reopen, and True Visions’ management are reassuring parents that their children’s health and safety is ensured when they send them back to the school.

“Some parents are still hesitant to send their children to school, but I would encourage parents to do so because this is now the new normal and we must learn to adapt and live in the new era.

“Our staff are well informed in handling the children, with physical contact not allowed, and we check every student’s temperature before they enter the campus.

“Students will be learning in a new environment when they return. Each classroom will accommodate only 10 students compared to the 18 to 20 students pre-Covid, and students will enjoy a 20-minute break after every 40 minutes of study.

“Fans have replaced air conditioners, while doors and windows are kept open for better ventilation. And a special isolation room is also available on campus for emergency cases,” said Bona.

True Visions’ focus on health predates the pandemic and even goes beyond the classroom.

Since its launch in 2013, hawkers have not been allowed to sell food or drinks in the surrounding area, with only healthy home-cooked food permitted for students.

To ensure the school’s campuses are reopening safely, students, teachers and faculty members all need to show their vaccination cards before entry.

“Students who have not been vaccinated are not allowed to attend classes but can study online at home,” said Bona.

Teachers and faculty members over 50 years of age who have not been vaccinated for health reasons and students with medical conditions who have also not been inoculated are required to teach and learn online.

True Visions was founded in 2013 with a clear mission to nurture exemplary character and self-leadership in students.

The institution offers a well-rounded education in English, Khmer and Chinese from kindergarten to high school levels. True Visions has seven campuses, with five at high school and two at primary and kindergarten levels.