Nearly 3,000 students in Ky Son district cannot go to school due to flash floods

On the afternoon of October 3, Mr. Phan Van Thiet - Head of the Department of Education and Training of Ky Son district said:Flood in the early morning of October 2directly affected 2 school locations of Ta Ca Kindergarten and Primary School in Hoa Son village.

Two schools of Ta Ca Commune Kindergarten and Primary School were flooded with mud. Photo: Minh Quan

On October 2, these two schools were submerged in water 1.5m - 2m deep. By October 3, the floodwaters had receded, but the campuses and classrooms of these two schools were covered with a huge amount of soil, rocks, wood, and trash, which would take at least a week to clean up.

Current status of 2 Kindergarten and Primary Schools in Hoa Son village, Ta Ca commune seen from above. Photo: Thanh Cuong

As of the afternoon of October 3, in the entire Ky Son district, 11 schools were still unable to resume teaching, with nearly 3,000 students affected, in the communes of Ta Ca, Bao Nam, Huu Lap, Chieu Luu, Na Ngoi, and Nam Can, due to severe landslides on the roads to school.

Along with that, statistics on the damage of cadres and teachers in the area show that: 11 houses of teachers' families were completely swept away by floodwaters; 10 houses of teachers' families had all their property swept away; 17 teachers' households suffered partial property damage due to floodwaters, soil, and rocks entering their houses.

The most severely damaged were the houses of teachers in Hoa Son village, Ta Ca commune, such as Ms. Hoang Thi Hang (teacher of Ta Ca Kindergarten), Ms. Lo Thi Trang, Ms. La Thi Coong (teachers of Chieu Luu 2 Kindergarten), Ms. Denh Y Do (all teachers of Huoi Tu Kindergarten)...

Mr. Phan Van Thiet also said that immediately after the flood, the District Department of Education and Training directed kindergartens, primary schools, and secondary schools in the district to focus on propaganda and dissemination of information on ensuring safety for teachers and students in the context of complicated and unpredictable floods; repair damaged classrooms, dormitories, and dining rooms to quickly stabilize teaching, eating, and living for students; and launch a fundraising campaign to support the families of teachers who suffered losses.

For schools that have to close for many days, there needs to be a plan to organize make-up classes to ensure quality and order.

Teachers from Ky Son High School take isolated students from Hoa Son and Son Ha villages, Ta Ca commune, across a temporary bridge to return to school. Photo: Minh Quan

Also on October 3, after receiving information that 60 students of Ky Son High School were stranded in Hoa Son and Son Ha villages, Ta Ca commune, the school mobilized staff and teachers to go to the village with functional forces and local people to build a temporary bridge to welcome the students back to school to stabilize their living conditions and return to school soon.

Mr. Le Van Tao - Principal of Ky Son High School said that the school has organized a survey of the students' damages, through which, 137 students who were staying at a boarding house had their belongings swept away, and their family's houses were buried by soil and rocks due to landslides.

Students staying in isolated boarding houses in Hoa Son and Son Ha villages, Ta Ca commune, were welcomed to stay in the dormitory of Ky Son High School. Photo: Minh Quan

In addition to providing stable food and accommodation, the school also provides clothing support for the children. Photo: Minh Quan

"The school will launch a fundraising campaign among all staff, teachers, and employees of the school, and at the same time, call for support from organizations and individuals to help students feel secure in returning to school," said Mr. Tao.