Students of some schools in Nghe An received online learning devices.

Phone for poor students

A week ago, when the policyonline teachingOfficially issued by the Nghe An Department of Education and Training, the Board of Directors of Dien Ky Secondary School (Dien Chau) has requested homeroom teachers of each class to make a list of online learning devices of students in the entire school. Through the list of classes sent, among the more than 600 students of this school year, there are quite a few students who do not have devices such as computers, iPads or phones for online learning.

This is really a difficulty for schools in implementing the school year's tasks and this can disrupt students' learning. To promptly support students withdifficult circumstances, through social networks and alumni associations, parent associations, and school administrators, they called on philanthropists and alumni to support computers, old phones, etc. for students to have the means to study. After only about 1 week of implementation, nearly 40 million VND was donated, most of which came from parents and alumni of the school.

The gifts will help students overcome difficulties. Photo: PV

Among the classes that actively participated, class 9A of teacher Hoang Thi Thu Huong was one of the most effective classes, as the whole class raised nearly 10 million VND and it is expected that this amount of money can support 3-4 students to buy smartphones.

Sharing more about this, Ms. Huong said: Since grade 6, students in the class have kept a "piggy bank" and every year there are small gifts to give to students in need in the class. This school year, compared to many other classes, our class is luckier because up to this point, 40/40 students in the class have had enough teaching equipment. However, with the spirit of mutual love and support, when receiving the call from the homeroom teacher and the school, the members of the class responded positively because they also wanted their friends to have enough means to study online, especially the final students in grade 9. We are also very happy because the parents in the class also agreed to support and there were people who donated from 3 to 5 million VND.

Parents of Dien Ky Secondary School donated money to buy equipment for disadvantaged students. Photo: PV

Up to this point, through discussion, teacher Nguyen Quynh Lien - Principal of the school is also very happy that currently 100% of the school's students have enough phones to study: From now until the new school year begins, the school will ask the Commune Youth Union to give 19 phones to students' families, each phone costs 1,700,000 VND. The remaining amount will be given by the school to the child of a teacher in the school who recently passed away from cancer to encourage the children before the new school year. If there are enough means, this school year the teachers will only focus on teaching online, not having to hand out papers or collect papers anymore...

Efforts of schools

Due to the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic, right after the opening day, from September 6, students in Nghe An province from primary to high school will implement online teaching. This option is considered the most optimal solution in the current situation, but besides that, many difficulties and shortcomings also arise, especially in terms of students' learning equipment. In fact, through surveys of many localities, the number of students with enough equipment to study is still very modest, especially in rural and mountainous areas.

In Ky Son district, out of 9,730 primary school students in the district, only 2,579 students have the means to study and of these, only about 500 students have computers, the remaining nearly 2,000 students have to study via phone. In addition, there are nearly 5,000 students in areas without Internet connection. The number of secondary school students with online learning devices also accounts for less than 30% with 1,640/6,067 students.

Or in Tuong Duong district, the whole district has 7,420 primary school students but only 47.5% of students are eligible for online learning, secondary school has 4,984 students but only 33.7% are eligible to study. Previously, according to statistics from the Department of Education and Training, in favorable areas, the rate of students eligible for online learning is 90%, while in the remaining areas only about 60% of students are eligible to study.

Nghi Loc 4 High School equips disadvantaged students with phones for online learning 2. Photo: PV

To overcome the above difficulties, recently, localities and schools have also developed teaching plans in the new situation. In addition, many schools have also focused on calling for and mobilizing to support online learning equipment for students.

At Nghi Loc 4 High School, according to the school's survey, this year the school has 34/1,417 students without teaching equipment. To help students overcome difficulties and with the spirit of "leaving no student behind", the school mobilized former students and the school's study promotion association to raise more than 40 million VND to buy and provide 34 smartphones and 3G, 4G SIM cards, ensuring that 100% of the school's students have enough equipment to study online from this school year.

At Kim Lien High School, the school principal also sent an “open letter” to organizations, businesses and parents after a survey found that there were about 20 students without online learning resources. The letter also shared the difficulties and hoped that the cooperation of the whole society would help the school and students achieve the goal of “students who are out of school will not stop learning” and will “light up the dreams” of poor students to study.

After 24 hours of implementation, teacher Duong Van Son - Principal of the school shared: We are very happy that despite launching in a short time, the school has raised nearly 30 million VND. The school will consider and choose appropriate means to promptly deliver this amount to students before the new school year begins. These will be very useful means for students to study online during the complicated epidemic situation...

The Education sector provides training to organize online teaching. Photo: MH

The sharing of teachers and benefactors also shows the companionship and determination of the people of the province towards the education of children. And this will be the motivation for teachers and students to enter a new school year, although difficult, still full of joy and hope...