Highland students drop out of school: Final article - Not just relying on propaganda and mobilization
Regarding the solution to limit dropouts, Mr. Phan Anh Tai - Head of the Education Department of Con Cuong district said that localities need to build boarding secondary schools, where students will have food, accommodation and managers. However, according to regulations of the Government and the Ministry of Education and Training, only schools with 50% or more of their students staying in boarding schools can build boarding schools. Thus, in Con Cuong district, there is no secondary school that meets that requirement, so it is impossible to build boarding schools.
However, according to Decision 85/CP of the Government effective from February 2011 on supporting students in especially difficult areas, students whose houses are far from school and cannot commute during the day will be supported with 40% of the minimum wage.
To implement this decision, the Ministry of Education and Training also issued Joint Circular No. 24, effective from February 2012, assigning provinces to promptly implement the State's policy for students in extremely disadvantaged areas. However, according to Mr. Tai, up to now, Con Cuong district is still stuck with some procedures regarding household registration and residence of some students, so the province has not approved. That delay affects the process of mobilizing students at risk of dropping out of school to return to class. Therefore, if schools want to keep students to study, they must provide them with food and accommodation. To reduce pressure on schools, the district Education Department and the district People's Committee need to promptly complete all procedures regarding documents so that students can soon enjoy the support policy according to Decision 85/CP of the Government.
Mr. Hoang Dinh Tuan - Chairman of the People's Committee of Con Cuong district, said. It is expected that by the end of this year, Con Cuong district will have a document directing localities to build boarding houses for students. According to Mr. Tuan, boarding houses for students must first be invested by localities, in cases where localities are too difficult, the district will support. In the immediate future, if there are no conditions to build solid houses, then build houses of wood, thatched roofs... but must ensure safety for students to have a place to live. Regarding food, the district annually allocates a portion to support students when they encounter difficulties.
In addition, some localities have also established a committee to mobilize the universalization of lower secondary education, coordinating with schools to encourage students to go to school. To create conditions for students with especially difficult circumstances to continue going to school, the Women's Union of Luc Da commune annually donates rice to them. The school coordinates with the commune and hamlet authorities to visit each student's family to find out the reasons for dropping out of school in order to find appropriate solutions. For example, Le Thi May - class 6A1, Luc Da secondary school, orphaned, with difficult family circumstances, but the school still encourages her to go to school regularly, Vi Thi Thoa, class 9A3, due to competing with her friends, after the Lunar New Year holiday, went to the South to work, the homeroom teacher persistently contacted her by phone to encourage her to return to class.
Thus, there are many reasons why students drop out of school. But to persuade children to return to school, it requires the involvement of authorities at all levels. Only by studying in depth can we understand the hardships of the teaching staff who mobilize students to return to school. In addition to their responsibility and dedication, they also have to reduce their salary to provide students with enough food, warm clothes, books... to go to school.
In Tuong Duong district, the situation of students dropping out of school has been a "headache" for many years, not only for the education sector but also for many other departments and sectors. Therefore, the district has issued Resolution 03 on limiting the situation of students dropping out of school, demonstrating the determination of the authorities and people of this mountainous district to solve this situation. However, after 3 years of implementing Resolution 03, the situation of students dropping out of school at all levels in Tuong Duong district has not decreased sustainably.
Mr. Mac Thanh Long - Chief of Luu Kien Commune Police said that most of the young people who left their villages were not known to the local authorities. The labor recruitment buses often appeared and picked up the young people in the middle of the night, leaving the local authorities unable to react. Mr. Long also said that Luu Kien Commune Police did not issue temporary leave to any young people who were not old enough to work far away. However, when they were 14 years old, they could apply for an identity card and for students, the identity card was a "talisman" to go out and find work.
According to the Department of Education and Training, one of the most important solutions to limit highland students from dropping out of school is that in addition to imparting knowledge, schools need to enhance life skills for students. In addition, it is necessary to constantly promote and mobilize students to go to school. This is the target set to evaluate teachers' capacity every year. In addition, it is necessary to continue to mobilize benefactors to support the construction of school facilities, support clothes and books for poor students.
“The Gia Lai Province Department of Education has proposed a solution to limit school dropouts by organizing families to write a commitment to the school to take care of learning conditions and not let their children drop out. The Youth Union and the Young Pioneers organize quizzes to learn. Many schools invite village elders and Veterans Associations to come to school to talk to students about the good traditions of the nation and their ancestors, and encourage their children to study... Ethnic language classes are organized for teachers to create conditions for teaching, contact and mobilize families to send their children back to school. The Education Department has increased on-site inspections at facilities, especially in places where many students drop out, and established competition criteria for managers and teachers in overcoming the situation of students dropping out. With these solutions, in recent years, the situation of students dropping out of school in Gia Lai has decreased significantly.” |
X. Hoang - Huu Vi
