Ky Son mountainous district proposes teaching and learning solutions during the epidemic

The difficulties

In the 2021-2022 school year, Ky Son has 22,797 students from 71 kindergartens, primary schools and secondary schools. The total number of classes is 1,030, a decrease of 36 classes compared to the previous school year. The new school year is approaching, but Ky Son Education is also facing many issues that need to be resolved, including the implementation of online teaching and learning.

The first difficulty in implementing online learning is that the telecommunications infrastructure in the district is not guaranteed, many villages still do not have national grid electricity and internet coverage. According to the report of the District Economic Infrastructure Department, currently, Ky Son has nearly 80/193 villages without grid electricity and internet coverage.

Keng Du kindergarten teachers clean the classrooms to prepare for the new school year. Photo: Tinh Duong

As soon as receiving the official dispatch from the Department of Education and Training on implementing online teaching and learning in the context of the Covid-19 epidemic, the sector directed schools to survey the conditions for organizing online teaching and learning in schools throughout the district. Through the survey of schools, the percentage of students with devices (smartphones, computers, etc.) and Internet connection to be able to participate online is only about 50% for schools in the district center, while in other schools, students cannot study online up to 93%.

“This school year, Bac Ly 1 Primary School has 19 classes with 342 students at 5 school locations. According to the school's statistics, only about 5% of students have the means to study online. As a particularly difficult commune with the majority of poor and near-poor households, 4 locations, Pha Coong, Phia Kham 1, Phia Kham 2, Na Kho, do not have electricity or internet access, so online teaching is not possible,” shared Mr. Doan Chi Trung, Principal of the school.

Teacher at Huoi Bac village, Bac Ly 2 Primary School. Photo: Tinh Duong

In addition to the difficulties in facilities, there are concerns about teaching methods for students at the beginning of the school year, especially first and second graders. The previous school year was also affected by the epidemic, causing many children to miss school, especially in the last months, when preschoolers get acquainted with letters. Meanwhile, first graders need teachers to train and guide them directly from the beginning. Especially when they first learn to write, they need teachers to hold their hands and guide them with each stroke.

“Na Kho village has 59 households, but all are poor and near-poor. The school here has 2 classes with more than 30 students (students in grades 3, 4, and 5 study at Bac Ly 1 Primary Boarding School). The village does not have electricity or internet connection, so online teaching or other forms of teaching via television are not possible. After a long summer break, if the students do not receive direct initial instruction from the teacher, they will definitely not be able to read or write,” said teacher Nguyen Thi Hien, in charge of class 1 at Na Kho village.

Huoi Bac village school (Bac Ly, Ky Son) before the new school year. Photo: Tinh Duong

At the secondary school level, the lack of online teaching equipment also occurs similarly. Bac Ly Boarding Secondary School for Ethnic Minorities has 11 classes and 372 students, but after the school's review, only 92 students have equipment that meets the requirements.online teaching.

“This school year, the school has 90 grade 6 students who will begin implementing the new general education program. Although during the summer, I and the teachers assigned to teach grade 6 attended training classes on teaching methods for the subject, if we do not teach directly in class, the students at my school cannot absorb the knowledge of the subject,” said Ms. Nguyen Thi Ky, a Literature teacher at Bac Ly Secondary School for Ethnic Minorities.

Huoi Poc School, Nam Can 2 Primary School. Photo: Tinh Duong

Another difficulty when implementing online teaching in Ky Son that needs to be taken into account is that the level and ability of parents to manage and guide students to study online at home is still limited and inadequate. Although in favorable areas, with guaranteed facilities, most parents are willing to equip their children with learning tools, but in their minds, parents are afraid that their children's early exposure to smartphones and tablets will affect their eyesight, and they will easily become addicted to games, electronic games and other unhealthy cultural products... Some parents think that teaching is the responsibility of the school and teachers, and that they are busy with work, or do not have the expertise, so they cannot help their children study.

“In fact, in the previous school year, we organized online teaching but it was only implemented in the town area, favorable areas or commune centers. In the rest, online teaching could not be implemented because many places did not have internet, did not have telephones, and some parents did not care about their children's learning. Ky Son also has 126 villages, about half of which do not have electricity, so online learning is unavoidable. In the past time, the entire Ky Son education sector has been making great efforts to prepare for the new school year. The Department of Education and schools have also prepared the conditions to organize online teaching, but implementing it on a large scale is difficult and many schools are confused. Therefore, the sector will propose a plan to ask for the province's separate opinion for Ky Son district,” said Mr. Phan Van Thiet, Head of the district's Department of Education and Training.

Each level has a model.

In terms of the actual context, on the Covid-19 map, Ky Son is currently in the green zone (low-risk zone). Currently, throughout Ky Son district, the Covid-19 epidemic situation in the district is basically under control; citizens who work far away and return to their locality are being quarantined and strictly controlled. In education, the Boarding School model is promoting good efficiency in maintaining student numbers and improving the quality of education, and needs to continue to promote it further in teaching and learning to ensure the principles of epidemic prevention. Based on specific conditions, the Ky Son Education sector proposes solutions to implement teaching and learning methods in the current epidemic situation.

Na Kho School (Bac Ly 1, Ky Son) still faces many difficulties. Photo: Tinh Duong

Specifically: For preschool level, the Industry proposes not to carry out centralized care, nurturing and education of children until the epidemic is completely controlled and stabilized in the whole province.

For primary school level,For schools and school sites in difficult and isolated areas, the school will assign teachers to set up school sites and conduct direct teaching because in reality, the school sites are located in isolated villages and the community Covid-19 teams are very closely managed, so the risk of spreading the disease is non-existent. For schools with boarding schools, centralized and direct learning will be organized according to specific epidemic prevention plans such as: Implementing strict management, not allowing students to leave the school campus, limiting teachers and staff from going home as much as possible, implementing social distancing right in the school, dividing study shifts reasonably, etc.; Only organize online teaching for favorable areas and areas with sufficient conditions for online learning.

Bac Ly 1 Primary Boarding School (Ky Son) prepares for the new school year. Photo: Tinh Duong

For secondary school level, the industry proposes options for each specific school model.Schools that operate under the boarding and semi-boarding model will organize concentrated, direct learning according to the epidemic prevention plan. The district will test (pool samples) all students before entering the school, strictly manage, not allow students to leave the school campus, limit teachers and staff from going home as much as possible, implement social distancing right in the school, divide the study shifts reasonably, minimize large gatherings... Only Muong Xen Town School is a school in a favorable area, relatively ensuring the conditions of facilities will conduct online teaching.

For high school level, online teaching will be conducted according to the plan of the Department of Education and Training.

Boarding students of Muong Long 2 Primary Boarding School (Ky Son). Photo: Tinh Duong

“The options proposed by the Ky Son Education Department at the present time are very suitable to the actual situation and specific conditions of the locality. The district will propose to the province and the Department of Education and Training, and at the same time direct all levels and sectors to coordinate implementation to ensure the effectiveness of education work in the context of the Covid-19 epidemic.”

Ms. Vi Thi Quyen - Member of the Standing Committee of the District Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ky Son district