Construction begins on Hoa Phong Ba school on Con Co Island.

On June 8th, in Con Co Island District (Quang Tri Province), the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) commenced construction of the Hoa Phong Ba Kindergarten and Primary School on Con Co Island. The school is expected to be completed and put into use in the new academic year 2014-2015.

Photo: Xuan Ky

Con Co Island, located about 30 km from the mainland, is a strategic outpost, significant for both socio-economic development and national defense. In previous years, Quang Tri province built the Hoa Phong Ba kindergarten to meet the educational needs of the island's children.

However, the storms at the end of 2013 destroyed the Hoa Phong Ba kindergarten, rendering it unusable. All the teachers and students had to move to a temporary location. Furthermore, because there was no primary school, all the students on the island had to leave their families and go to the mainland to stay with grandparents or uncles and aunts to continue their education. This created many difficulties in caring for the children and disrupting the lives of the island's residents.

Children on Con Co Island.

In response to Vietnam's Sea and Islands Week and to meet the legitimate educational needs of children on Con Co Island, the Ministry of Education and Training is implementing the construction of a school on the island. The school will be built in several phases, depending on the number and age of the students. The immediate phase will include the construction of a kindergarten classroom, a primary school classroom, a canteen, and staff quarters, using approximately five billion VND from educational social contributions.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, Minister of Education and Training Pham Vu Luan said that initially, the Hoa Phong Ba kindergarten and primary school will be built. When secondary and higher education levels are available, plans will be made to create a school that will provide a long-term, sustainable education for students living on the island and on Con Co Island. Furthermore, the school aims to help parents feel secure while working to maintain border security and support their children's education. The school is expected to be completed and put into use in the 2014-2015 school year. Because the school is being built in a unique island location, the school model will likely differ from the usual model. Teachers and school organization will be flexibly arranged to suit the local reality, ensuring that all children can receive an education right on the island, living with their parents.

According to NDĐT