The feelings of teachers at remote schools in a mountainous district of Nghe An

Thanh Cuong• September 13, 2020 16:40

(Baonghean.vn) - Nghe An province currently has 1,082 separate schools, scattered in remote, isolated and extremely disadvantaged areas. The schools are mainly built with locally available materials such as wood, bamboo, etc., and over time are seriously deteriorating, affecting the teaching and learning of teachers and students.

Những ngày cuối tháng 8, các giáo viên Trường Mầm non Nậm Cắn phụ trách điểm trường lẻ Huồi Pốc xã Nậm Cắn (Kỳ Sơn) đã phải tất bật vượt núi vào bản chuẩn bị năm học mới.

In late August, teachers from Nam Can Kindergarten, who are in charge of the Huoi Poc satellite school in Nam Can commune (Ky Son), had to rush across the mountains to get to the village to prepare for the new school year. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Ba giáo viên cắm bản hì hục vận chuyển đồ dùng và dụng cụ dạy học từ nhà văn hóa cộng đồng để lên trường sắp xếp lại. Do phòng học bị xuống cấp nên trước thời gian nghỉ hè, các giáo viên đã mang toàn bộ đồ dùng xuống đây gửi.

Teachers working in remote areas worked hard to transport teaching materials and tools from the community cultural house to the school to rearrange them. Because the classrooms were in disrepair, before the summer break, the teachers brought all the materials down here to deposit. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Điểm trường Mầm non Huồi Pốc - Trường Mần non Nậm Cắn, xã Nậm Cắn (Kỳ Sơn).

Step innew school yearIn the school that is more than 15 years old, the teachers of Huoi Poc school could not hide their anxiety. The school was built of wood and had a corrugated iron roof since 2004. After more than 15 years of use, the school has seriously degraded. Photo: Thanh Cuong

The column bases were hollowed out by termites. Some column bases were almost completely eaten away by termites, leaving only a few thin pieces of wood holding them together. The wooden walls were also rotten. The partitions dividing the classrooms were peeling and infested with termites... Photo: Thanh Cuong

Trần nhà cũng bị thủng lỗ chỗ. Để chắn gió, ngăn bùn đất tràn vào phòng học, nhà trường đã gia cố và thưng bạt lại, nhưng với tình trạng xuống cấp như hiện nay thì đây cũng chỉ là giải pháp tạm thời.

The ceiling is also riddled with holes. To block the wind and prevent mud from entering the classrooms, the school has reinforced and covered it, but with the current state of disrepair, this is only a temporary solution. Photo: Thanh Cuong

"The new school year has just begun, but the classrooms have been almost completely eaten by termites, making it unsafe for students and teachers to teach and learn. Just one thunderstorm or strong wind will force teachers to let students take a day off. Teachers are worried, not knowing when the school will collapse," said Ms. Pham Thi Thanh Tram - Principal of Nam Can Kindergarten. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Nhà ăn bán trú đang được sử dụng làm nhà ở cho giáo viên

In addition to the three-classroom building, Huoi Poc Kindergarten also has a wooden house for boarding students. However, this house is currently being used as a teacher's lounge, a kitchen, and a dining room... Along with the classroom building, this "multi-in-one" house is also deteriorating. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Không riêng hai ngôi nhà chức năng, điểm trường Huồi Pốc nằm trên một con dốc đứng, tách biệt hoàn toàn với dân bản, nguồn nước sinh hoạt phải kéo ở nơi xa về. “Ngày mưa thường mất nước do sạt lở, hoặc nếu có thì nước cũng đục ngầu; ngày nắng thì nước lúc có lúc không. Mỗi lần giáo viên có việc xuống bản đều mang kèm theo can nhựa để xin nước về sử dụng”, cô Lô Thị Thanh Hiền, Trưởng điểm lẻ Huồi Pốc cho biết.

Not only the two functional houses, the Huoi Poc school is located on a steep slope, completely isolated from the local people, and the water source for daily use must be brought from afar. “On rainy days, there is often no water due to landslides, or if there is water, it is muddy; on sunny days, there is sometimes water and sometimes not. Every time the teachers have to go to the village, they bring along plastic cans to get water for use,” said Ms. Lo Thi Thanh Hien, Head of the Huoi Poc school. Photo: Thanh Cuong

“Hồi đầu năm 2020, một tổ chức thiện nguyện có tới khảo sát và đề nghị tài trợ 3 phòng học lắp ghép, tuy nhiên do dịch Covid-19 và một số vấn đề khác nên đang bị hoãn lại”, Hiệu trưởng Trường Mầm non Nậm Cắn nói.

“In early 2020, a charity organization came to survey and offered to sponsor 3 prefabricated classrooms, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic and some other issues, it has been postponed,” said the Principal of Nam Can Kindergarten. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Không riêng Điểm trường Huồi Pốc - Trường Mầm non Nậm Cắn, toàn huyện Kỳ Sơn có 160 điểm trường lẻ, hầu hết đã xuống cấp, trong đó có ít nhất 60 điểm trường cần được sửa chữa ngay”, ông Phan Văn Thiết - Trưởng Phòng Giáo dục huyện Kỳ Sơn cho biết.

Not only Huoi Poc School - Nam Can Kindergarten, the whole Ky Son district has 160 separate schools, most of which are degraded, of which at least 60 schools need to be repaired immediately," said Mr. Phan Van Thiet - Head of the Department of Education of Ky Son district. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Talking with Prof. Dr. Thai Van Thanh - Director of Nghe An Department of Education and Training, it is known: "Currently, the industry is mobilizing all resources, paying attention to investing to ensure facilities in the direction of solidification, synchronization, and gradual modernization. Nghe An Department of Education and Training signed a cooperation agreement with Ho Chi Minh City Voice of Vietnam to implement the Plan to eliminate all temporary school buildings at separate schools in Ky Son district in the period of 2019-2025. Up to now, Nam Can kindergarten, Na Ngoi 1 Primary School, Na Ngoi 2 Primary School have been deployed and completed with a total cost of over 3.1 billion VND, other schools are continuing to be deployed".