The children of Van Ha village and the joy of going to school.

(Baonghean) - During the days of welcoming the remaining 48 students from grades 1, 2, and 3 of the Van Ha village cluster back to school, smiles were always on the faces of parents, teachers, and students at Quang Son Primary School (Quang Son commune, Do Luong district). Although late, this is a welcome result after the utmost efforts of the province, local authorities, and relevant departments and agencies…

Students from Van Ha village having their school lunch at the main school.

Class 1C is the name of the class for first-grade students who have just started school in Van Ha village. The class has 38 students, including 17 returning students from the previous school year and 21 others who are old enough to enter first grade this year. This class used to have the highest number of absent students, so on the first day, all the first-grade students in the village were overjoyed to see everyone return to school. As an experienced teacher, Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngan couldn't help but feel nervous and anxious, because the students from Van Ha village had been absent from school for quite some time, so helping them catch up with the curriculum was no easy task.

In the first lesson of class 1C, the teacher only guided the students in getting acquainted with the basic skills of first grade. Currently, the children know how to stand up and greet guests when they arrive, and some actively volunteer to contribute to the lesson. The most exciting part was the reading practice of nursery rhymes at various levels, with the teacher and students working together. Watching the children engrossed in the lesson, their movements in sync with the rhythm of the nursery rhymes… it's clear how much they've been looking forward to lessons like this! Nguyen Hoang Thi Hai excitedly shared: "I'm so happy to go to school. Yesterday, my mother took me to the town to buy more notebooks and a school bag." In grades 2 and 3, the children of Van Ha village also settled into their studies on the first day of school. However, most of them had been out of school for a year, and many had not received regular tutoring during that time, resulting in significant knowledge gaps. Faced with this situation, even though there were 16 students in grade 2 and only 6 in grade 3, on the very first day that students from Van Ha village returned to school, the leaders of the Do Luong Education Department directly instructed and requested Quang Son Primary School to organize separate classes for them, aiming to help them both consolidate their knowledge and keep up with the new curriculum. At the same time, they requested the school to increase extra tutoring sessions to help the students catch up by the end of the first semester. The school also assigned experienced teachers and additional teachers to provide tutoring on weekends. More than 80 sets of textbooks, notebooks, and pens were also sent by the Book Publishing Company to encourage the students during their first days back at school.

On the first day of school, despite having to cook nearly a hundred meals and having no prior experience cooking for students, the kitchen staff of Quang Son Primary School prepared a decent, nutritious, and clean meal. Preparations for the children's lunch break were also meticulously carried out. Many teachers even volunteered to stay during lunchtime to supervise the children. Although it was more strenuous than usual, everyone was delighted to see the students enjoying their meals and being enthusiastic about attending the school's lunch program.

We could also sense the joy in the eyes of many parents in Van Ha village. Although classes didn't end until 5:45 PM, many parents had already arrived and were waiting in the schoolyard to pick up their children from 4 PM onwards. Parent Nguyen Ham Duong sincerely shared: “Since we've agreed on the schooling arrangements for our children, I feel relieved, because nothing is more important than our children's education. For over a year, our children have been at home, and we've felt heartbroken and partly to blame. Everyone in the village believes that students in Van Ha village have a tradition of being studious and doing very well academically, so in about two to three months, they will catch up with their classmates…” Having arrived early to inquire about her child's schooling, Ms. Hoang Thi Huong, parent of Nguyen Hoang Thi Hai, said emotionally: “For so long, my daughter and I have been waiting for this day. Now we can finally rest assured that our child can go to school and study…”

After more than a year of school closure, all 74 students from Van Ha village, across grades 1, 2, and 3, have returned to school. Two students who previously attended Nhan Son and Thuong Son Primary Schools have also returned to Quang Son Primary School for easier commuting. Principal Nguyen Van Son shared: "We eagerly awaited the return of the students from Van Ha village to school. Now that everything is going smoothly and the parents are in agreement, we feel reassured because we can focus our time on professional development and improving the quality of teaching and learning..." Two days after classes resumed, the District Education Department also directed a meeting of primary school principals from the district to be held at Quang Son Primary School. Through this, school leaders shared their experiences regarding school mergers and discussed methods to help Quang Son Primary School quickly return to normal operation, developing plans for tutoring and remedial classes for weak, underperforming, and behind-of-program students…

Finally, after more than a year of persistent efforts by authorities at all levels and the Education sector, combined with supportive policies regarding roads, schools, transportation, and boarding facilities, to gain the consent of parents and residents of Van Ha village for the merger of the smaller school into the main school, the education of students in Van Ha village has had a positive outcome. For the future of their children and out of a sense of responsibility as parents, some parents and residents of Van Ha village have set aside their personal difficulties and concerns to bring their children back to school. The most important issue now is to prioritize tutoring, supplementing knowledge and skills so that the children can quickly catch up with the curriculum and not be at a disadvantage compared to their peers. This requires the cooperation and support of families, schools, and society as a whole.

Text and photos:Reporters