Teachers and students in the highlands wade through mud to go to school on the last day of the year

(Baonghean.vn)- The muddy, slippery roads still cannot stop teachers and students from the highlands from trekking through forests and streams to get to school during the last days of the year.

In the days leading up to Tet, the mountainous district of Ky Son still has incessant rain. To maintain the number of students, teachers living in remote areas still tirelessly go to school on slippery roads.

Some communes are particularly difficult such as Muong Long, Na Ngoi… where the climate is cold, making travel even more difficult than ever. The mud is up to the calves, motorbikes cannot reach the school, so most teachers and students in these villages have to walk with dirty boots and clothes.

The muddy road to school in Tang Phan village (Na Ngoi commune).

The kindergarten and primary school of Na Ngoi commune in Tang Phan village is built with simple bamboo and thatch. Students and teachers here go to school mostly barefoot because the mud is up to their calves. Only when they get to class do they quickly wash their feet to teach. Their muddy feet still huddle in the classroom during the last days of the year. The simple dream of teachers and students here is just a concrete road, a solid classroom to make it less difficult when it rains.

The teachers in the highlands go to school with muddy clothes.

Ms. Tran Thi Van from Con Cuong has been teaching here for 2 years now and confided: “I am used to walking on this road, but every time it rains, I am still scared. I don’t say anything, but many days the children come to class and fall down, their clothes are covered in mud. But at the end of the year, the children still haven’t missed a single class.”

Muddy feet of highland students going to class.

At Huoi Khun village school (Muong Long commune), there are 3 teachers who are working hard day and night in the village. They cannot help but worry because the day to return home for Tet is approaching but the 25 km long muddy road still shows no signs of drying. In the cold below 10⁰C, the teacher and students still hummed as they read the lesson despite the frost outside.

Teacher Vo Manh Cuong on the way to Huoi Khun school (Muong Long commune).

Mr. Vo Manh Cuong shared: “The last days of the year are the most difficult days for us. It took us 4 hours to push the cart to the village and we were exhausted. The villagers brought peach blossoms to give to me for Tet but I couldn’t bring them out. It was difficult to bring people and clothes to the commune center.”

Motorbikes entering schools often have problems because of the muddy roads.

The last days of the year are so hard for teachers in the highlands, but above all, for them is the love for their students, bringing letters to warm the cold land.

Dao Tho