Summer library for highland students

Tuong Duong has a dense network of rivers, streams, ponds, and lakes. In remote areas, children lack playgrounds during the summer, so they often play near rivers and streams, posing a risk of drowning.

Faced with this situation, every summer, schools in Tuong Duong district open their libraries so that students can read books on-site and borrow them to take home.

According to observations at Tam Quang 2 Primary School in Tam Quang commune (Tuong Duong district), despite the rather hot weather around 10 a.m., more than 30 students were still engrossed in reading.

Since the "Summer Library" opened, Tam Quang 2 Primary School has been crowded with students every day who come to read and borrow books to take home. Photo: DT

Ms. Duong Thi Duyen, the teacher in charge, said: “For many weeks now, every Monday and Friday, we regularly open the library at school to welcome students to read books. Most of the students are quite enthusiastic, so on many days, they are still engrossed in reading until after 10 o'clock. Not only do we provide books for them to read on-site, but we also allow students to borrow books to read at home.”

Since the library opened its doors to students for reading and borrowing, Dinh Vi Bao Han, a student at Tam Quang 2 Primary School, has hardly missed a single visit. Bao Han said: “The school library has many kinds of books, so I can freely choose the books I like to read and borrow to take home. I also get to meet my friends here, so I'm very happy.”

In recent years, schools in Tuong Duong district have organized many reading activities, so children are gradually developing a reading habit. Photo: DT

Not only schools in well-developed areas but also schools in remote, mountainous, and border regions organize libraries for students to read and borrow books, for example, in Huu Khuong, Tam Hop, and Mai Son communes…

Mr. Dao Van Hai, Principal of Mai Son Ethnic Boarding Primary School, said: “Right after the end of the school year, the school planned to coordinate with the Mai Son Commune Youth Union to organize summer activities for students, including opening a library. Mai Son is a border commune with a fragmented and scattered terrain, many small settlements, and poor transportation… To create favorable conditions for students to read and borrow books, the school has rotated books to the cultural centers of the villages in the commune. There, local teachers and youth union members will display books for students. In addition to opening the library, the school's teachers, together with the Youth Union, also organize folk games, singing, dancing, swimming lessons, and provide guidance on drowning prevention skills…”

Meanwhile, in Tam Thai commune, for many weeks now, on weekday mornings, children of all ages in Khoi village have been excitedly calling out to each other to come to Ms. Tham's house to read and borrow books to take home.

Ms. Lo Thi Tham, a teacher at Tam Thai Primary School, shared: “Most of the children in the village come from disadvantaged backgrounds. During the summer, they have almost no places to play and have fun, so they run around barefoot, making them very susceptible to illness and also putting them at high risk of drowning. Therefore, I came up with the idea of ​​opening a library at home to serve the children, and it has been operating for four years now.”

Children in the highlands are engrossed in reading books. Photo: DT

According to data from the Department of Education and Training of Tuong Duong district, initial statistics show that almost all primary schools have directly opened or collaborated with the commune's Youth Union to open libraries for children to read during the summer.

Ms. Vo Thi Tuyet Chinh, Deputy Head of the District Education and Training Department, said: “With the aim of developing a reading culture, creating a healthy and beneficial playground for students, and at the same time minimizing accidents, especially drowning accidents during the summer, from the beginning of June, the Department launched a campaign to open summer libraries to serve students. Although this is a voluntary activity, we have observed that almost all schools have responded enthusiastically. The activity has received high approval from parents; many bring their children to read and also take the opportunity to read books with their children and grandchildren.”

Dinh Tuan