Summer library of highland students

Tuong Duong has a dense system of rivers, streams, ponds and lakes. In remote areas, children lack playgrounds during the summer so they often go to rivers and streams to play, which poses a risk of drowning.

Faced with that situation, every summer, schools in Tuong Duong district often open libraries for students to read books on site and borrow books to take home.

According to records at Tam Quang 2 Primary School, in Tam Quang Commune (Tuong Duong), although the weather was quite hot at around 10 am, there were still over 30 students engrossed in reading books.

Since the opening of the "Summer Library", every day many students of Tam Quang 2 Primary School 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 have been coming to the school to open the library for students to come and read books. Most of the students are quite interested, so many days they stay attentive until after 10 o’clock. Not only do we serve students to read books on site, but we also create conditions for students to borrow books to read at home.”

Since the library opened its doors to welcome students to read and borrow books, Dinh Vi Bao Han, a student at Tam Quang 2 Primary School, has never missed a day. Bao Han said: "There are many types of books in the school library, so I can freely choose the books I like to read and borrow to take home. Coming here, I also get to meet my friends, so I'm very happy."

In recent years, schools in Tuong Duong district have organized many reading activities, so children have gradually formed the habit of reading. Photo: DT

Not only schools in areas with favorable conditions but also schools in remote, isolated and border areas also 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 Primary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities said: “Right after the end of the school year, the school has planned to coordinate with the Youth Union of Mai Son commune to organize summer activities for students, including opening a library. Mai Son is a border commune with a divided terrain, scattered into different regions, many small residential areas, and traffic is cut off... To create favorable conditions for students to read and borrow books, the school has circulated books to the cultural houses of the villages in the commune, where local teachers and union members and youth will display books for students. Not only opening a library, the school teachers and the Youth Union also organize folk games, practice singing, dancing, swimming, and instruct on drowning prevention skills..."

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

Ms. Lo Thi Tham - Teacher at Tam Thai Primary School shared: “Most of the children in the village are from disadvantaged backgrounds. Summer is almost here, and they have no place to play and have fun, so they run around bareheaded and barefoot, which makes them susceptible to illness and also poses a high risk of drowning. Therefore, I came up with the idea of ​​opening a library at home to serve the children. The library has been in operation for 4 years now.”

Highland children attentively read 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 directly open or coordinate with the commune 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: "In order to develop a reading culture, create a healthy and useful playground for students and at the same time reduce accidents, especially drowning accidents during the summer, since the beginning of June, the Department has launched a movement to open summer libraries to serve students. Although this is a voluntary activity, through monitoring, almost all schools have responded enthusiastically. The activity has received high approval from parents, many people who bring their children to read also take the opportunity to read books with their children and grandchildren."