It has been more than a year since the fire broke out, but nearly 200 students at the Na Khoang Primary and Secondary School for Ethnic Minorities (Muong Va Commune, Sop Cop District, Son La Province) still have to crowd together in temporary classrooms.
Sharing with reporters, Mr. Tran Van Chien - Principal of Na Khoang Primary and Secondary School for Ethnic Minorities said: "Since the fire, the school has had to use 6/11 classrooms as dormitories for students. Nearly 50 students live together in a classroom of over 30 square meters and change their study into 2 shifts, morning and afternoon.
However, according to the principal, by the 2024-2025 school year, due to the increase in the number of students needing to stay in boarding schools but not enough accommodation, 21 students had to rent accommodation outside.
Also in this school year, the activities increased so the school had to combine 4 classes into 1 shift. Therefore, the school had to arrange 5 more temporary classrooms, of which 3 were built with corrugated iron fences and covered with palm leaves, 1 classroom used the green library campus, and 1 classroom used the warehouse as a classroom.
"Studying in temporary classrooms is scorching hot in the summer and freezing cold in the winter. Due to limited funds, we can only build classrooms but cannot install doors, so students have a very difficult time, especially in the cold at the border.
Both teachers and students are looking forward to the boarding house being completed soon, providing solid and warm accommodation for the students so that the school can feel secure in teaching and learning," said Mr. Chien.
On December 1, speaking with reporters, Ms. Lo Thi Hanh - Head of the Department of Education and Training of Sop Cop district said that the working group of Sop Cop district and the People's Committee of Son La province had conducted a survey and made a plan to build a boarding house for students of Na Khoang Primary and Secondary School for Ethnic Minorities.
However, some plans on fire prevention and fighting and related items need to be approved before construction can begin.
Accordingly, on September 11, 2024, the People's Committee of Son La province issued a decision approving the investment project to build a boarding house for Na Khoang Primary and Secondary School for Ethnic Minorities, Muong Va commune, Sop Cop district.
The project aims to meet the essential needs of housing and living for students in the school after the fire, ensure facilities, consolidate and develop the school towards national standards and ensure educational conditions; improve the quality of education and training efficiency, strive to become a high-quality educational school in mountainous and ethnic minority areas.
Investment scale for construction of a 3-storey boarding house, 36 rooms and auxiliary items.
The total investment of the project is about 14.8 billion VND, assigned to the People's Committee of Sop Cop district as the investor.
Previously, on November 26, 2023, a large fire broke out at the secondary school of Na Khoang Primary and Secondary School for Ethnic Minorities, Muong Va commune, Sop Cop district, Son La province.
The fire burned down the entire 12-room boarding house, and killed a 9th grade student (Hmong ethnic group, residing in Huoi Duong village, Muong Va commune).
Preliminary statistics show that the fire completely burned down the boarding house and dining room, and 72 bunk beds were deformed and unusable.
Along with that, the personal belongings of 172 students including clothes, books, shoes, and metal boxes containing belongings were also burned.
According to information from the school, the school currently has 10 campuses, including 9 primary schools and one secondary school with a total of 45 classes. There are 1,134 students, including 734 primary school students and 400 secondary school students.
