On November 7, speaking with a reporter from Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. Tran Van Liem, Principal of Pu Nhi Boarding Secondary School for Ethnic Minorities (Pu Nhi border commune, Thanh Hoa province) said that for many years, the school has had to face a shortage of tables, chairs, beds, dining tables and many other teaching equipment.
According to Mr. Liem, the school has just been newly invested in and put into use since September 2025, but there is still a shortage of teaching facilities, especially desks and chairs.
To have tables and chairs for students, teachers have to take advantage of and repair old tables and chairs from many years ago so that they have space to sit and study Mr. Liem shared.
According to Mr. Liem, over the years, the school has only had about 120 sets of assembled tables and chairs, most of which have been repaired from old tables and chairs or requested from other schools.
Not only lacking tables and chairs, the school has 440 students, but only about 50 beds. Lack of sleeping space has forced many children to spread thin cushions on the brick floor to rest.
To limit students from having to lie on the brick floor, especially during the cold rainy season, the school has added two upper-level beds together. Thus, each cluster of beds can add space for the two students, helping more students not to lie on the ground" - Mr. Liem said.
Faced with the above situation, in 2024, the school sent a report to the Pu Nhi commune government and this year continued to recommend that all levels pay attention and invest soon to ensure teaching and boarding conditions for students.
The representative of the People's Committee of Pu Nhi commune said that the commune has grasped the shortage of tables, chairs, and beds at the school. However, due to limited local resources, the repair is still difficult.
"The commune has contacted a number of sponsoring organizations, they promised to consider supporting but need specific projects and plans for approval. If the approval period is prolonged, while winter is approaching, the commune will proactively find another source so that students can soon have a place to sleep" - a representative of the People's Committee of Pu Nhi commune informed.
