Tears rise, awkwardness after a fierce storm
On August 27, in the yard of Thai Lao High School (Nghe An), trees were lying around, broken tiles covered the path. Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Hanh - Principal - choked up: "So many generations of teachers and students were destroyed by the fierce storm overnight. I didn't cry but the tears kept flowing. However, the responsibility of the leader does not allow himself to be weak. I immediately worked with the board of directors, teachers and parents to fix and clean up the situation in time for the opening day.
At Nghia Dong Primary School (Nghia Dong Commune, Nghe An), after 2 days of hard work, the classrooms have returned to clean.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Thin - Principal of the school - excitedly said: "We are determined to do it as quickly as possible so that students can have the opening ceremony in a joyful atmosphere".
However, not all schools can fix it quickly. At Kim Lien Secondary School (Kim Lien Commune, Nam Dan), 10 classrooms had their roofs blown off, tables and chairs were wet, and their records were severely damaged. With 22 classes, more than 1,000 students, this is an unprecedented difficulty.
On the afternoon of August 26, Chairman of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee Le Hong Vinh directly visited Kim Lien Secondary School, grasped the situation and encouraged teachers and students to overcome difficulties. "The attention of the provincial leaders is a motivation for us to be more steadfast," Ms. Khanh Van shared.
In Ha Tinh, storm No. 5 left many more serious consequences. On the morning of August 27, when the wind was calm and the rain stopped, Ms. Hoang Thi Huong - Vice Principal of Hoa Lien Secondary School entered the schoolyard and choked up. Just a day ago, this place was still bustling with the sound of students studying art. After the storm, the two-story roof worth 400 million VND that was just built last year was washed away, the tables and chairs were crooked, the walls were patchy, and the books were wet.
Mai Phu Kindergarten (Mai Phu commune) was equally devastated: the corrugated iron roof flew off two rows of classrooms, the glass doors broke, the schoolyard was covered with bricks and tiles, and trees fell everywhere.
Ms. Le Thi Thuy Ha - Vice Principal - and her colleagues tried to pick up each branch of the tree and collect each piece of glass.
"We cannot fully count the damage, but no matter how difficult it is, the school will still try our best to welcome the new school year on the opening day," said Ms. Ha.
Determined to open the school on time
According to preliminary statistics, the whole province of Ha Tinh has 156 educational institutions affected by storm No. 5, with estimated damage of more than 121 billion VND. That number means hundreds of damaged classrooms, thousands of students have to temporarily stay home from school. Currently, all 999 schools in the province still have to let students stay home to ensure safety.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Nguyet - Director of the Department of Education and Training of Ha Tinh - said: "Immediately after the storm, we established 4 working groups to go to the grassroots to check and encourage. Difficulties piled up, but the spirit of the whole industry is the highest determination to make the opening drum sound on time, safe and meaningful".
According to the Nghe An Department of Education and Training, storm No. 5 caused damage to 83 schools, many places were severely damaged, and records and pedagogical equipment were swept away. The education sector is closely coordinating with local authorities, mobilizing parents and functional forces to urgently overcome the situation. For cases beyond the capacity, the department will report and request support from competent authorities.
Prof. Dr. Thai Van Thanh - Director of Nghe An Department of Education and Training - emphasized: "All education sectors focus on overcoming the consequences, overcoming difficulties, trying to organize the opening ceremony on schedule and in full".
