Concerns about students dropping out of school because their homes are far from school
Attending the groundbreaking ceremony of Vinh Gia Primary - Secondary Boarding School, Vinh Gia Commune (An Giang) on November 9, the reporter had the opportunity to talk with teachers at this remote border school.
Ms. Phan Thi Tuyet Minh - a teacher at Luong An Tra Secondary School - shared: her house is about 75km from the school, so she has been living in the school's official house (located in the commune) for more than 13 years. Ms. Minh said that students have many difficulties when traveling, especially during the rainy season. Many students have to go to school by themselves and there are many risks to their safety.
"For a long time, we have always wished for a spacious school with enough conditions for students to go to school with peace of mind. From then on, they have struggled to study, stopped thinking about studying too far and then became depressed, their families did not have the means to do so they had to drop out of school. All teachers, especially homeroom teachers, are concerned because it is very difficult to mobilize students" - Ms. Minh shared.
Ms. Minh said that many children are far away from home, making it difficult to travel, they have to travel a lot to school, and some children have to walk. Not to mention the situation of fraud and kidnapping also makes many people afraid, so they let their children stay home from school.
Mr. Huynh Van Minh - Vice Chairman of Vinh Gia Commune People's Committee - said: In the past, local government committees have always paid close attention to directing education work, however, in reality, the work of mobilizing students to go to school and maintaining student quotas still faces many difficulties and limitations.
Most people live by farming, their income is still unstable, and their lives are also facing many difficulties, so they are not really interested in their children's education. School facilities and equipment have not met actual needs, some small schools have degraded, lacking classrooms, playgrounds, and equipment.
The teaching staff is still locally lacking in some subjects. Many teachers have to work away from home, and some of the difficulties affect the quality of teaching and the work of mobilizing students to class - Mr. Minh shared.
The dream of a new school comes true
Ms. Tran Thi Ngoc - a teacher at Luong An Tra Secondary School - said: The house is more than 40km from the school, she currently rents a house to teach for convenience.
"In the future, the school will build a housing area for teachers with better conditions, everyone will find it very happy and very excited. Having a public house will be very convenient, you can save on living expenses, no need to worry about going too far, you can focus on teaching and research more professionally. Everyone is happy, excited, and looking forward to the new school" - Ms. Ngoc confided.
"In my dream, I also hope to have a new, modern school, with enough conditions for teachers and students to overcome the situation of students dropping out of school because their homes are far away and they do not have the conditions to travel. Many students have asked a lot about the new school, whether they are eligible to live or not, whether they have a sports playground or not... - Ms. Minh said.
Previously, many parents shared that they were unable to take their children to school, so they gave them a day off, many children were studying but the conditions did not allow them to follow their parents to work. I think when there is a new school, they will be assured, strive to study better, as well as have conditions for them to access and improve their knowledge better. They will no longer think that they are too far from school, have no means of transportation or their parents won't let them go to school" - Ms. Minh shared.
Mr. Pham Thanh Binh - Principal of Luong An Tra Secondary School - said: Most teachers and staff from other places are also facing many difficulties, many teachers have to rent accommodation, which also affects their daily lives.
Mr. Huynh Van Minh - Vice Chairman of Vinh Gia Commune People's Committee - added: Building a Boarding School for Primary and Secondary Schools is a major, correct and humane policy of the Party and State in accordance with the actual conditions of the border communes, including Vinh Gia commune.
"Thereby, it will contribute significantly to improving the quality of comprehensive education, creating favorable conditions for students to study and develop, stabilize in the long term, and minimize the situation of students dropping out of school halfway. On the other hand, it contributes to helping the locality complete the target of mobilizing students in the coming time. Improving the quality of teaching and learning, attracting, stabilizing and developing, the team of qualified teachers is passionate about long-term work in the locality. Contributing to the overall development of the locality, creating on-site human resources to serve socio-economic development and maintain security in the border area of the commune. This is also a premise for each step to help the commune meet the socio-cultural criteria in building new rural areas" - Mr. Minh emphasized.
