Efforts to resume classes soon after floods

Following the recent severe floods, many schools in Khanh Hoa Province sustained severe damage. At present, teachers, staff, and local authorities are mobilizing all available resources to urgently clean and repair facilities, to welcome students back to school as soon as possible.

Most of the books and documents at the library of Dien Khanh 2 Town Primary School are wet and damaged.

Recovery efforts

Three days after the floodwaters receded, the schoolyard at Dien Khanh 2 Primary School (Dien Khanh Commune) remains blanketed in a thick layer of mud, in some areas reaching 10–15 cm, making cleanup extremely challenging.

Principal Nguyen Thi Hoa explained that the school’s location near the Cai River basin causes large amounts of mud and silt to wash in during heavy rains. As a result, 286 students, nearly half of the school’s enrollment, lost all their books and notebooks, while 47 computers were submerged and damaged.

At present, the school’s top priority is to clean and restore desks, chairs, and classrooms to ensure the most basic conditions are met so that students can return to learning as soon as possible.

At Tran Quang Khai High School (Dien Commune), Principal Tran Trong Huy worked alongside staff, teachers, and employees to collect wet and damaged documents. Thanks to the support of Navy Region 4 troops, much of the mud in classrooms and the schoolyard was cleared on November 24.

“We are doing our utmost to restore stability in teaching and learning. The biggest challenge now is the shortage of clean water. Only when water is available can we fully organize classes and welcome students back to school," said Principal Tran Trong Huy.

Care and support for students

According to Le Dinh Thuan, Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training, four inspection teams have been established to assess damage and guide recovery efforts at schools severely affected by the floods. The armed forces have assisted schools in cleaning classrooms and schoolyards. Once the cleanup was completed, several schools were disinfected to ensure epidemic prevention and safety before welcoming students back.

In addition to flood recovery efforts, support has been provided for students who lost their books and school supplies. On November 23, the Provincial People’s Committee approved financial aid of VND 500,000/ student from primary level and above for households whose homes were flooded, enabling them to purchase new learning materials.

The Department of Education and Training is currently gathering information on schools’ textbook needs to coordinate with publishers and ensure timely support. At the same time, social resources are being mobilized to assist schools and students in flood-affected areas, helping teaching and learning activities return to normal as quickly as possible.

As of November 24, 70 out of 798 educational institutions across the province remained unable to reopen due to severe flood damage. These included 24 kindergartens, 22 primary schools, 15 secondary schools, 7 high schools and 2 vocational schools. The total estimated losses to the education sector have already exceeded VND80 billion.

H.N

Translated by N.T