Through the forest to call students back to class

These days, in many places in the highlands of Da Nang City, on dirt roads that are still experiencing landslides, teachers are rushing through forests and across streams to call students back to class after the historic floods at the end of October.

BRINGING STUDENTS THROUGH THE MUD TO CLASS

In early November, the highlands of Da Nang have not yet dried up after the historic floods. The road leading to Tra Linh and Tra Tan communes is muddy, with landslides in some places and the stream still flowing rapidly in others.

Mr. Nguyen Tran Vy, Principal of Ngoc Linh Primary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities, crossed landslides to go to villages and hamlets to encourage students to return to class.

PHOTO: NGOC THOM

In the midst of the devastation, many teachers wore thin raincoats, their shoes were soaked with water, their hands were covered in mud, their backs were bent, they carried books and notebooks and carried their students across the muddy road. They went to call their students back to class, to keep the letters from being buried in the mud after the recent violent natural disaster.

The historic floods at the end of October completely isolated many schools in the highlands of Da Nang City. At Ngoc Linh Primary Boarding School (Tra Linh Commune), landslides caused the school grounds of village 1 Tak Ngo to collapse. 34 students had to temporarily move to the main school. The road to the village was destroyed, many sections were knee-deep in mud.

For two consecutive days over the weekend (November 8-9), Mr. Nguyen Tran Vy, Principal of Ngoc Linh Primary Boarding School, put on a raincoat and waded through muddy roads to visit each student's house. More than a week after heavy rain, nearly 20 students of the school were still stuck in remote villages, completely cut off by landslides. "We cannot wait for the road to be cleared to pick up the students. In some places, teachers had to go to the village to carry students out of the landslide area so that they could return to school in time to ensure teaching and learning. As soon as we hear that a student has not yet returned to class, teachers will set off again. We will organize make-up classes for the days the students are absent to ensure knowledge," Mr. Vy shared.

Mr. Vy talked to the students to bring them back to class.

PHOTO: NGOC THOM

According to Mr. Vy, Ngoc Linh School has 300 students, most of whom are Xe Dang ethnic minority children. Some students missed 3-4 days of school because they had no sandals to wear. Some students lived too far away and had to cross mud that was half a meter deep. Teachers had to both encourage and help parents clear the road to take their children to class. The road was slippery and they fell repeatedly, but no one thought of giving up. "Sometimes I feel small in front of nature, but when I see the eyes of my students and see that they still want to go to school, I feel like I get more strength. Maybe that's why we have stayed with the forest and with letters for decades," Mr. Vy said as he walked.

Not only teachers in Tra Linh commune, teachers in other highland schools such as Ly Tu Trong Ethnic Boarding Secondary School (Tra Tan commune) are also going through difficult days. After the flood, the school nestled on the mountainside is still covered with red mud. In the dormitory, the musty smell still lingers, but the chattering of students can be heard.

After historic floods, highland schools light up to welcome students

PHOTO: NGOC THOM

Mr. Duong Quoc Viet, the school's principal, emotionally recounted how the flood swept away houses, books, and clothes of students. The road to Song Y village was heavily eroded, and about 20 students were still unable to go to class. "In the past few days, we had to split into groups and, together with the youth union members, trek through forests and across streams. Sometimes we had to carry each student on our backs through slippery sections," said Mr. Viet.

The small school has 260 students, 161 of whom are boarding students. Every afternoon after class, instead of resting, the teachers split up to call their students. The trips through the forest last for hours. They bring cakes, milk, and sometimes new clothes donated by colleagues in the lowlands to encourage the students to return to school. "We understand that if the students take a long break, it will be very difficult for them to return to class. People in the highlands have many worries about food and clothing, so keeping up with their studies requires perseverance every day. Although it is hard, everyone is happy because they see that their students still love to study and still want to go to school," Mr. Viet confided.

" As long as you come to class, that's fine."

When night fell, at Tran Cao Van Primary Boarding School (Tra Tan Commune), a weak yellow light shone from the classrooms. Inside, teachers were still cleaning, fixing tables and chairs, and drying books. The flood had cut off many schools, and nearly 60 students were still unable to go to class. The school has 370 students, more than half of whom are boarding students. During the rainy and flood days, many students had to stay at local people's houses because the road to school was cut off. Teachers took turns going down to the village, not only to encourage students to go to class but also to help parents overcome the consequences of landslides and clean up their houses.

Ms. Pham Thi Le Thuy, the school's principal, said that some students could not be contacted for a whole week because of power outages and signal loss. "We just hope it stops raining so we can go to the village and carry the students out of school, not leaving any student behind. We are used to floods but have never seen a natural disaster as severe as this one. Some teachers slipped and fell in the mud, getting soaked, but when they stood up, they smiled and said, 'As long as the students come to class, that's fine,'" Ms. Thuy said emotionally.

Leading students across the fast-flowing stream to get back to class

PHOTO: NGOC THOM

Mr. Nguyen Hong Lai, Secretary of the Tra Tan Commune Party Committee, said that the recent historic floods had cut off many roads and isolated dozens of households. But what moved him most was the spirit of the teaching staff here. "Teachers stuck to the village and school, not fearing danger to go to the place to mobilize students. There were female teachers who walked 20-30 kilometers, carrying students across streams. There were male teachers who slept in people's houses in the middle of the forest to be in time to take students to school the next morning. It was that spirit that made us believe that letters will never be buried but will shine brightly in the highlands, no matter how harsh nature is. Nature can defeat the mountains and forests, but it cannot defeat the will of highland teachers," Mr. Lai affirmed.

As the sun gradually rose, the sound of the school drum echoed through the vast Tra Linh forest. In the yard, students chattered and showed off their new books and new sandals donated by their teachers. The terrible natural disaster had passed, but people's hearts were still warmed by the love between teachers and students, by the unyielding will of the people here, so that the light of knowledge could still burn brightly in the vast forest.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/bang-rung-goi-hoc-tro-ve-lai-lop-185251112171455201.htm