'The classrooms are completely empty.'

On the afternoon of November 8th, a reporter from Thanh Niên newspaper visited Phu Mo Primary School and witnessed the hardships and difficulties faced by teachers and local authorities in cleaning up after the storm and floods. On the concrete courtyard, covered in a thick layer of mud, soaking wet desks and chairs were being carried out to dry in the sun. Many had broken legs and peeling paint.

Hậu quả bão Kalmaegi: Trường tiểu học Phú Mỡ mất trắng cơ sở vật chất - Ảnh 1. — The textbooks of students at Phu Mo Primary School (Phu Mo commune, Dak Lak province) were damaged by floodwaters.

Principal Le Ngoc Hoa sighed as he shoveled mud: "The school had given students time off from the afternoon of November 6th to prepare for the storm. The school had made thorough preparations, but due to the massive floodwaters, damage was unavoidable. All electrical equipment, student desks and chairs, computers, and teaching materials were swept away or damaged. The classrooms are practically empty…"

The walls still clearly showed traces of floodwater more than 1 meter deep. Students' books and papers were covered in mud and piled up to dry. Some teachers had to remove windows to get their belongings out because the main doors were stuck in the mud and couldn't be opened.

Phu Mo Primary School currently has 309 students, 100% of whom are children of the Ba Na and Cham ethnic groups. This is a particularly disadvantaged area, where the lives of the people mainly depend on farming. After the floods, many households lost all their crops, and now they face the added worry of their children not having a place to study.

"We've cleared about 60% of the area. If the weather is good, hopefully the students will be back at school early next week. The biggest problem now is the textbooks. The provincial police have agreed to provide the new books, but we have to wait a few more days for them to arrive," Mr. Hoa confided.

Ms. Tran Thi Thanh Thuy, an English teacher, carefully spread out each wet book in the yard: "The damage is extensive; almost all the books, desks, and chairs are gone. We are trying to dry the remaining books, hoping to salvage whatever we can for our students."

Ms. Thuy recounted that after the storm, many students lost all their school supplies. "Without timely support and assistance, it would be very difficult to help them stabilize and successfully complete this school year's program. We urgently need significant investment to help them improve their academic abilities," Ms. Thuy expressed.

Thanks to the assistance of the military, the initial cleanup efforts have stabilized. However, the damage to infrastructure is immense. The teachers at Phu Mo Primary School are still working hard every day to restore the classrooms, which just a few days ago were a sea of murky water.

Besides addressing the material damage after the storm, Ms. Thuy also suggested that all levels of government should pay special attention to and invest in essential equipment. In particular, there is a need for specific support programs for education in ethnic minority areas and areas facing extreme difficulties.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/cac-phong-hoc-khong-con-gi-185251109220606864.htm