Ensuring adequate facilities for boarding schools.

Ensuring adequate facilities for boarding schools is one of the important and crucial tasks, especially for students in ethnic minority areas and remote regions, so that they can study with peace of mind and feel attached to their school.

The school facilities and classrooms of Thuan Hoa Commune Semi-Boarding Ethnic Minority Secondary School have been comprehensively invested in.

Gradually improving the boarding school system.

Due to the mountainous terrain and difficult transportation, many students in Tuyen Quang have to walk tens of kilometers to school. Boarding schools therefore become their "second home," where they live and eat throughout the school year. According to statistics from the Department of Education and Training, the province currently has 231 boarding schools with a total of 118,428 students. In recent years, thanks to national target programs, local budget funds, and central government support, many boarding schools in the province have been newly built, renovated, and upgraded with sturdy classrooms, functional rooms, student dormitories, dining halls, kitchens, sanitary facilities, and clean water. Along with this, there has been investment in teaching equipment, learning materials, beds, blankets, mosquito nets, and personal lockers for boarding students. As a result, ethnic minority boarding schools have seen a significant improvement in their physical infrastructure. The classrooms are solidly built, well-lit, and suitable for organizing two-session teaching per day; the boarding facilities are rationally arranged, separating male and female students, ensuring safety and hygiene. The boarding school's kitchen is gradually being upgraded to a one-way system, meeting food safety requirements.

Besides investment from the state budget, many localities are also promoting the socialization of education, mobilizing the joint efforts of organizations, individuals, and businesses inside and outside the province to support the purchase of equipment and living supplies for boarding students. Practical gifts such as warm blankets, clothes, books, and school supplies have promptly helped boarding students in mountainous areas to study with peace of mind.

Comrade Tran Ngoc Thuy, Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training, stated: Prioritizing investment in facilities for boarding schools has contributed to reducing the dropout rate among students; at the same time, it has created conditions for students to receive better care in terms of health and nutrition. The education sector also focuses on improving the quality of teachers and management staff; strengthening inspection and supervision of the use and maintenance of facilities at boarding schools. This ensures that facilities and equipment are utilized effectively, serving teaching and learning activities in the best possible way, and gradually improving the quality of education in disadvantaged areas.

Creating a foundation for improving the quality of education.

Beyond investing in infrastructure and teaching equipment, schools place special emphasis on ensuring suitable living conditions for boarding students. Many schools have proactively arranged and allocated living spaces appropriately, creating a friendly and safe learning environment. Electricity and water systems are regularly invested in and repaired; school grounds are planned to be neat, green, clean, and beautiful.
Mr. Nguyen Van Thai, Deputy Principal of Minh Tan Ethnic Minority Boarding Junior High School, shared: "Currently, 455 out of 623 students are boarding at the school. In recent years, the school has always received timely attention and investment from the State, along with the active participation and contributions from organizations, businesses, and parents in the socialization of facilities. Many essential items such as boarding rooms, communal kitchens, restrooms, clean water systems, and living equipment have been upgraded and supplemented, significantly improving the living, eating, and learning conditions for the students."

Dong Van commune currently has 5 boarding schools, with 2,609 students living and studying there. Ms. Doan Thuy Nga, Principal of Pai Lung Ethnic Minority Boarding Primary and Secondary School in Dong Van commune, said: "Currently, the school has 567 boarding students in 16 rooms. Basically, it meets the needs for food and accommodation for the students, but the current rooms are still cramped, and the kitchen and sanitary facilities are dilapidated. In the coming years, the school hopes that the local Party committee and government will allocate resources to build more rooms and purchase equipment to improve teaching and learning."

Despite positive results, the reality is that the facilities at some boarding schools in Tuyen Quang province still face difficulties and do not fully meet the requirements of teaching and learning in the new era. Some schools and remote school branches lack sturdy classrooms, the boarding facilities are dilapidated, and teaching equipment is not standardized; living conditions for boarding students in some areas are still limited…

In response to the need for fundamental and comprehensive reform of education and training, Tuyen Quang province has determined to continue prioritizing investment resources for education, including the boarding school system. Effectively integrating investment programs and projects; strengthening the mobilization of social resources; and focusing on planning the school network to suit the actual conditions of each locality are considered important, long-term solutions.

Ensuring adequate facilities for teaching and learning in boarding schools is not only an immediate task but also has long-term strategic significance for the development of human resources in ethnic minority and mountainous areas of the province. With the attention of all levels and sectors and the joint efforts of the whole society, the boarding school system in the province is increasingly being invested in comprehensively, creating a solid foundation for improving the quality of education.

Text and photos: Hoang Ngoc

Source: https://baotuyenquang.com.vn/van-hoa/giao-duc/202601/dam-bao-co-so-vat-chat-cho-cac-truong-hoc-ban-tru-b4c03c6/