Don't let the 'hidden danger' of school facilities become a danger

GD&TĐ - More than a month after the opening of the school year, many localities still recorded problems with school facilities, from cracked fences, sinking foundations to degraded classrooms.

This situation not only threatens the safety of students but also poses an urgent need: to review, invest in and reinforce schools so that the "hidden danger" does not become a danger.

Potential risks

Due to the impact of storm No. 3 in 2025 (storm Wipha), many dangerous landslides appeared in Ba Vi commune ( Hanoi ). At Quang Minh B Primary School (Da Chong village), the 83m long, 4m high embankment wall was cracked, many sections collapsed, revealing mottled red soil. The brick-paved school yard was also sagging.

The scene recorded a mess of broken bricks and stones, with patches of soil gouged out, creating a frog-like shape in the ground. To prevent risks, the authorities and the school erected steel fences, stretched red warning ropes, and placed signs saying “Landslide area - parents and students are strictly prohibited from entering this area”.

Immediately after the incident, the commune authorities urgently reported to the city and coordinated with departments and branches to take measures to handle it. Hanoi City issued a document declaring a state of emergency in Ba Vi, directing local authorities to quickly fix the problem at Quang Minh B Primary School to ensure student safety.

At Le Hong Phong High School ( Lao Cai Ward, Lao Cai Province), many infrastructures no longer meet the minimum needs due to the scale of development, or are seriously degraded. Built in 2003, 5 years ago, the fence system surrounding the school appeared many cracks and breaks; the bricks showed signs of no longer being bonded, with a very high risk of collapse.

“The school had to use temporary measures to prevent students and teachers from playing and moving around the cracked fence. However, even though there are warning signs, the school cannot control pedestrians on the sidewalk, especially at night or on rainy and windy days,” said Mr. Pham Xuan Tham, Principal of Le Hong Phong High School.

Le Hong Phong High School currently has nearly 1,200 students while the playground is only 800 square meters, which is difficult to meet the requirements for outdoor activities. Due to long-term use (more than 20 years), the school yard has many concave and convex areas, and water accumulates on rainy days. In addition, other infrastructure such as toilets and parking lots are not guaranteed, affecting the lives of teachers and students, and even affecting households living around the school.

Campus 2 of Mo Duc Continuing Education Center (Long Phung, Quang Ngai ) has a row of classrooms that have seriously degraded. The plaster on the walls has peeled off, exposing the bricks and foundation underneath. There are many long cracks on the pillars of the classroom porch, and you can see the rusted iron inside. Some classroom doors have broken hinges, and some rooms only have one window left. Inside the classrooms, the walls and floors are also cracked, and many sections of the beams show signs of rotting.

Mr. Nguyen Ke Hau - Director of Mo Duc Vocational Education and Continuing Education Center said that this classroom block has been used for about 30 years. Since 2022, the Center has submitted a request to the People's Committee of Mo Duc District (Quang Ngai) to request funding for repairs but it has not been approved. Meanwhile, students in this area, if they want to go to campus 1 to study, have to travel a distance of about 25km.

“If you go to school by bicycle, it is too far, and if you go by motorbike, the children are not old enough to drive. Therefore, parents hope that the Center will continue teaching and learning at the second facility. In the 2025-2026 school year, the second facility will have 4 classes for grades 10 and 11. The school will move students to 2 more solid classrooms to ensure safety,” the center leader informed.

The cracked and broken fence area of ​​Le Hong Phong High School (Lao Cai) has a danger warning sign. Photo: Tran Anh

Carefully review safety conditions

Mr. Nguyen Khac Diep - Principal of Tra Van Primary and Secondary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities (Tra Van, Da Nang) said: During the rainy and stormy season, the school focuses most on electrical safety in the dormitory area.

“Students are young and therefore often hyperactive and curious. Despite being instructed and reminded many times, not all of them remember and comply. Therefore, before the new school year begins, the school must review the electrical wiring system, plugs, lights, fans... to minimize possible incidents.” The fence system, gates, doors of classrooms, dormitories... are also checked and reinforced, and replaced if damaged.

Currently, Tra Van Primary and Secondary Boarding School is equipped with generators to be used in case of power outages due to storms and floods. According to Mr. Diep, the safety plan when using generators has also been approved by the school and disseminated to all staff and teachers.

Similarly, at the beginning of the rainy season, Tra Nam Primary and Secondary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities (Tra Linh, Da Nang) had to re-examine the drainage system behind the student housing to avoid causing erosion to the foundation of the building.

The school also trims trees in the campus, trees that are at risk of breaking branches or falling; checks ceiling fans, electrical equipment, electrical wires, and telecommunication cables to ensure they are at a safe height and do not pose a danger when walking; fences, gates, ceilings, and roofs are also checked and reinforced if signs of unsafety are detected.

Strengthening school and classroom construction

At Phu Luong Secondary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities (Phu Luong, Thai Nguyen), the work of inspecting, maintaining and upgrading facilities is carried out regularly by the school.

Principal Do Thi Thu Huong shared: “At the end of the 2024 - 2025 school year, we will develop a plan to submit to all levels to repair and supplement equipment, ensuring learning and living conditions for boarding students. In addition, during the learning process, the school regularly reviews and inspects equipment and facilities to ensure that teaching and learning are carried out safely and systematically.

Than Sa Secondary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities (Than Sa, Thai Nguyen) has 100% of its students being ethnic minorities, of which 40% are from poor and near-poor households. The synchronous investment in items such as dormitories, cafeterias, subject classrooms, etc. creates stable learning and living conditions, contributing to retaining students from disadvantaged areas.

According to Ms. Dinh Thi Phuong Hang - Principal of the school, 100% of the students are ethnic minorities, most of them live far from the center, and their economic conditions are still difficult. Therefore, building a stable, friendly learning environment with full basic facilities not only helps students access knowledge effectively, but also minimizes the situation of dropping out of school.

"The school also focuses on maintaining and repairing facilities to ensure absolute safety for students while living and studying at school," Ms. Hang emphasized.

In Lang Son, from 2021 to mid-2025, the Education sector will invest in the construction and repair of 353 school buildings, with a total budget of more than VND 1,453 billion. At the same time, more than VND 130 billion will be allocated to purchase modern teaching equipment, suitable for the actual needs of schools.

Thanks to that, the infrastructure system at educational institutions has been significantly improved: The whole province currently has 6,157 solid classrooms (an increase of 280 rooms compared to 2021); 1,619 subject classrooms, 1,384 learning support rooms and 3,904 administrative management rooms have all been solidified.

According to information from the Lao Cai Department of Education and Training, in the 2025-2026 school year, the department will continue to advise the province, prioritize investment resources and integrate them with programs, projects, and socialized education. School facilities and classrooms are invested in the direction of standardization, solidification, and modernization.

The investment is linked to the Project to review and adjust the network of schools, classrooms and the new rural construction program, especially for educational institutions in mountainous areas, areas with especially difficult socio-economic conditions, boarding and semi-boarding schools for ethnic minorities...

“At the beginning of the school year, the City People's Committee issued a document requesting the People's Committees of wards and communes to direct their affiliated educational institutions to review and evaluate the current status of facilities, make plans and carry out maintenance of works; not to use expired or unsafe works...

Every year, Hanoi adjusts and supplements its public investment plan, prioritizing capital allocation for school construction and renovation projects. Localities also proactively allocate budget resources, accounting for about 50% of the local public investment plan, to implement investment in school construction and renovation," said Mr. Tran The Cuong - Director of the Hanoi Department of Education and Training.

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/dung-de-an-hoa-co-so-vat-chat-truong-hoc-thanh-hiem-hoa-post752769.html