The arduous journey to school by boat of students in the West

Every day, children in My Phuoc commune, Can Tho city (formerly My Phuoc commune, My Tu district, Soc Trang) go to school by boat. Despite the hardships, they still persistently pursue their dream of learning.

Three children go to school with... three hammocks

Every morning, Mrs. Nguyen Thi The (60 years old, living in Phuoc An A hamlet, My Phuoc commune) wakes up to prepare meals and prepare things for her three grandchildren, then takes them to the bean bag in front of the house to take them to school. Among them, the indispensable items are three hammocks, considered "mobile homes" for the children to rest after school. One is in kindergarten, one is in first grade, one is in second grade.

The boat camp on the river bank is the place where students of My Phuoc commune rest after school.

PHOTO: DUY TAN

Mrs. The said that from her house to My Phuoc A Primary School is nearly 6 km by river. Each round trip takes more than 2 hours. At noon, the children eat lunch on the boat, sleep in hammocks under the shade of trees, and wait until the afternoon to continue studying. When they return, the sun has set behind the coconut trees.

"The children's parents work as factory workers in Ho Chi Minh City, so I take them to school every day. No matter how hard it is, I try my best as long as the children can get a good education," said Mrs. The.

Many students' houses are about 6 km away from school by river, so their parents have to cook and bring lunch, waiting for afternoon classes.

PHOTO: DUY TAN

Also on the same river, Ms. Dang Thi My Tien (38 years old, living in Phuoc An A hamlet) has been attached to the boat for more than 4 years. Every day, she wakes up at 4 am to cook rice, prepare lunch and then take her child to school. The mother and child eat and rest together on the boat, waiting for afternoon classes.

Gasoline costs only about 30,000 VND per day, but for Ms. Tien, that is a significant expense. For more than a year, she has been suffering from breast cancer. "There are days when I am exhausted, but seeing my child's eagerness to study, I try harder. I just hope my child studies well so that he will have less hardship than me in the future," Ms. Tien shared.

After school, the children have lunch and rest right on the boat.

PHOTO: DUY TAN

Ms. Tien's daughter, Nguyen Thi Nha Ky, is a 4th grade student at My Phuoc A Primary School. She has been an excellent student for many years. The petite, gentle girl said softly: "I want to become a teacher in the future to teach the children in the neighborhood."

Eat and rest at the boat camp

My Phuoc A Primary School has two campuses in Phuoc An B and Phuoc Ninh hamlets. Every day, more than 60 students have to go to class by boat, sampan or ferry. At Phuoc An B alone, 20 students live far away and have to eat lunch and rest at the sampan camp to study in the afternoon.

Mrs. The drives a boat to take her grandchildren to school.

PHOTO: DUY TAN

Mr. Nguyen Van Hao, Principal of My Phuoc A Primary School, said that in the 2025-2026 school year, Phuoc An B has 146 students. Many of them are from poor households, their parents work far away, leaving their children with their grandparents. "The children are very studious, despite the long distance and rain, they still come to class regularly," Mr. Hao shared.

Not only is it difficult to travel, Phuoc An B school is also often flooded during high tides. There are times when the water level rises for a month, the school has to mobilize pumps continuously but it is not enough. Every time the water level rises, students have to wade through water to get to class, teachers have to teach physical education in the classroom.

The campus of Phuoc An B school - My Phuoc A Primary School, is often flooded on days of high tide.

PHOTO: DUY TAN

"We just hope to have more hearts to share, so that teachers and students can have a safer and cleaner learning environment. Every support, no matter how small, is a great source of encouragement to help students confidently go to school," said teacher Nguyen Van Hao.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/gian-nan-duong-den-truong-bang-vo-lai-cua-hoc-sinh-mien-tay-18525102409092448.htm