Education after storms and floods seeks fundamental solutions

From September to November 2025, the Central provinces suffered consecutive severe floods, causing serious consequences for people and property. Thousands of students lost books and learning equipment; teachers and parents had to both protect their property and overcome the consequences. Many schools were flooded with mud, collapsed ceilings, collapsed walls, and eroded schoolyards. Many schools had to close indefinitely, thousands of students could not go to class...

These damages not only affect lives but also threaten learning progress and education quality, especially for ethnic minority and poor students - the most vulnerable groups in consecutive natural disasters.

Teachers in flood-affected areas face great pressure as they suffer damage to their homes and property while continuing to teach. Many teachers wade through water and cross streams to visit students’ homes to assess the situation and check for dropout risks. Many people have lost relatives, colleagues, or even their own students in natural disasters, creating a huge mental burden.

However, many teachers still returned to school early to help students stabilize their psychology, clean up classrooms and save usable equipment. They work in poor conditions, with damaged teaching materials and equipment, so they are in urgent need of support from the central government, local authorities and the community.

This situation requires the Ministry of Education and Training to deploy many national solutions to respond to floods, ensure safety, restore education and support students and teachers. Prioritize budget for heavily damaged provinces to repair and upgrade classrooms, boarding areas, equipment and build schools according to disaster-proof standards. Make detailed statistics of each set of textbooks to reissue the exact number of books students need for free. Support students with books, clothes, school supplies and psychological counseling; Teachers who lose their homes or property will receive subsidies, salary advances, teaching equipment and psychological support.

In addition, the Ministry of Education and Training needs to flexibly adjust the school year plan, reduce testing pressure, organize make-up classes in shifts, combine classes or study at temporary locations to ensure minimum quality. Build a storm and flood database system to update damage, teaching and learning situation, support timely direction and flexibly adjust the program.

Floods are becoming more complex and unpredictable, not only occurring in low-lying areas and plains but also spreading to highlands, midlands and coastal cities, forcing the education sector to have a long-term strategy to protect students, teachers and facilities. All schools, even those that have never been flooded, need to be more vigilant, fully prepare storm and flood prevention procedures and conduct annual training for staff, teachers and students.

Vietnam also needs to complete the “School Safety” framework, integrating disaster risk reduction, infrastructure safety and post-disaster learning maintenance. Coordination between the Ministry of Education and Training, the Ministry of Construction and disaster prevention agencies to invest in resilient school infrastructure plays a very important role.

When schools are proactive and regularly trained, damage is reduced and learning is maintained, ensuring the right to education for millions of students after natural disasters.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/giao-duc-sau-bao-lu-tim-giai-phap-can-co-185251123192429099.htm