Working tirelessly to find ways to get students back to class.

Unfinished books, empty classroom seats, names no longer called, and the faces of students struggling to make a living are the concerns of educators. With dedication and love for their students, teachers do many things to try to keep them in the classroom and bring them back.

More than a month has passed since the start of the new school year, but scattered throughout the classrooms of Chau Kim Hue Secondary School (Tuy An Dong commune), there are still empty seats. “This is the seat of student THT. This year she was supposed to be in 7th grade, but since the beginning of the school year, she hasn’t come to school. Teachers have repeatedly visited her home, trying to persuade her and her family to let her continue attending school, but without success. If she would just come to class, the teachers would give her books and supplies. But T. absolutely refuses to share the reason for dropping out and still has no intention of returning to school,” said Ms. Mai Thi Xuan Hanh, the teacher in charge of universal education at Chau Kim Hue Secondary School, thoughtfully.

Ms. Mai Thi Xuan Hanh, the teacher in charge of universal education at Chau Kim Hue Secondary School, regularly meets with and encourages students to study hard to build a better future. In the photo: Ms. Hanh is chatting with one of the students she helped return to school last academic year.

The absence of these faces makes the void in the classrooms more apparent than ever. “Every time I see the empty seats, my heart aches. These children live in this coastal area; just stepping out of the school gates means they're beckoning from the sea and ready to make a living. Once they drop out of school, the road ahead will be even more precarious than the storms at sea,” Ms. Hanh lamented.

This school year, Chau Kim Hue Secondary School recorded 55 cases of students dropping out of school (as of September 2025). Of these, 13 students in grade 6 have not returned to school, 14 in grade 7 have dropped out, 21 in grade 8, and 7 in grade 9. Most of these students are with their families, earning a living on shrimp and fish farms in Dam Mon and Vung Ro.

In mountainous communes, the problem of students dropping out of school is also a serious issue. In the 2025-2026 school year, Tran Hung Dao High School (Yang Mao commune) has 840 students, including 562 ethnic minority students. According to Mr. Mai Van Thanh, the principal of Tran Hung Dao High School, in the last three school years, the school has had about 25-30 students drop out each year, mostly 10th-grade students, usually concentrated after the Lunar New Year. The reasons are often that students are academically weak and become discouraged, quitting to follow relatives to work and earn money, or dropping out to start a family due to customs…

Not wanting the children's dreams to be left unfulfilled, the teachers tirelessly knocked on every door, persuaded each parent, and persistently rebuilt the children's educational path.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Tung (Chau Kim Hue Secondary School) is a seasoned teacher with extensive experience in "keeping" young students in school. Last year, her class had five students at risk of dropping out. By promptly gathering information and closely monitoring her students and their families, Ms. Tung successfully kept all of them in the class. According to Ms. Tung, at the beginning of each school year, she assesses the situation of each student in her class, encourages them, and shares with them the wide-ranging opportunities that come with a proper education. "For students at risk of dropping out due to family difficulties, we provide support with books, clothes, and mobilize benefactors to award scholarships. For students who are reluctant to study because of slow progress, teachers and classmates provide extra tutoring to prevent them from becoming discouraged…," Ms. Tung said.

Mr. Le Thinh Phu, the principal of Chau Kim Hue Secondary School, regularly visits students' homes and meets with their parents to encourage families to continue sending their children to school.

Nguyen Tran Tan Tai (Chau Kim Hue Secondary School) said: “Thanks to the teachers' care, love, and support in helping me overcome all difficulties, I have been able to continue going to school with my friends. I have also understood that going to school is the easiest path to achieving my dreams, so I am striving to study well to live up to the expectations of my teachers.”

At Tran Hung Dao High School, in recent years, to reduce the dropout rate, the school has implemented many practical solutions. In addition to establishing a campaign committee comprising homeroom teachers, parent-teacher associations, village elders, and community leaders to visit each student's home, the school also connects with philanthropists to jointly contribute to providing textbooks and scholarships. Students from distant areas are provided free accommodation in the school's dormitory.

Mr. Mai Van Thanh, the school principal, said: “In the highlands, people's economic conditions are still very difficult, so the children's meals are also very inadequate. The teachers in the school contribute from their salaries to organize a weekly meal program with meat for the students who are boarding at the school's dormitory, both to supplement their nutrition and to strengthen the bond between teachers and students, and between the school and classes.”

Faced with the reality of students dropping out of school early in the area, local authorities have been continuously involved for many years. Community meetings and awareness campaigns are organized in villages and hamlets to remind parents. The government, along with various departments and organizations, work together to encourage people to change their mindset and motivate their children to continue their education.

According to statistics from the Department of Education and Training's database, from the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year to the present, approximately 200 students in the province have not attended classes for various reasons. This situation is a major concern for us. Recognizing that keeping students in school is a priority, in the coming time, our unit will coordinate with local authorities and schools to both support disadvantaged students and strengthen awareness campaigns to change parents' perceptions. Each student retained in school represents a new opportunity for development for both their family and the community.

Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training Vo Thi Minh Duyen

Chairman of Tuy An Dong Commune People's Committee, Tran Van Bien, said: "We consider sending students to school as a crucial task. Therefore, the local authorities regularly encourage people to change their mindset and view education as an investment in the future. At the same time, the commune calls on philanthropists to support scholarships, creating conditions for students to study with peace of mind."

Thanks to the perseverance of the education sector and the active involvement of local authorities, the rate of students dropping out of school prematurely in localities has decreased significantly in recent years. Previously, Chau Kim Hue Secondary School had about 100 students dropping out each year. In the last three school years, this number has decreased by 50%. Similarly, Tran Hung Dao High School, which previously had about 45-50 students dropping out, has also seen a 50% reduction. Although the number of students dropping out prematurely remains high, this initial result confirms that the efforts of teachers and local authorities have not been in vain.

Tran Hung Dao High School (Yang Mao commune) organizes free review sessions for boarding students.

Schools and local authorities have been striving to keep every child in school. However, to prevent literacy from being neglected in coastal villages, on farmlands, or in construction sites, more support from parents and society is needed. Because each student attending school is not only a joy for teachers, but also a hope for change for an entire village. "Without the joint efforts of families and society, the teachers' efforts will be difficult to achieve. We hope that every parent understands that sending their children to school is the best way to help them build dreams and aspirations for the future," said Mr. Le Thinh Phu, Principal of Chau Kim Hue Secondary School.

Source: https://baodaklak.vn/xa-hoi/202510/miet-mai-tim-cach-dua-hoc-tro-ra-lop-dbf174e/