Developing education in the "disadvantaged" Luan Khe region.

Starting from a low base in a locality with particularly difficult socio-economic conditions, Luận Khê Ethnic Boarding Secondary School in Tân Thành commune has implemented many practical and creative approaches to both stabilize student enrollment and improve the quality of education.

A view of Luận Khê Ethnic Boarding Junior High School.

Prior to the establishment of the two-tiered local government system, Luận Khê was the only particularly disadvantaged commune in the former Thường Xuân district. Due to low incomes, uneven educational levels, difficult transportation conditions, and a lack of parental concern for their children's education, the dropout rate at Luận Khê Ethnic Boarding Junior High School consistently reached double digits before 2023. In some years, the number of students dropping out reached nearly 20.

Teacher Le Dinh Hoa, Principal of Luan Khe Ethnic Boarding Junior High School, shared: Recognizing the difficulties in maintaining discipline and educational quality in this particularly disadvantaged commune, the school's management board has implemented a comprehensive set of solutions, using the creation of a stable and disciplined learning and living environment as the foundation for improving educational quality. At the same time, they have organized many patriotic emulation movements, creating beneficial, healthy, and inspiring playgrounds that attract a large number of students to participate.

Accordingly, in addition to promoting the spirit and responsibility of administrators and teachers, Luận Khê Ethnic Boarding Junior High School has effectively implemented a school counseling room model. Through teaching and extracurricular activities, teachers proactively understand students' psychology to provide timely support, encouragement, and guidance. For students showing signs of dropping out, teachers proactively inquire to understand the reasons and problems arising in their lives. Simultaneously, they proactively contact and meet directly with parents to coordinate efforts in encouraging students to attend school regularly and not drop out prematurely.

“In cases where students want to drop out due to difficult family circumstances such as accidents or illnesses affecting parents or relatives, the school has proactively contacted and coordinated with organizations inside and outside the school to provide emotional and material support, encouraging them to return to school. With this approach, the school hopes to eliminate the problem of students dropping out midway through their studies,” shared teacher Le Dinh Hoa.

Furthermore, Luận Khê Ethnic Boarding Junior High School has focused on establishing order in the boarding area by assigning teachers to supervise students during specific time slots. From there, teachers guide students in cleaning their rooms, growing safe vegetables, and participating in experiential activities and life skills education at the school; they also promote evening study sessions in the boarding area and directly guide students in doing homework and reviewing knowledge. This is a practical solution that helps the school promptly monitor the students' learning, health, and psychological well-being, effectively manage students in the boarding area, and gives students more time to study, consolidate knowledge, and develop self-study habits.

Notably, in the boarding program, to cultivate life skills and foster a clean, tidy, and organized lifestyle among students, the school organizes weekly evaluations and awards prizes to the cleanest and most organized dormitory rooms, with commendations given during the flag-raising ceremony. Although the prize money is not substantial, this initiative has created a vibrant atmosphere and encouraged students to develop neat and clean living habits.

Along with effectively managing the boarding program, Luận Khê Ethnic Minority Boarding Junior High School has focused on building a high-quality teaching staff. It encourages administrators and teachers to continuously improve their skills through self-study, especially by participating in the "Digital Literacy Movement," proactively learning and applying artificial intelligence to lesson planning and video creation for interactive and engaging lectures. The school also promotes the study and emulation of Ho Chi Minh's ideology, ethics, and style, fostering a spirit of responsibility among teachers in caring for and educating students.

Based on the quality of its teaching staff, the school develops an educational plan suitable for the specific characteristics of a boarding school, closely adhering to local conditions. For example, it organizes classes according to ability, assigning homeroom teachers and subject teachers to each group of students. Regular assessments and awards are given to the two best-performing classes each week to encourage a spirit of academic competition among classes. Specifically for grade 9, from the beginning of the school year, the school categorizes students into groups so that teachers can develop review and supplementary learning plans, especially in Mathematics, Literature, and English, to prepare them for the high school entrance exam.

Thanks to effective and innovative methods, the dropout rate at Luan Khe Ethnic Boarding Junior High School has continuously decreased over the years, currently standing at only 1.14% with 5 students. In the 2025-2026 school year, the school expects to have 1 student win a prize in the "Understanding the History of the Provincial Party Committee and the Revolutionary Traditions of the People of Thanh Hoa in 2025" competition, 6 students win prizes in the school-level excellent student competition, 16 students achieve the title of all-round excellent student, 4 teachers are nominated for the title of grassroots emulation fighter, and the school is nominated for the title of advanced labor collective...

Text and photos: Thanh Phan

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/phat-trien-giao-duc-o-vung-kho-luan-khe-289220.htm