Learning in Khe Long 2

After the flash flood devastated Khe Long 2 school, Mo Vang Kindergarten, Mo Vang commune, 42 students were able to return to school. Although it was just a temporary classroom, it contained the efforts of the local Party Committee, government and education sector with the determination not to let the education here be unfinished.

Until today, two teachers at Khe Long 2 school are still shocked when talking about the flash flood that occurred on the afternoon of September 29.

Teacher Do Thanh Van confided: “On September 29, seeing the heavy rain, we asked the school leadership for instructions to ask parents to pick up their children earlier than scheduled. At nearly 4 p.m., the last two children were picked up by their parents, and we cleaned up the classroom. After 4 p.m., water from all directions rushed to the school, carrying away soil, rocks, and trees. We didn’t have time to get our own supplies, we just thought we had to quickly call on the households living nearby to move to a safe place…”.

Although the site of Khe Long 2 school has been cleaned up, just looking at the scene of Khe Long 2 school, one can imagine the devastation caused by the flash flood. Soil, rocks, and trees are scattered; house walls and fences have collapsed; teaching aids and boarding equipment have been swept away, leaving almost nothing.

The school yard was invaded by the stream and could no longer be used. Building a new school would require a lot of time and resources, so the local Party Committee, government and the school discussed and agreed on a plan to build temporary classrooms to quickly overcome the consequences of the natural disaster and welcome children back to school.

Mo Vang Commune has urgently mobilized local forces to clear landslides, and at the same time, checked, searched, and mobilized people to have safe and suitable locations to build temporary classrooms and arrange land for new construction when conditions permit. The yard of Mr. Song A Ho - Head of Khe Long 2 village was chosen as the place to build temporary classrooms.

Although the ground is still covered in mud, the school's Board of Directors has begun construction of prefabricated classrooms, ensuring minimum conditions for learning.

Teacher Pham Thi Phuong - Vice Principal of Mo Vang Kindergarten confided: "The classroom is the second home of the children. It must be clean, well-lit and colorful to attract and stimulate children's curiosity and exploration ."

More than 10 teachers were mobilized with parents to clean, make learning materials, homemade toys, decorate the classroom, search for usable items, and arrange the classroom.

Wall paintings, school supplies recreated from donated materials and the teachers’ ingenuity have added color to the makeshift classroom. The school’s Board of Directors also called for help from the community to provide school supplies and basic personal items for 42 children.

On October 13, the Mong children of Khe Long 2 village returned to school. 42 innocent eyes were bright and eager for their new desks, notebooks and classrooms. Songs, stories and innocent smiles resounded again, dispelling the gloomy atmosphere after the natural disaster.

Khe Long 2 is a particularly difficult village with 100% Mong people. The village does not have national grid electricity, so teaching and learning, which was already difficult, is now even more difficult.

Every morning, the teachers have to come early to clean up, set up tables and chairs, and rearrange the space; in the afternoon, they have to clean up and return the house to the people. Because it is a residential yard, the classroom is quite narrow, school supplies have to be stored in styrofoam boxes or temporarily hung on the wall, the floor is damp, it is dark when it rains, and hot when it is sunny.

Not to mention there is no play area or study area here so the teachers cannot fully organize activities for the children like before.

Teacher Pham Thi Son shared: “Children are happy and excited to be back in class! Therefore, no matter how difficult it is, teachers and students try to overcome it. The school has added one more teacher to the school. We also stay in the village instead of going back and forth every day like before to prepare for class and take better care of the children.”

Winter is coming very soon, the plan to keep the children warm and avoid drafts has been calculated by the teachers at Khe Long 2 school. Teacher Son added: "We have talked and agreed with the homeowner to let the children sleep indoors when winter comes, at the same time, install curtains or doors to avoid drafts in the study area; install solar lights to have light".

The local government and the school have also proactively called for and mobilized social resources to build the new school. After many days of tireless efforts, the efforts have been rewarded.

Mr. Do Cao Quyen - Chairman of Mo Vang Commune People's Committee announced the good news: "We have connected with units and benefactors and agreed on funding sources to build a new school, which is expected to have 2 classrooms, 2 toilets, a kitchen and a warehouse. Currently, all preparations are being actively implemented, the construction site is also available, the project is expected to start soon and strive to be completed before the Lunar New Year of Binh Ngo in 2026".

Flash floods can sweep away schools but cannot “sweep away” the aspirations and rights to education of children in the highlands - that is both a real story in Khe Long 2 and a firm commitment of the local government and the Mo Vang education sector. Because, for highland villages like Khe Long 2, knowledge is the only and shortest way to escape poverty and build a new life.

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/su-hoc-o-khe-long-2-post885899.html