Follow the child to find words at Ca Mau Cape

At a school in Ca Mau, nearly 80% of students go to school by water, because for many reasons parents are forced to go to school with their children.

Primary School 2 in Dat Mui Commune, Ngoc Hien District, Ca Mau Province has 350 students, nearly 80% of whom go to school by water, mainly by boat.

In front of the gate of Dat Mui Commune Primary School 2 (Ngoc Hien District), there are several shops that provide food and drink services and hammocks for customers to rest. These shops are always crowded from morning to afternoon. The customers of the shops are mainly parents taking their children to and from school.

Many parents in Dat Mui, Ca Mau province, wait for their children to finish school at a cafe near the school. Photo: Nhat Ho

Ms. Chem My Hien (Cai Xep hamlet, Dat Mui commune, Ngoc Hien district) has a grandson in grade 3 at school, who goes to school by boat every day.

“It is very difficult for students to go to school here. They have to wake up very early to get ready for school. The river is deep and the water is strong. I do not feel comfortable letting my child take the boat alone, especially during the rainy season. So I have to leave my job to go to school with him to take care of him,” said Mrs. Hien.

Nearly 80% of students at the school go to school by water. Photo: Nhat Ho

Ms. Nguyen Thi Ven (Cai Moi Hamlet, Dat Mui Commune, Ngoc Hien District) said that she has 3 children studying at Dat Mui Commune Primary School 2. It takes more than 30 minutes to go from her house to school by boat. If she lets her children go by boat, it will be expensive, about 50,000 to 60,000 VND per child per day, so she takes her children herself to save money.

A ferry dock was built near the school to pick up and drop off students. Photo: Nhat Ho

Ms. Ven explained how she went to school with her children and grandchildren: “Because the children study 2 sessions, I drop them off in the morning and then wait until the afternoon when they finish school to pick them up. Taking them home every session takes a lot of time and money. Before, I also caught crabs, snails, worked for hire to earn extra income. Now I have to go with my children all day, I have to give up my job but I have to accept it. I am poor and illiterate, so I just want my children to learn to read and write so that I can support myself in the future.”

Also waiting to pick up her grandchildren from school, Mrs. Ma Be Em (Cai Moi hamlet, Dat Mui commune) said that she has 4 grandchildren studying at Dat Mui commune Primary School 2, their parents work far away and leave them to their grandparents to take care of. Every day, from early morning, when the grandchildren go to school, she also packs up and goes with them, only when the grandchildren come home from school does she come back.

After school, students get on boats and sampans to go home. Photo: Nhat Ho

Mr. Le Duc Thanh - Principal of Dat Mui Commune Primary School 2 - said that because the road traffic infrastructure in this area is not yet fully covered, most students still go to school by water, mainly by boat.

“Going to school by water during low tide is difficult to get up and down, and it is easy to fall. On days of heavy rain and strong winds, it is very dangerous because many children do not know how to swim. In addition, parents also spend time, money on boat fare, gas, and food while waiting to pick up and drop off their children. Many families with many children will have difficulty sending their children to school,” Mr. Thanh shared.

On rainy days, students have difficulty traveling. Photo: Nhat Ho

According to Mr. Thanh, since the beginning of the school year, the school has coordinated with local authorities to encourage ferrymen to try to go to remote, less populated places to pick up and drop off students. At the same time, the school has encouraged parents with motorbikes to support parents without motorbikes on the same route, giving students a ride to ensure that all students get to school.

Source: https://dantoctongiao.laodong.vn/van-hoa-kien-truc/theo-con-tim-chu-tai-mui-ca-mau-1407252.html