Schools in the eye of typhoon Kalmaegi urgently cleaned up, many equipment damaged

After the Kalmaegi storm (storm No. 13), many schools in the eastern Gia Lai region (formerly Binh Dinh) and eastern Dak Lak (formerly Phu Yen) have reopened to welcome students back. While there is joy in seeing teachers and friends again, there is still concern about damaged books and learning equipment.

Construction workers clean up debris from the collapsed ceiling of a school building at Nguyen Dieu High School, Tuy Phuoc Dong Commune, Gia Lai , due to storm Kalmaegi - Photo: TAN LUC

In the eastern region of Gia Lai (formerly Binh Dinh province), schools severely damaged by storm Kalmaegi are being urgently repaired to welcome students soon.

Clean up early, connect electricity and water, welcome students

In Gia Lai, where the eye of the storm Kalmaegi swept through, the damage to the education sector was quite severe. Specifically, this province had 489 schools and education centers damaged, with roofs blown off, causing an estimated loss of more than 141 billion VND.

Although most schools have temporarily repaired their damage and allowed students to return to school since the beginning of the week, some schools cannot immediately welcome students due to severe damage.

At Nguyen Dieu High School in Tuy Phuoc Dong Commune, the storm blew off the roof of classroom A, and damaged the second floor's beams and brick walls, affecting six classrooms. Some tiled-roofed buildings were also blown away by the wind.

The roof, purlins, and ceiling panels of the A-school building of Nguyen Dieu High School, Tuy Phuoc Dong Commune, Gia Lai Province were blown away by storm No. 13 - Photo: TAN LUC

In addition, a row of student parking lots was blown out into the fields by the storm. Landscape trees were uprooted and felled everywhere. In addition to the power and water outages, the school's teaching activities were interrupted for the first two days of the week.

Ms. Duong Thi Bich Lien, the school’s principal, said that due to the severe damage and lack of electricity and water, the school cannot welcome students back immediately. In recent days, the army and local authorities have supported teachers in cleaning the school yard and re-roofing damaged tiles.

It is expected that students will return to school today (November 12) when electricity and water have been restored. With the roof of room A blown off, the contractor is urgently working to clean up and repair it so it can be put back into use as soon as possible.

In the meantime, the school will temporarily divide into two shifts per day to allow classes to return to normal learning. This is one of the most severely damaged schools in the province during the storm, home to 1,430 students.

Clean classrooms welcome students after typhoon Kalmaegi

At An Dan Kindergarten (Tuy An Bac commune, Dak Lak province), the school grounds were cleaned up after the storm, as clean as new. Many children were overjoyed to see their teachers again.

Soldiers and teachers clean the school yard and dry books so students can return to school - Photo: TAM AN

Ms. Huynh Thi Xuan Nu, Principal of An Dan Kindergarten, said that the school has 185 children, most of whom have now returned to school.

"When they returned to class, the children were very happy. Before that, the teachers had cleaned and rearranged the classroom. There are still a few students who cannot go to school because their homes are in severely damaged areas or their health is not guaranteed. The school has contacted parents so that the children can return to full study soon," said Ms. Nu.

Ms. Le Thao Trang, a parent whose child is studying at the school, shared: "My house had its roof blown off and all the furniture was damaged due to water. My child stayed at home for several days, asking when he would go back to school. Today he was very happy to be able to go to class, and I was also relieved to clean up more."

Children at An Dan Kindergarten (Tuy An Bac commune, Dak Lak province) happily returned to class after the storm - Photo: MINH CHIEN

Dak Lak has 226 educational facilities damaged, many places have severely damaged teaching equipment.

Phu Mo Commune, Dak Lak Province, is one of the localities most severely damaged by storm No. 13. Phu Mo Primary School was deeply submerged in mud, many classrooms and teaching equipment were severely damaged.

The majority of students here are Ba Na and Cham, and their lives are still difficult. After the flood, many households lost their crops, and now they have to worry about their children not having books or a place to study.

According to Mr. Le Ngoc Hoa, Principal of Phu Mo Primary School, the flood swept away and completely damaged 24 computers of the school. After the storm, the school adjusted the teaching plan accordingly, flexibly replacing or buying back books to ensure the learning of students.

The school is calling on organizations and individuals to support equipment, especially computers, so that students can have better learning conditions.

Contractors are repairing damage at Nguyen Dieu High School, Tuy Phuoc Dong Commune, Gia Lai, after the storm - Photo: TAN LUC

Emergency repairs to ensure school safety

Regarding the damage to the education sector, Chairman of Gia Lai Provincial People's Committee Pham Anh Tuan has assigned the Department of Education and Training and relevant agencies to urgently develop plans and implement repairs to schools damaged by the storm. To speed up the progress, the province allows both repairs and completion of documents according to the decision to declare an emergency situation regarding natural disasters. Students will return to school soon, with solid and safe classrooms.

Regarding Dak Lak, Ms. Vo Thi Minh Duyen, Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training, informed that up to now, most schools in the eastern part of the province have welcomed students back. Only Vo Nguyen Giap Secondary and High School (Xuan Canh Commune) is temporarily unable to open due to fallen trees, damaged roofs and glass doors, and is expected to reopen on November 12.

According to Ms. Duyen, at this time, students are entering the period of studying and taking mid-term and final exams, so early stabilization is very important. During storm No. 13, Dak Lak province had 226 educational establishments that suffered an estimated damage of 22.79 billion VND. Common damages were collapsed fences, school gates, trees, desks, chairs, computers, and mud flooding...

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/truong-lop-vung-tam-bao-kalmaegi-khan-truong-don-dep-nhieu-thiet-bi-hu-hong-20251111172505882.htm