Building inter-level boarding schools in border communes: 'Boarding' in semi-boarding schools

Boarding school by choice

On the morning of August 27, 2025, Mr. San Mi Phu, a Mong ethnic in Che Ly B hamlet, Coc Pang commune (a border commune located in the far north of Cao Bang province) took his two children, San Mi Gia and San Mi Lia, to Che Ly A school of Duc Hanh Primary and Secondary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities. Arriving at class in the heavy rain, Mr. Phu and his two children were soaked. Mr. San Mi Phu whispered to the teacher: Please let them stay at school.

PV of GD-TĐ Newspaper led the scene on the road to Che Ly A School, Coc Pang Commune (Cao Bang).

After that, Mr. Phu returned home without any worries because his children were already used to boarding school. Gia and Lia both boarded at Che Ly A School from first grade until now. The teachers took care of their meals, bathing, and illnesses.

Arriving at school, Gia and Lia innocently and happily walked into the classroom, put the plastic bag containing their clothes in a corner, and started their first day of school. This year, Gia was in 5th grade, and Lia was in 4th grade. The school did not have any dormitories, so at night the children slept in the classrooms, and the teachers were assigned to stay overnight to take care of them. San Mi Lia innocently said: I really like it here, the teachers love me very much.

San Mi Lia and her friends at Che Ly A School wash vegetables to cook dinner.

Mr. San Mi Phu's house is in Che Ly B hamlet, a border hamlet bordering China. A few steps away is the border fence. Although Che Ly A School is 12km away from the main school, it still takes Mr. Phu's house nearly 10 minutes by motorbike and more than 1 hour on foot to get to the school.

Teacher Nong Thi Luu, homeroom teacher of class 4B (the class San Mi Lia is studying in) said: I went to visit and support San Mi Phu's family. It's very far, it takes nearly 10 minutes by motorbike to reach the end of the road and then you have to climb up the rocky mountain to get there. The mountain road can't be counted in kilometers, journalist, it's about 8km. It took us more than 2 hours to go there and back, 4 hours. Phu's family is very poor, with 7 children. Gia is the second child, Lia is the third child. Phu and his wife have always left their children with the teacher since grade 1 because there was no other way.

Students staying at the "boarding" school at Che Ly A review their lessons every night under the supervision of teachers.

Students staying at the "boarding" school at Che Ly A spread mats on the classroom floor to sleep overnight.

Not only Gia and Lia, in the 2025-2026 school year, Duc Hanh Primary and Secondary Boarding School has more than 200 students (out of a total of nearly 900 students) who have to stay in dormitories at the main school and 5 school locations. The students' stay at the school has lasted for a long time. In the past, the school had no place to stay, so their families built shacks and temporarily stayed near the school. In the past ten years, the students have been staying in dormitories at the main school or classrooms at the school locations.

Duc Hanh Primary and Secondary School for Ethnic Minorities used leftover corrugated iron to build temporary shelters for "boarding" students to stay in.

Teacher Ha Van Lap, Vice Principal of Duc Hanh Primary and Secondary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities, said: This school year, the living and studying conditions of the students are more difficult because the main school, where about 200 students live, is being rebuilt by an organization. The old dormitory was demolished and rebuilt but is not yet complete. The school has to use corrugated iron to make temporary accommodation for the students.

Tan Thi Hoang and Dang Thi Lan study in the dormitory of Thuong Ha Primary and Secondary School for Ethnic Minorities, Co Ba Commune (Cao Bang).

The same is true at Thuong Ha Primary and Secondary Boarding School in the border commune of Co Ba (Cao Bang). The day we arrived on August 25, 2025, was the first day the children went to school, and it was also the time when they brought their clothes, books, notebooks, and personal belongings to the dormitory.

For dinner, Hoang Dang Khoi ate at the school cafeteria.

When meeting us, Hoang Dang Khoi was very natural because this year he entered grade 5 at the main school but Khoi had spent 4 years in the school dormitory. Tan Thi Hoang and Dang Thi Lan also entered grade 5 this year but this was their first time living in the dormitory so they were more shy. The main school is the closest place to their homes but it is still dozens of kilometers away with many steep passes and hills.

The main school of Thuong Ha Primary and Secondary School for Ethnic Minorities, Co Ba Commune (Cao Bang) has about 200 students in the "boarding" program.

Teacher Quan Van Thuong, Principal of Thuong Ha Primary and Secondary Boarding School, said: The school has a main school and 5 campuses. This school year, there are a total of 790 students, of which more than 200 have to sleep at school at night and return home on weekends. The school always focuses on ensuring the best living conditions for the students, but there are still many difficulties.

Semi-boarding teachers become boarding teachers

Teacher Tran Thi Vuc, born in 1977, has worked in the education sector for 25 years and has been with the Che Ly A School, Duc Hanh Primary and Secondary Boarding School, Coc Pang Commune (Cao Bang) for more than 8 years. For more than 25 years, the places where Ms. Vuc has taught have been 180 to more than 200km away from home, so she often stays at school. It is impossible to describe all the difficulties, hardships, and sacrifices, especially when being a wife and a mother.

Students at Che Ly A School are treated as their own children by their teachers.

At Che Ly A School, since the students have been staying, Ms. Vuc and the other teachers have become second mothers, taking care of their meals and sleep. Every night, the teachers tell the children to bathe, cook for them, help them study and watch over their sleep. Ms. Tran Thi Vuc said: In their daily activities and especially when they are sick or have a fever, I take care of them like my own children. If they are seriously ill, I call their families to take them to the hospital.

PV of GD-TĐ Newspaper led the scene at Che Lech School, Coc Pang Primary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities.

Teacher Luc Thi Luong, Principal of Coc Pang Primary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities, talks with students of Che Lech School.

Coc Pang Primary Boarding School, Coc Pang Commune, also has 77/360 students from grades 1 to 5 who have to stay at the school's dormitory due to their homes being far away. The entire school also has 16/30 teachers who have to stay at the school's official residence or rent a room near the school. Ms. Luc Thi Luong, Principal of Coc Pang Primary Boarding School, said: In order to ensure the best conditions for the children, the school has a specific schedule of teachers responsible for taking care of, being on duty, and watching the children at night. Although it is difficult and there is no dormitory, the teachers are like kind mothers, doing their best to take care of and create the best conditions for the children.

Still a "concave area"

Following Mr. Vi Van Hiep, Principal of Tam Gia I Primary and Secondary School, on August 13, 2025, we went to Mr. Hoang Van Chu's house in Con Cam village, Khuat Xa commune ( Lang Son ). He is the grandfather of Hoang Bao Lam, an 8th grade student who just dropped out of the second semester of the 2024-2025 school year. Mr. Hiep came to persuade him to return to school, but when he arrived, Lam had already followed his father to the company to work.

Teacher Vi Van Hiep, Principal of Tam Gia I Primary and Secondary School, went to Mr. Hoang Van Chu's house in Con Cam village, Khuat Xa commune (Lang Son) to encourage students to go to school.

Sharing sadly, Mr. Hoang Van Chu said: “The family is in such difficult circumstances that Lam dropped out of school to go to work. We also hope that he can continue studying, but the conditions for care and education are not adequate, so we have to accept it…”

The situation of students dropping out of secondary school is currently a concern in many border communes of Cao Bang and Lang Son. Difficult terrain, difficult traffic, lack of facilities, inadequate boarding accommodation, a shortage of teachers in both quantity and quality, and the difficult life of the people... all have become barriers on the way to school for children in the border areas.

Bo Vai school, Thuong Ha Primary and Secondary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities, Co Ba commune (Cao Bang) still faces many difficulties.

According to the Department of Education and Training of Cao Bang and Lang Son provinces, there are no official statistics, but in the border areas, many boarding schools have become "reluctant boarding schools". Many teachers, staff, and employees are currently working as boarding students. All of these people have not yet enjoyed the boarding school policy, but they are always devoted to the common cause.

These are issues that require comprehensive solutions and stronger investment to ensure that all border students can study in the best conditions.

From the reality in Cao Bang and Lang Son, it can be affirmed that the policy of building inter-level boarding schools is a correct, wise and popular step. Currently, the two provinces are concentrating their efforts with the high political determination of the whole system to realize this task. We will analyze this issue in more depth in part 2: Realizing the dream.

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/xay-dung-truong-noi-tru-lien-cap-xa-bien-gioi-noi-tru-o-truong-ban-tru-post746335.html