A kindergarten is urgently needed in the Trung Ly border area.

Childcare teacher at Ta Com kindergarten, Trung Ly commune.

Trung Ly currently has 15 villages, the majority of which are Mong people. Most of the villages are isolated, dozens of kilometers away from the commune center, many of which are nearly 50 kilometers away by forest road. However, the commune only has one main kindergarten located in the center. Although the province has previously opened additional locations in villages with a large number of children, it is still not enough to meet the needs of the residential clusters located deep in the valleys. Many villages such as Ta Com, Pa Bua, Ca Giang, Canh Cong... are almost "depressed areas" in terms of education , especially preschool education. From the commune center to these villages, people have to cross the forest and many streams by motorbike for 3 to 5 hours. In the rainy season, the Xa Lao road along the Ma River leading to the villages is often eroded, making it difficult to use motor vehicles.

Ta Com village is the farthest place in the commune, with three difficult entrances. One is from National Highway 15C through Pa Quan, Co Cai, Ca Giang, Canh Cong villages to reach Ta Com. The second is to follow National Highway 16 to Xa Lao bridge, then follow the Ma River through Suoi Hoc, Pa Bua, Lin, Co Cai, Ca Giang, Canh Cong. However, this route can only be used in the dry season. The third route is through Mau village (Muong Ly commune) and then cross the Ma River by boat, although more convenient, it is still impassable when the water level is high.

In that condition, organizing teaching for preschool children in remote villages is almost a real "mountain crossing" for both teachers and students.

At the Ta Com kindergarten, teacher Sung Thi Ly, a young Mong teacher, has been in the village for nearly 5 years. She shared: “My family lives in Pa Bua village, nearly 30km away from the class site by forest road. During the school year, I have to stay in the village and cannot go back and forth every day. Every time there is heavy rain, I am “stuck” at the class site for a whole week.”

Although the classroom was solidly built, the living conditions were extremely harsh. In winter, the wind from the Ma River blew cold, and in summer, the classroom was sweltering hot. However, Ms. Ly and her colleagues persisted in staying and maintaining the class regularly. “We don’t want the children to have to drop out of school,” Ms. Ly said.

Mr. Sung A Nu, a teacher at Muong Ly Ethnic Boarding School - Middle School, and also a parent in Ta Com village, confided: “I have two children, the older one is in primary school, the younger one is in kindergarten. If there were another kindergarten in Co Cai village, about 15km from my village, it would be less difficult for teachers. Teachers would not have to often cross the mountain to go to the main school for meetings.”

Faced with the reality of a lack of classes and teachers, teacher Lo Thi Nguyet, Principal of Trung Ly Kindergarten, said: “The main school is located in the commune center. The 13 separate locations in the villages, although they have teachers, are not enough, and especially every time the school organizes a meeting, the teachers have to travel dozens of kilometers of mountain roads, which is very difficult. In many villages, 3-year-old children still do not go to school fully. Currently, the school has only been able to mobilize children to study in the main area, while the separate locations have not been able to mobilize them because they have to study all day, while most areas have not organized boarding, so parents do not have the time and conditions to pick them up and drop them off.”

According to Ms. Nguyet, if a kindergarten could be established in Co Cai village, it would not only reduce the workload for the main school but also increase the rate of children attending class, creating conditions for teachers to organize teaching and professional activities more conveniently.

Realizing the above situation, the Trung Ly commune government is planning to build a project to establish another kindergarten in Co Cai village, which is the center of the cluster of villages: Pa Bua, Lin, Ca Giang, Canh Cong and Ta Com. This is an area with a fairly high population density, many children of preschool age are having to study in makeshift classrooms, which do not meet the conditions to ensure pedagogical quality.

Chairman of Trung Ly Commune People's Committee Tran Van Thang said: "The commune has one junior high school and two primary schools, but only one kindergarten, which is not suitable for the actual needs. Establishing a new school in Co Cai is necessary and urgent. The locality is planning to conduct a field survey and then build a project to submit to higher authorities."

According to Mr. Thang, if the new school is established, it will help strengthen the teaching staff, ensuring more effective management and teaching. More importantly, this will expand equitable learning opportunities for Mong children, who are disadvantaged due to difficult living conditions.

Preschool education is an important foundation in shaping the personality, thinking and life skills of young children. In particularly difficult areas like Trung Ly, bringing children to school is a great effort of the entire political system, teachers and parents. Establishing another preschool in the border commune of Trung Ly is not only an organizational solution, but also ensures equal learning rights for all children, regardless of region.

“If the superiors approve the construction of more kindergartens, Trung Ly commune will make efforts to invest in building facilities such as playgrounds, boarding kitchens, and public housing for teachers living in remote areas. These are important factors to retain teachers and ensure long-term teaching quality,” said Tran Van Thang, Chairman of Trung Ly Commune People’s Committee.

Minh Hien - Hoang Trang

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/can-lam-mot-truong-mam-non-o-vung-bien-trung-ly-259200.htm