Teachers burst into tears looking at the school devastated by the flood, more than 400 students still unable to go to school

Flood receded, school devastated

The recent flood caused by the circulation of Storm No. 10 has caused severe damage to many communes and wards in the north of Tuyen Quang province, of which Thuan Hoa commune is one of the most severely devastated localities. Thuan Hoa Primary Boarding School B is also not out of the flood's impact.

Thuan Hoa Primary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities was submerged in floodwaters.

A week after the flood, Thuan Hoa Primary Boarding School B is still in disarray, with mud stains still imprinted across the classroom walls, some reaching over 3 meters high. Desks, chairs, school supplies, computers, printers, and students' blankets are soaked with water. Teachers are all exhausted and covered in mud.

Mr. Vu Khac Lan, the school's principal, recalled: From the evening of September 30, when realizing the complicated flood situation, the school decided to send more than 200 boarding students home to avoid the flood.

“The flood developed very quickly. In the early morning of October 1, floodwaters began to rise into the school. Teachers had to evacuate to a hill 500 meters away from the school to ensure safety. The water level rose to an unprecedented level, with some areas being nearly 4 meters deep,” said Mr. Lan.

The school was in disarray after the flood.

The recent flood has left the once-luxurious school in ruins. Although the teachers tried to move their equipment and belongings, the floodwaters rose so quickly that they reached the roof, destroying all the equipment and belongings.

Leading us around the mud-covered rooms, Mr. Vu Khac Lan choked up: All the textbooks and notebooks of the students were completely damaged, the library equipment was 100% damaged. The classroom walls were stained with dark mud, the books of the students, which were the luggage of knowledge, were completely damaged, scattered under the thick layer of mud.

Tables and chairs were swept out to the school gate by the flood.

Along with that, almost all of the school's facilities, teaching equipment, and all school supplies such as TVs, tables, chairs, blackboards, kitchens, student beds, etc. were also severely damaged. Many important books, lesson plans, records, and certificates of teachers were soaked in water and severely damaged. The total damage was estimated at about 2 billion VND. In general, the school was left with only a corpse. The greatest luck was that there was no loss of life.

Students cannot return to school yet

Many school teachers burst into tears when looking back at the place that had once been home to generations of students, now buried under 2-3 meters of mud and sand. Some people have been attached to the locality for decades, and have experienced many natural disasters, but have never witnessed such terrible devastation.

According to Mr. Lan, the floodwaters destroyed and swept away most of the school’s property, but left behind a “huge” amount of mud and soil on the school grounds. Immediately after the floodwaters receded, teachers, parents, and authorities began cleaning up.

Teachers tried to clean up and collect anything that could still be used to wipe and dry. However, there was almost nothing left that could still be used…

Mr. Lan said: Over the past few days, we have been working tirelessly, just hoping to clean up and repair the building soon so that students can return to school. Although the loss of property is huge, fortunately no one was injured.

Up to now, the school cleaning work has been basically completed, but no one can answer the question of when students can return to school.

Replacing waterlogged teaching equipment and repairing damaged facilities are facing many difficulties due to the current lack of funding.

Mr. Lan said that the whole school has more than 400 students at the main campus, most of whom eat and sleep at school. Currently, all the blankets and school supplies of the students have been damaged due to water damage. Therefore, the most important thing for teachers at this time is to have school supplies and daily necessities so that the students can go to class with peace of mind.

The student dormitory was destroyed by floodwaters.

Thuan Hoa is a poor commune of Tuyen Quang, the students are mainly Mong, Tay, Bo Y ethnic groups... the students are poor, many families suffered losses from the recent flood so the difficulties are even more difficult.

For now, the Tuyen Quang Department of Education and Training has announced that it will provide books for students at the school. As for school supplies, desks, chairs, and daily necessities, the school will also proactively seek support through channels of benefactors.

Looking at the school hidden behind the storm-damaged trees, Thuan Hoa Primary Boarding School B sadly said: "In this situation, we don't know when we can welcome students back to school."

Authorities and local people helped the school clean up after the flood receded.

The school needs to be rebuilt, with desks, chairs, cabinets, books, teaching equipment, blankets, kitchens, etc. to welcome students back to class. Local authorities, the education sector, and other relevant forces are urgently supporting the cleanup and recovery efforts. However, for the school to be able to operate again, it needs the support of the community, organizations, individuals, businesses, and kind-hearted people at home and abroad.

“We sincerely hope for the support of the community and kind-hearted people near and far. Every donation, be it a book, a pen, a table and chair set, a mat, a warm blanket… is a great source of encouragement for teachers and students of the school,” said Mr. Vu Khac Lan.

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/thay-co-bat-khoc-nhin-truong-hoc-tan-hoang-sau-lu-hon-400-hs-chua-the-den-truong-post751437.html