Students enjoy a meal at Huoi Tu 2 Primary School in central Nghe An province's Ky Son district. (Photo:VNS) Nghe An (VNS/VNA) - School has gotten that little bit better for disadvantaged children in thecentral province of Nghe An.
In a bid to help them concentrate on their studies, theethnic minority students are given meals and places to sleep.
It has helped improve social skills and make them feel moreattached to the school, teachers and friends.
Huoi Tu 2 Primary School in Ky Son District, is more than 300kilometres away from Vinh City and one of the most disadvantaged areas of theprovince.
At 5pm from Monday to Friday, students, mostly Mong ethnicminorities, gather at the kitchen of the school to get their tray of food.
On the tray, there are four dishes, including rice,vegetables, meat and broth, which ensures nutrition for students after a longday of study.
After dinner, students and teachers will have time forentertainment activities learning folk games, new songs and stories beforegoing to bed.
The routine has been implemented at the school for the pastthree years.
Nguyen The Vinh, principal of Huoi Tu 2 Primary School saidthe school applied the boarding school model, which provided meals and sleepingplaces for students since the academic year of 2016-2017.
The model eased the difficulties of teaching and studying ofboth teachers and students.
Vinh said two thirds of pupils were from poor households andlived tens of kilometres away from the school.
Previously, these students had to study at five differenttemporary classrooms, which was made from bamboo and ill-equipped.
Both teachers and students had to walk on mountainous muddyroads to get to class.
That’s why the number of students dropping out of schoolremained high.
Figures from the Ministry of Education and Trainingin the academic year of 2016-2017 showed up to 510,000 students dropped out ofschool after two weeks of the new academic year.
There were more than 765,220 students studying at 1,575schools in the province.
Vinh said since the school applied the model, fewer studentswere absent from class after the weekends.
The cost of the meals has been supported by the centralprovince’s State budget and by parents.
Teachers would take turns to go to the market to buy food andcook meals. They even planted vegetable, raised chickens and pigs to vary themenu.
Apart from lessons, students would learn how to socialise,enlarge their social knowledge and become self-confident.
These activities would help change outdated customs andlifestyles while preserving and promoting the national cultural identity forstudents, Vinh said.
Thai and Kho Mu students at Ta Ca ethnic boarding schoolenjoy the same routine.
Cut Thi Thuy, principal of Ta Ca ethnic boarding school saidthere were 71 students staying at the school.
The school had been facing many difficulties whenimplementing the model as there were no electricity and a shortage of standardtoilets and basic items.
However, Thuy said the model helped parents feel secure abouttheir children’s study.
Thuy said she had encouraged parents to donate basic itemssuch as beds, pillows and blankets for students, but it still wasn’t enough.
Teachers said the model had increased study time and helpedimprove interaction between teachers and students. Teachers could take care ofstudents both physically and spiritually.
As many as 12 out of 29 schools in Ky Son District haveapplied the model.
Phan Van Thiet, head of Ky Son District’s Education andTraining Division, said the office asked the schools to pick up more students fromtemporary classrooms to stay at the schools this month, so students would getbetter care.
Five schools have managed to persuade students from third tofifth grades to stay at school.
The model would create better condition to organise theteaching of IT and English for them following the new curriculum in the future,he said./.
