Sep-16-2008
Nguồn Viet Nam News

picture: A teacher in Long Phuc Primary School, Lao Cai Province sets up a learning space underneath the house of a villager. The flood has hurt the region’s ability to offer quality education. — VNA/VNS Photo Bich Ngoc

YEN BAI — Children from flood affected areas face many difficulties in their daily lives, and many are on the verge of quitting school. Flash flooding damaged infrastructure in Yen Bai and Lao Cai provinces in August, and has left many children suffering from psychological trauma.

According to Tran Xuan Hung, deputy director of the Yen Bai Education and Training Department, the increasing number of students quitting schools had put further pressure on the area already struggling with the aftermath of flooding.

"The root cause of this is an economic matter," Hung explained, "Many families lost houses, crops and have no way to earn a living. They even find it hard to eat every day, let alone send their children to school. Students themselves want to quit school to earn money to survive."

In Y Can Commune in Tran Yen District – the area in Yen Bai Province most affected by recent flooding – five families lost everything in the disaster, while many others lost property or suffered damages. The situation has directly affected 396 students of nursery, primary and junior high school ages.

"We cannot let our children go to school even though they no longer have to pay school fees, as we need their help rebuilding," said Nguyen Thi Hang, a resident in Y Can Commune, "The most valuable thing we have now are some stacks of rice."

Hang wanted her two children to stay at home, but was encouraged to let them attend school by local teachers and neighbours, who gave the children some clothes and notebooks.

Bao Yen District, the most damaged area in Lao Cai Province, is experiencing similar problems. Besides economical difficulties, children are afraid of the rain.

"Children tend to stay home when it rains," said Luong Quang Dua, deputy head of Education Department of Bao Yen District, "We have foreseen the problem but cannot prevent it."

Local authorities in Yen Bai Province have offered poor households 15kg of rice per month for three successive months after the flooding.

However, support from local authorities and people throughout the country only offers temporary relief.

"There is a long way to go before they can settle down again," Hung said.

He said that Yen Bai last year was among the top-ten places in the whole country with the highest number of students quitting schools.

"This will remain a real challenge to the education sector and society," he said, "As there is still no other effective way to solve the problem, apart from propaganda."

After the flood, many schools in Lao Cai were damaged, including Long Phuc Primary School in Bao Yen District and Sang Ma Sao Primary School in Bat Xat District.

"The most difficult thing is that we have no clear site to build new schools," Dua said, "Metres of mud remain everywhere and the area is still at risk of other floods and landslides. Thus, the lack of schools will be a long-term problem."

"Teachers don’t even have a place to live or work in yet," he said.

Flash floods that swept through several northern mountainous provinces like Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Ha Giang, Tuyen Quang, Phu Tho, and Bac Kan during the second week of August were the worst floods in the Song Hong (Red River) Delta in 22 years, with river waters peaking at close to record levels set in 1971.

At least 129 people were killed after days of heavy rains triggered by the remnants of Tropical Storm Kammuri.

Another 89 were injured and 32 are missing. Lao Cai reported the highest death toll with 49 dead and 30 missing. Yen Bai reported 41 dead.

Flash floods accompanied by landslides collapsed or swept away nearly 800 houses and 220 bridges. Approximately 18 thousands homes and more than 15,200 ha of crops were destroyed.

Displaced soil and rock blocked main transport routes in the area for several days. In addition, 359 irrigation works were damaged and more than 6.6 km of drainage canal will require restoration to bring agricultural work back to normal.

A rough estimate of property losses in three of the 11 provinces affected by the disaster, namely Lao Cai, Yen Bai, and Phu Tho, stood at US$112 million. — VNS