Life of teachers and students in boarding school in earthquake epicenter

When the teacher is the mother

Dak Tang Primary and Secondary School is located right in the epicenter of the earthquake.

Dak Tang Primary and Secondary School has a total of 517 students.

students, of which over 98% are ethnic minority students

ethnic minority

Because the roads here are difficult and bumpy, the school has opened additional classes.

boarding

for students in the new school year.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Linh Phuong (24 years old, residing in Dak La, Dak Ha district,

Kon Tum

) – The 3A homeroom teacher said that the boarding students in the school are usually in grade 3 or higher and live far away and cannot return home during the day. For the young students who are new to boarding, the first 2 weeks are extremely difficult for the teachers. Because the students are still confused, they have to guide them in every way.

“Teachers have to guide students in basic skills such as hygiene, bathing, folding blankets, washing dishes, etc. Especially in the morning, I have to wake them up early, exercise and prepare their books before going to class. Most of the students are still too young and used to the time at home, so they cannot be as independent as their seniors,” Ms. Phuong shared.

Teacher A Nhung (40 years old, residing in Ro Xia village, Dak Tang commune) - Manager of the school's boarding area said that the school currently has about 166 students staying at the school. Because most of the students here are ethnic minorities, their families do not have economic conditions, so the teachers are like relatives taking care of everything from living, studying to calling for sponsorship.

“Many nights, sick students come to me. If the illness is mild, I give them medicine in the school health room; if it is more serious, I have to take them to the infirmary. The teachers at the school are like godparents to the students. Although the school’s conditions are still difficult, the boarding teachers are always dedicated to their profession and try to help the students,” Mr. Nhung added.

Nhu Y is instructing new students on how to fold blankets.

Student Y Nhu Y (class 5A) shared: “Teachers love us very much and take care of our lives and studies. To help share the work with teachers, we also teach younger children how to fold blankets, wash dishes, and take care of personal hygiene.”

Currently, the school has about 27 bedrooms for students and 10 rooms for teachers. Because it is located in a particularly difficult area and the house is far from the school, all students enjoy the boarding regime.

Nguyen Thi Bao Ngoc (class 3A) said: “The food at school is delicious. Every meal I get to eat a lot of dishes like fish, meat, vegetables, tubers, etc. At home, I only get to eat a little meat, but at school I get to eat enough. I like going to school because I have friends and teachers who always care and love me.”

Frightened at night by the shaking

About 32km from the district center, Dak Tang commune is considered a

epicenter

belong to

earthquake

. The shaking happening at any time has become a habit of the residents and students here.

For example, in the afternoon

opening

At Dak Tang Primary and Secondary School, after the vice principal beat the drum to welcome the new school year, all the students had a few seconds of panic after feeling the shaking from the 3.6 magnitude earthquake.

Students are instructed on how to respond when an earthquake occurs.

Y Ha Giang (8A class, residing in Dak Pro village, Dak Tang commune) said that over the past 3 years, he has gradually gotten used to earthquakes. However, there were many nights when strong shaking made him extremely scared. Because his house was far away, he stayed at the boarding school. He and his friends were instructed by the school on how to prevent and protect themselves from earthquakes, but they were still very worried.

“Once, I was sleeping when I felt a strong earthquake and suddenly woke up. My friends in the room shouted and ran straight to the school yard. The earthquake shook for about a minute so we were extremely uneasy and scared,” Giang added.

Similarly, Nguyen Binh Khiem (class 8A) shared that we here all have to get used to earthquakes. In class, I learned more knowledge about how to protect myself such as crawling under the table, running out of the house or hiding in a corner when an earthquake occurs. However, I am still most afraid of earthquakes at night, when I am sleeping soundly and do not know how to respond.

According to Mr. Phan Van Nam, Principal of Dak Tang Primary and Secondary School, through the experiential activity subject, the school has disseminated and integrated additional knowledge for students to respond to earthquakes, landslides and storms. Accordingly, if an earthquake occurs at night, when they are sleeping, they must immediately get out of bed, hide under the bed, and stay away from windows and doors. In case the roof collapses or furniture falls, they will not be seriously injured. When an earthquake occurs, students must not take shelter in temporary shelters, but must run to open areas, away from trees and electric poles...

“Through the lessons, students gain more useful knowledge and improve their ability to react when living in an earthquake epicenter. At the beginning of the new school year, the school will deploy more simulated earthquake situations for students to participate in,” said Mr. Nam.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Loi - Head of District Education and Training Department

Kon Plong

said that earthquakes are a type of natural disaster that is difficult to predict and can cause unpredictable damage. Therefore, as soon as the new school year 2024-2025 began, the district education sector actively coordinated with functional units to equip 29 schools in the area with earthquake response skills. Students will be provided with more knowledge to protect themselves and react quickly when there are tremors.

Source: https://danviet.vn/cuoc-song-cua-thay-tro-ban-tru-vung-tam-chan-dong-dat-20240915151213149.htm