NEW SCHOOL: NO MORE DROPOUTS
It’s a great joy to see the two kids Ho Van Hoa and Ho Thi Than come back to school after 2 years of drop-out.
We came to visit them in a slightly rainy afternoon in Huc Nghi mountainous hamlet. Both Hao and Than are registered children of Dakrong ADP, they were both born in 2008. At this age, they must have been in grade 3.
But two years ago, both Hao and Than started school then left before the end of the first term, for a reason: Their houses were far from school and they did not have bikes to go to school.
It took their teacher, Ms. Nguyen Thi Mui, a lot of time and effort to come to their homes to encourage them to come back. Failing time after time, the teacher couldn’t help feeling helpless.
“The school had to struggle with these two children with constant encouragement. Whenever they saw me coming to their houses, they ran and hid. I asked their parents and they just simply replied that the kids preferred staying at home and playing than going to school”, shared Ms. Mui.
It was obvious that apart from the distance between home and school, it was the ignorance of the parents that kept the drop out possible.
Then a solution revealed itself. At the beginning of FY16, with the PNS project funded by World Vision Korea, through Dakrong ADP, a new school was built with 2 floors and 5 classrooms at Huc Nghi hamlet. Desks and other furniture were the contributions of the local authority.
The new school is closer to home, Hao and Than finally come back to school. But because they have been absent for too long, they have to resume grade 1 as audit students.
Teacher Mui is so happy she is paying special attention to the kids, helping them with each writing task, each simple math problem.
The parents also share the joy. Mr. Ho Van Bang, the father of Than, said: “My children go to school now because it’s nearer. Two years ago they did not because we lived far from school”.
Than is still shy and timid, but when being asked about a new school, she confirmed: “Exciting!”
We hope the new school will bring the happiness of studying to more children in Huc Nghi and reduce the drop-out rate.