Students in Thanh Hoa Province are facing many obstacles after the latest floods left their schools submerged.
Many schools remain submerged in water
The schools at Nong Cong, Lang Chanh, Trieu Son, Thuong Xuan and Tho Xuan districts remain submerged with school supplies either swept away or damaged. Students at Tan Tho, Tan Khang or Trung Chinh commune have to stay at home.
Many households are still coping with flooded living quarters and the water levels have been slow to recede.
Trung Chinh is one of the most badly affected communes, due to water pouring from the Nhom River. Mai Van Long, a local in Trung Chinh Commune said, "We saved money up for a long time to buy school supplies for our two children but they are completely soaked, and the books have been shredded. The kids are drying them out in the yard."
Chairman of Trung Chinh People's Committee said, "Our commune sits near the Nhom River so we have to endure high tides every year but this flood is the worst. Nearly 800 students have had to stay home this week."
Schools in Tan Ninh Commune of Trieu Son District have also suffered prolonged flooding. Where the water has receded locals have had to cope with the aftermath.
"My mother brought me to my grandmother's house when the storm hit. Our books were soaked because we had to leave in a hurry and couldn’t take them with us. My friends' books are also spoiled." Nguyen Thi Huong, a primary school student at Tan Ninh Commune said.
In Luong Son, a mountainous commune of Thuong Xuan District, the desks and chairs and other equipment at the schools have also been damaged. Once the rain and flooding stopped, the children had to take the soaked books and school supplies outside to dry.
"The flood happened so suddenly that we couldn't safely store the books and equipment away so most of them have been lost or broken. This poses a huge problem because the students are mostly are from poor families. It's a challenge to buy school supplies." the headmaster of Luong Son Primary School said.
School equipment has been soaked
Desks and chairs are placed outside
Students are sad when drying the books outside