A floating school, the first of this kind in Vietnam, with one classroom and modern equipment, has been put into use in the Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long.
The floating school just put into operation in Vinh Long Province
The mobile school project costs a total of VND1.2 billion (USD57,140), and received support from the Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corporation in Vietnam (HSBC Vietnam) and Dariu Vietnam, a Swiss non-governmental organisation.
The school is air-conditioned, has 36 laptops in addition to the normal classroom equipment, and is aboard a wooden ship.
Students from Ho Duc Thang Secondary School in Vung Liem District is the first to benefit from the classroom.
There are plans to add another 10 floating schools in the Mekong Delta, which is home to a large network of rivers and channels.
Students interested in modern facilities at the floating school
Nguyen Thi Thuy Vi, a 7th-grade student at Ho Duc Thang Secondary School, said “The classroom is great. I can use new and modern computers with connections to the internet.”
Nguyen Van Sy, Headmaster of Ho Duc Thang Secondary School, said that the project is very helpful for remote and disadvantaged areas in the Mekong Delta. It will help to improve access to modern technology, particularly because the schools are mobile and can serve a number of areas.
According to Pham Tuan Anh, the project's manager, the school will be docked in Thanh Binh District for six mnths to provide two IT courses for local students, after which it will be moved to Quoi Thieu Commune and then to Tien Giang province, then on to other localities in the region.
