Students at many schools in remote mountainous Dien Bien Province, which is home to 21 ethnic groups, are late coming back to class after the Tet holidays, but teachers are being generous because many festivals are still going on, some students have long distances to travel, and some want to drop out of school to work.
Students in Muong Nhe District rest on the long way to school
Ethnic students in disadvantaged and mountainous areas often return late to school after Tet, but some don't come back at all, having got married or have dropped out to find work.
This year, the Tet Holiday lasted from February 16 to February 23. At Chung Chai Primary School in Muong Nhe District, only 50 percent of students have returned to class.
Headmaster Pham Van Khiem said, "Our student population is the highest in the province, with 800 students. Last year, students returned to school very quickly, but this year attendance is down, because the holiday ended on a Tuesday and some parents think their students should stay home for the rest of the week.
"Moreover, traditional festivities of ethnic groups are still going on in many villages," Khiem said.
Tran Ngoc Kien, head of Muong Nhe District Department of Education and Training, said there were still a lot of activities going on after the Tet holiday, including festivals, and teachers often had to go around to households to persuade parents to send their children back to school.
A class in Muong Khuong District
In Muong Khuong District, the local Department of Education and Training said the attendance rate in mountainous areas is always lower than on the delta. As of February 25, the attendance rate in all nursery schools in the district was 80 percent, at primary schools 90 percent, at secondary schools 70 percent. The attendance rate in secondary schools in some remote communes, such as Cao Don and Din Chin, was only 50 percent because of the Gau Tao Festival.
Hoang Ngoc Chien, head of Muong Khuong District Department of Education and Training, said it was often hard to get students to come back to school after the holidays.
"Teachers work with village chiefs and go to every households to persuade students to continue their studies," Chien said.
