Students go to school by a boat. VNA/VNS Photo Công Mạo

AN GIANG - At 5:30am, Trần Văn Hiền, a soldier from the Military Command in Vĩnh Hội Đông Commune, An Phú District, An Giang Province, prepares a small boat to pick up and take local students to school.

Hiền has been doing this each day for almost a month since floods hit the western region.

Every day he goes to each family in Vĩnh Hòa and Vĩnh An hamlets, which are divided by flood water, to take more than ten children to school.

Most local people living in flood-stricken communes have to travel by boat when the flood season comes.

"Students come to school by bicycle every day," said Nguyễn Thị Chi, mother of a 5th grader in Vĩnh Hội Đông B Primary School.

"But for nearly a month, flood water pouring from upstream in the Mekong Delta region has exceeded the warning level, dividing many roads. Soldiers have helped local families to take and pick up students to school by boat every day. We are very grateful,"

Hiền said it took 30 minutes to take a group of students to go to school by boat and life jackets must be carried for each student on board.

Hà Minh Phương, principal of Vĩnh Hội Đông B Primary School, said there were 64 students out of 514 who were affected by deep water so they could not go to school by themselves.

Some areas were covered in two metres of water, causing travel difficulties.

From the beginning of the school year, the school had actively coordinated with the People's Committee of Vĩnh Hội Đông Commune to prepare boats to take and pick up 64 students to school safely.

The principal said: "Some road sections have been upgraded this year, so the number of students who need to be picked up and taken to school by boat has decreased. Every year at this time, about 50 per cent of the school's students have been affected by flood water."

Every year, there are nearly three months of flood season. It is also the time that Hiền is assigned to take and pick up students in flooded areas to go to school. He has been in this job for many years.

He goes with students at least twice a day to help them go to school safely and not miss lessons.

According to Hùynh Công Phương, vice chairman of Vĩnh Hội Đông Commune People's Committee, the flood came early with the water level high and lasting longer than in 2019, affecting the attendance at Vĩnh Hội Đông B Primary School.

In order to ensure the safety of students during the rain and flood season, the local Youth Union cooperated with school to organise swimming courses and drowning prevention skills during summer vacation.

"The local authorities have also worked with other agencies to prepare vehicles to enable children to keep studying," said Phương.

Chairman of An Phú District People's Committee, Trần Hòa Hợp, said due to prolonged torrential rain, together with severe floods, the locality always prepared scenarios for small and big floods.

The local authorities worked with schools to pick up and take nearly 200 students in the whole district to schools by boats in flood season this year, mainly in Vĩnh Hội Đông, Vĩnh Hậu, Phú Hữu, Vĩnh Lộc communes.

From the beginning of the school year, the relevant agencies made a list of students living in flooded areas and then arrange a team to take them to schools by boat.

The local People's Committee also sets up childcare centres for free in the flood season in order to ensure the safety of the children and help their parents have peace of mind to earn a living. VNS