Clean-up work at a school in Đắk Lắk Province. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Free textbooks will be given to all pupils in the current flood-affected provinces in the south-central provinces of Đắk Lắk, Gia Lai, Khánh Hòa, Quảng Ngãi, and Lâm Đồng, according to the Ministry of Education and Training.

As of November 24, provincial statistics showed that around 2,000 schools have been affected by flooding, suffering nearly VNĐ100 billion (US$4 million) in damage. Flooding also caused the deaths of four students, including three in Đắk Lắk and one in Lâm Đồng provinces.

The education sector has submitted a report to Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính regarding flood-related damage in provinces across the South Central region and the Central Highlands of Việt Nam.

Local reports indicate that hundreds of thousands of textbook sets have been damaged. To ensure students have sufficient textbooks, and based on the needs reported by provinces and cities, the ministry will distribute free textbooks to all pupils in flood-affected areas.

The Ministry has instructed the Việt Nam Education Publishing House and school equipment companies to work with local authorities to survey damaged textbooks and provide timely support.

The Việt Nam Education Publishing House has prepared ten million textbook copies to supply students in affected areas.

So far, support for Đắk Lắk Province has largely been completed, with ongoing distribution in Gia Lai, Khánh Hòa, Quảng Ngãi, and Lâm Đồng provinces.

Additionally, the ministry has launched a fundraising drive among all civil servants, public employees, and staff in its agencies and affiliated public units, contributing VNĐ300 million ($12,000) to each affected province.

Total support to the five provinces amounts to VNĐ1.5 billion ($60,000). Families of students who died will receive VNĐ5 million ($200) each, totalling VNĐ20 million ($ 800).

The ministry is also working with Tuổi Trẻ (Youth) newspaper in HCM City to deliver VNĐ2 billion ($80,000) in assistance to teachers in the five provinces, and is coordinating with local authorities to allocate the funds to provincial education departments.

According to the ministry, UNICEF and Save the Children have established an emergency education support team to provide learning materials, school clothes, drinking water, and financial aid to households with pupils. Drinking water support is currently being delivered to Gia Lai.

International donors will also implement free psychological counselling programmes through group support sessions at schools for pupils affected by post-disaster trauma, particularly in Gia Lai, Đắk Lắk, and Lâm Đồng provinces.

Teachers will receive guidance on flexible teaching methods to help pupils overcome distress.

As of November 24, many schools remain deeply inundated or have suffered landslides, collapsed walls, damaged teaching equipment, eroded embankments, destroyed parking areas, and broken drainage systems.

Damage to textbooks and school supplies is also significant. Quảng Ngãi reports more than 38,800 damaged textbook sets; Đắk Lắk – 6,300 sets; Gia Lai – 448,000 sets and 6,400 sets of school supplies; Lâm Đồng 334 textbook sets and 405 school-supply sets, while Khánh Hòa is still reviewing and has not yet reported figures.

Regarding school operations, 1,942 schools or satellite campuses suspended classes because of flooding. Up to now, 360 schools remain unable to reopen, including 290 in Đắk Lắk and 70 in Khánh Hòa. Meanwhile, Gia Lai, Lâm Đồng and Quảng Ngãi have resumed normal teaching.

In response, the ministry has instructed provincial education departments to urgently review damage to facilities and teaching equipment and propose that provincial People’s committees allocate repair funding, prioritising central government support for restoring school infrastructure and purchasing equipment so that pupils can return to school as soon as possible.

The ministry also urged mobilisation of the police, army, militia, mass organisations, and local residents to clean school grounds immediately after floodwaters recede. – VNS