Ha Tinh: Schools urgently overcome consequences after storm, determined to open on time

Typhoon No. 5 (Kajiki) swept through Ha Tinh, leaving behind schools in ruins, with blown-off roofs, leaking walls, messy desks and chairs, and wet books. In the midst of this devastation, the entire political system, the education sector, teachers, students, and parents are rushing to clean up and repair with the highest determination so that the drumbeat to start the new school year 2025-2026 will still ring on time.

Destroyed schools - heartbreaking numbers

On the morning of August 27, when the wind had just calmed down and the rain had just stopped, Ms. Hoang Thi Huong - Vice Principal of Hoa Lien Secondary School ( Ha Tinh ) stepped into the school yard with a bitter heart. Just a day before, this place was a spacious school, filled with the sounds of students practicing for the opening ceremony.

Yet after the storm, the two-story roof that had been built last year at a cost of VND400 million was blown away by the strong wind. The classrooms were damp, the walls were stained, the tables and chairs were crooked, and books were exposed to the rain. "We had secured them carefully, but the storm was too strong to withstand. Seeing this scene, it was so sad," Ms. Huong confided.

Damage at Hoa Lien Secondary School (Co Dam Commune, Ha Tinh Province) after Storm No. 5

At Son Loc Secondary School (Son Loc Commune), storm No. 5 left even more serious consequences. A row of 8 classrooms for subject practice was completely destroyed, and 3 more teachers' rooms had their roofs blown off. Principal Hoang The Anh looked at the flooded library, broken computers and televisions, and hundreds of books with wet and blurred letters. "The biggest difficulty is the funding to rebuild the classrooms. But we are trying to manage, because the opening day of school is very close," said Mr. Anh, his voice faltering.

According to preliminary statistics from the Department of Education and Training of Ha Tinh, the whole province has 156 educational institutions affected, with total estimated damage of more than 121 billion VND. Of which, there are 52 kindergartens, 24 primary schools, 22 secondary schools, 44 high schools and 9 vocational training and continuing education centers. Those dry numbers, when compared to reality, are hundreds of devastated schools, thousands of damaged classrooms, and tens of thousands of students having to temporarily stop going to class. At this time, all 666 schools in the province still have to let students stay home to ensure safety.

Teachers and parents of Mai Phu Kindergarten focus on overcoming the consequences of storm No. 5.

In the yard of Mai Phu Kindergarten (Mai Phu commune), trees were falling all over, the corrugated iron roofs flew off two rows of classrooms, glass doors were shattered, and the school yard was covered with bricks and tiles. Ms. Le Thi Thuy Ha - Vice Principal - and her colleagues struggled to clear each tree branch and collect each piece of broken glass. She said with a sigh: "We have not been able to count all the damage. But no matter how difficult it is, the school is still trying its best so that the children can go to school on the first day of school."

Join hands to stand up so that the school opening drum still rings

Not only the education sector, but also the entire political system in Ha Tinh immediately took action. On August 27, Mr. Vo Trong Hai - Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee - issued an urgent telegram, requesting departments and localities to focus on quickly overcoming the consequences in time for the opening day of September 5. The request was detailed: communes and wards must coordinate with educational institutions to clean classrooms, repair damaged items, and add desks, chairs, and teaching equipment before August 28; at the same time, support disadvantaged students affected by storms and floods so that they can return to school with peace of mind.

Teachers at Son Loc Secondary School take advantage of the time to clean up belongings and documents after the storm.

Military, police, medical, electricity, telecommunications, water supply forces... were mobilized simultaneously. From early morning, dozens of soldiers were present at schools, along with teachers clearing mud, cutting down broken trees, and re-roofing. The electricity sector urgently fixed the problem, ensuring stable power supply; the water sector inspected the pipelines; the medical sector sprayed disinfectant to prevent epidemics. The entire system operated like a common machine, determined to bring schools back to a safe state as soon as possible.

The Fatherland Front and other organizations also joined in, calling for support from the community. Many parents and local residents volunteered to help teachers clean classrooms, dry books, and repair fences. A father whose hands were still swollen from cleaning his house still took the time to go to his child’s school to help teachers lift tables and chairs and mop the floor. Those simple images were like warm patches of light that soothed the sadness left by the storm.

The storm also caused heavy damage to Son Loc Secondary School (Xuan Loc Commune). Photo: Provided by the school

Ms. Nguyen Thi Nguyet - Director of the Department of Education and Training of Ha Tinh - shared: "Immediately after the storm, we established four working groups to go to the grassroots level, both to inspect the damage and to encourage teachers and students. Despite the great difficulties, the spirit of the whole sector is to make the highest effort, so that the school opening drum still rings on time, safely and meaningfully."

These days, from cities to the countryside, from the coast to the mountains, everywhere you can see images of teachers, students, parents and authorities working together. Some are cleaning classrooms, others are painting doors, others are stretching roofs, busily working in the hot sun after the storm. The musty smell of mud, the smell of damp wood, mixed with the sound of bamboo brooms sweeping the schoolyard, the sound of hammers hammering roofs... create a special symphony of solidarity in overcoming the consequences of storm No. 5.

Source: https://phunuvietnam.vn/ha-tinh-cac-truong-gap-rut-khac-phuc-hau-qua-sau-bao-quyet-tam-khai-giang-dung-hen-20250827120533162.htm