Vinh Linh District Ethnic Boarding School (Quang Tri) was built in 1997 with a 3-storey classroom building. After 27 years of use, many items of the building have seriously degraded, affecting teaching and posing a danger to teachers and students, especially during the upcoming storm season.

Mr. Tran Ngoc Oanh, Principal of Vinh Linh District Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities, said that the school building has an area of ​​1,267 ^m2 with 3 floors, 12 classrooms, 3 professional group rooms, and is serving the teaching work of 36 teachers and nearly 300 ethnic minority students from the mountainous communes of Vinh Ha, Vinh O and Vinh Khe in Vinh Linh District.

"During the recent heat wave with temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius, there was expansion and peeling of plaster, and large pieces of concrete fell into classrooms and the school yard, endangering teachers and students. Fortunately, the heat wave coincided with the school's holiday, so the lives of teachers and students were not affected," said Mr. Oanh.

According to Thanh Nien reporters, in addition to the peeling plaster in the classrooms, many railings built with concrete have cracked and broken. The school has posted warning signs for students to approach and prohibit climbing to limit the danger. The pillars also have peeling cement, revealing rusted and degraded iron.

Next to the classrooms, the school’s dining hall also shows signs of deterioration as the walls are water-permeable and moldy. Although the school has renovated it many times, the roof is still dilapidated, the walls are cracked, and the kitchen does not meet food safety standards.

Up to now, in addition to the degraded items, the facilities for teaching and learning at Vinh Linh District Ethnic Boarding School are also lacking. The school does not have subject classrooms that meet the circular of the Ministry of Education and Training, and teaching equipment for IT, foreign languages, physics, chemistry, and biology labs are lacking and inconsistent.

According to Mr. Oanh, the school has prepared a report on the condition of the school building as well as the current state of the school's facilities to send to the People's Committee of Vinh Linh District to have a solution, ensuring safety for teachers and students to feel secure in teaching and studying.

Mr. Nguyen Thien Tung, Vice Chairman of Vinh Linh District People's Committee, said that Vinh Linh District Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities was previously under the management of the Department of Education and Training of Quang Tri province, then handed over to the district.

"After receiving the school, the District People's Committee also surveyed the degraded items, thereby investing in building a housing project for students with a total investment of about 11 billion VND. The remaining items are facing difficulties in the investment process to renovate due to limited capital," said Mr. Tung.