Mismatched clothes, bright smiles: Khanh Hoa, Dak Lak schools reopen

On December 1, the remaining 28 schools in Khanh Hoa Province officially reopened their doors to students after the historic deluge. School gates were thrown open, and though muddy stains still marked the courtyards, groups of students walked in, their faces a mix of radiant smiles and slight bewilderment. The laughter of children seemed to fill the silence left by the floods.

At Vinh Ngoc Primary School in West Nha Trang Ward, hundreds of students arrived in mismatched outfits and footwear. Yet, smiles remained on their faces because they were back in school. Nguyet Hai Bang, a 5^th grader, shared that her house was deeply flooded, ruining all her belongings and clothes. During the flood, she had to follow her grandparents on a boat to seek shelter at an acquaintance’s house. Holding a set of new notebooks donated by benefactors, she expressed her joy and promised to study harder.

Principal Nguyen Thi Ngan Ha stated that the flood submerged the entire first floor, destroying lesson plans, books, equipment, records, and furniture. Most students, teachers, and staff suffered losses and hardships. However, she hasn’t forgotten the relief she felt when, post-flood, roll call confirmed all 1,388 students were present, and all staff were safe.

At Vinh Hiep Primary School, which has 1,088 students, some could not attend because their homes are far away and their families’ vehicles were destroyed. Vice Principal Vo Thi Thu Ngoc said the school is creating favorable conditions for students and teachers at this time. Students wear whatever they have; uniforms and full sets of books are not mandatory, as the most important thing is that they are back learning.

Statistics from the Khanh Hoa Department of Education and Training reveal that floods impacted 162 educational institutions. Immediate remediation involved a broad coalition of soldiers and civilians sanitizing facilities and restoring utilities.

Deputy Director Le Dinh Thuan announced emergency aid of VND800,000 (US$30) per student for essential academic supplies, acknowledging that many are living in deprivation. Furthermore, the sector secured significant community support, receiving nearly 200,000 textbooks valued at over VND4 billion ($152,000) from the Vietnam Education Publishing House on December 1 to empower flood-affected learners.

In Dak Lak Province, 100 percent of schools have resumed operations. At Hoa Thinh Primary School, situated in the commune’s “flood epicenter,” attendance reached an impressive 100 percent despite acute shortages of uniforms and learning materials.

Vice Principal Tran Thi Thuy Kieu noted that while every family was impacted, the faculty is prioritizing psychological stabilization to help students refocus. Simultaneously, the school is soliciting donations for supplies and employing flexible teaching methods, including make-up classes, to ensure students keep pace with the curriculum despite the devastation.

The Dak Lak Department of Education and Training reported widespread damage across 226 units, with infrastructure and equipment losses estimated at VND178 billion ($7 million). To facilitate stability, the Ministry of Education and Training provided immediate support, while the Vietnam Education Publishing House pledged full textbook delivery by December 4, 2025.

Concurrently, the provincial Education and Training Department launched the “Relay to School After the Flood” program and petitioned the provincial People’s Committee for VND172 billion ($6.5 million) in funding. This proposal prioritizes VND27 billion ($1 million) for structural repairs and VND124 billion ($4.7 million) for equipment replacement. Additionally, it requests VND11 billion ($417,000) for student supplies and VND8.8 billion ($334,000) to restore operational conditions for 111 public kindergartens.