Quang Ngai (VNS/VNA) – Nguyen Van Anh, principal of Son BuaPrimary and Secondary School, in the central province of Quang Ngai, walksabout 3 kilometres on steep, dirt tracks and crosses a wooden bridge to Nuoc Muvillage to urge underprivileged students to go to school.

The village, about 4 kilometres from Son Bua commune, Son Tay district – aremote and mountainous area of the province – has 16 households with 25children.

The journey takes Anh one hour.

Anh said the new school year started nearly a month ago, but 20 students fromthe village are yet to return to school.

“Parents of the children are illiterate as well as too busy with farming, sothey pay little attention to whether their children are going to school ornot,” he said.

Dinh Van Nui, a resident of the village, has 10 children, including seven ofschool age.

However, when Anh visited Nui’s house, only one kid was attending class. Thesix others were at home.

Nui said he took all children to school at the beginning of the week. But maybethey were homesick, so they came home.

When seeing Anh at their house, the children hid.

Anh said: “Go to school tomorrow, there are lots of new textbooks and clothes.If you stay at school until the weekend, I will give you food.”

Leaving Nui’s house, Anh visited Dinh Y Moi – a mother of a fifth-grade girl.

Moi recently moved to the village and did not know how to send her daughter toschool.

Anh told Moi to bring her daughter the following day so they could completeadmission procedures.

According to Anh, the dilapidated wooden bridge was another reason for kids toskip school. Many families felt the bridge was too dangerous to cross.

Spanning about 110 metres, the bridge collapsed and was swept away by floodingseveral years ago. The district’s Agriculture and Rural Development Office andthe provincial Youth Union helped rebuild it.

However, due to recent flooding and storms, the suspension bridge was badlydamaged. The bridge shook whenever a person crosses it, he said.

Therefore, Anh and his collages often had to come to the students’ houses toencourage them to return to school.

The school has a total of 422 students; including 200 who stay at the school.

Teachers not only teach the children but also serve meals, bathe them and takecare of them at night, Anh said.

Nguyen Tan Duc, a teacher, said allowing students to stay at the school starteda few years ago. The plan aimed to help students continue their studies withoutneeding to travel home, he said.

However, it also meant a lot of additional work for the teachers, Duc said.

The school now has no staff in charge of providing meals and taking care of thestudents.

“Teachers have to take turns to help them,” he said.

The teachers also have to look after the children at night when they sleep.

Principal Anh said to help mountainous and remote communities access education,it would require great efforts from teachers.

"It’s not only hard work, but also dedication and enthusiasm," hesaid.

Teaching the students was as difficult as the journey over dirt tracks andperilous bridges, he said.

“But we still dedicate ourselves to offer the children a brighter future,” Anhsaid./.