Chua Ta Primary Ethnic Boarding School in Phi Nhu Commune, Dien Bien Dong District is accommodating 437 students with only 15 classrooms. According to vice principal Pham Thi Phuong, the school is short of six classrooms, including those needed for music, art, and English classes.
The school has repurposed available spaces, setting up makeshift classrooms in the warehouse and council room.
"Wherever there is a roof, it will be used to make a classroom," Phuong said.
The classroom shortage has been ongoing since 2004. The school's students has increased by 100 this year alone.
A fifth-grade class with 36 students study in a 20-meter-long room previously used as a warehouse for documents, books, and supplies.
Their teacher Lo Van Chang needs to use a microphone for better audibility as the corrugated iron-roofed room is located adjacent to three other classes.
In addition to the noise, the heat is another challenge.
The teachers would be drenched in sweat under the corrugated iron roof when temperatures hit 37-38 degrees Celsius.
Chang purchased small electric fans to pass around the class, but they did not help much.
The corrugated iron roof is also unstable on rainy or windy days.
The council room, measuring over 50 square meters, has to be divided between a second-grade class and the computer room. Because of this, teachers often delay meetings until the room is free.
Teacher Hu A Chu, 40, noted the insufficiency of thin wooden partitions used to divide spaces, as they are not soundproof. “That being said, anything is better than nothing. If we had not utilized this space, the students would not have the opportunity to access technology at all," he said.
An iron-roofed part of the school yard doubles as an art and music classroom.
Art teacher Hoang Thi Lien, 38, regularly has to take students outside for lessons due to the lack of a dedicated room. "The sun is more often than not manageable. However, if it rains, we have to make use of the kitchen space or some sheltered areas," Lien said.
Struggling to paint with his easel swaying in winds, Sung A De dreams of a proper classroom, where he can draw without worrying about weather disruptions.
