Over seven years ago, the name Huổi Hạ gained attention when images of students and teachers having to crawl through plastic bags to reach school surfaced. While new bridges have been built and the Huổi Hạ school has gradually been reinforced, the specific hardships continue to persist.

Huổi Hạ is the most distant of the three remote schools of Na Sang Ethnic Minority Boarding Primary School. The 24km road from the central school to Huổi Hạ still includes over 6km of dirt roads, making it a difficult journey, especially after a small rain.

Moreover, Huổi Hạ still lacks access to the national electricity grid and clean water. As a result, the students’ school supplies are not only books but also water for daily use.

This school year, teacher Lò Văn Trường and teacher Nguyễn Trọng Oánh have been assigned to teach at Huổi Hạ remote school. Teacher Nguyễn Trọng Oánh shared: “The water for the Huổi Hạ village is mainly supplied through pipes from distant mountain streams. The water source is already limited, and the village’s high location on a hill makes it harder to bring water for use. Every morning, students have to carry 3 to 5 liters of water to use throughout the day.”

Many remote schools in Na Sang face similar challenges, as do the schools in the mountainous areas.

At Huổi Y, part of Ma Thì Hồ Kindergarten, in the 2025-2026 school year, more than 10 children aged 3 to 5 are expected to attend the combined kindergarten class. Although the number of students is small, the school still maintains this site as Huổi Y is located 17km from the central town, with more than half of the road being dirt, making it difficult to travel.

Due to the small number of students, only one teacher is assigned to Huổi Y remote school. The teacher also takes on the responsibility of providing meals, taking care of the children’s sleep and general welfare. Even now, the school lacks basic utilities such as electricity, and water is drawn from mountain streams. There is no phone service or internet, so communication can only happen when one climbs to a high point to catch a signal.

To share the burdens of the teachers, for many years, the parents of the students have taken turns being "cooks" for the remote school. Lunch supplies are provided by the central school twice a week, with additional items like rice, eggs, bamboo shoots, and cooking oil contributed by the parents.

Ms. Phạm Thị Huyền Trang, Principal of Ma Thì Hồ Kindergarten, said: "With one central school and 14 remote schools, Ma Thì Hồ Kindergarten has the highest number of remote schools in the district. These schools are far from the center and have numerous challenges. Teachers here have dedicated their youth, accepting the hardship of being far from home. Therefore, the school always gives special attention to both teachers and students, working hard to bridge the gap by promoting socialization in student care and organizing teacher assignments that balance the workload across the schools."

Currently, Na Sang has 14 schools, including 5 kindergartens, 5 primary schools, and 4 secondary schools. Among these, 51 remote schools offer kindergarten and primary education. The common challenges of remote schools are inadequate infrastructure and difficult transportation, especially during the rainy season and at the start of the school year. Maintaining the quality of education in these remote schools is a major challenge due to the lack of electricity, limiting the use of modern teaching equipment. Teachers often need to handle multi-age classes, and it is difficult to ensure that children of school-going age are enrolled.

In just a few days, the new school year will begin. While many remote schools have seen improvements in infrastructure and material investment, numerous schools are still struggling with persistent difficulties. It is hoped that, in the near future, these challenges will be overcome for the benefit of the students in remote and highland regions.