Sính Phình is located in the northeast of Điện Biên province, a mountainous commune with an altitude of over 1,400m above sea level, its terrain dominated by jagged limestone mountain ranges. The temperature here is always 3-5 degrees Celsius lower than in neighboring areas.

Mr. Hoàng Hải Giang, Head of the Sính Phình commune Office of Culture and Social Affairs, said: “The entire commune has 10 schools with nearly 5,000 students, mostly in kindergarten and primary school, an age group easily affected by weather changes. Currently, it’s only late autumn, the beginning of winter, but in many areas, the temperature is only around 12-14 degrees Celsius. To ensure the health of students, from the beginning of the school year, school sites in the commune have developed plans suitable for their actual conditions to proactively protect students from the cold.”

In Sính Phình commune, Trung Thu hamlet is one of the areas with a unique location, forming its own microclimate, more significantly affected by the cold air brought by monsoons sweeping into the North. According to observations since late October, the temperature in the early morning, late afternoon, and evening has started to turn cold, fluctuating between 11-13 degrees Celsius. During these days, teachers here have begun supplementing warm blankets and communicating with and reminding parents to pay attention and implement measures to keep their children warm, especially kindergarten and primary school students.

Ms. Lường Thị Dung, Vice Principal of Trung Thu Kindergarten, shared: “As the weather starts getting cold, the school lays down foam mats for insulation and also provides additional warm blankets for the students. The entire school has over 400 children, all from Hmong ethnic minority families. Parents often underestimate the cold and don’t dress their children warmly or prepare extra clothes for them when they are at school. Therefore, besides implementing cold prevention measures within the school, whenever we welcome students, teachers proactively remind and guide parents to prepare necessary items for their children before they come to class, thereby keeping them warm and protecting their health when the weather turns cold.”

For primary and lower secondary levels, students often board, living and studying at school far from home. Cold prevention activities are implemented jointly by teachers and students.

Teacher Ngô Sơn Ngân, Principal of Trung Thu Ethnic Minority Semi-Boarding Secondary School, said: “The school has over 300 boarding students. As the weather begins to cool, the school inspects, repairs, and reinforces facilities to ensure safety and wind protection to keep students warm, especially in the boarding area. Teachers closely monitor and care for students during classes, meals, sleep, and rest. For students from disadvantaged backgrounds, the school will identify them and provide necessary support items. These are mainly blankets and clothes from social mobilization sources, which the school keeps in reserve for use when needed.”

In recent years, with erratic and extreme weather patterns, the cold prevention efforts of teachers and students in highland areas have played an important role in ensuring students’ health. This contributes to building a safe and healthy school environment, helping to stabilize teaching activities and improve the quality of education locally.