This happens every year in the Cuu Long River Delta. Right after the start of the new school year, local schools worry about drop-outs.

The figure is 3,354 students in An Giang province. Meanwhile, in Ca Mau, Dong Thai High School in An Bien district alone has had 45 drop-outs already.

Dropping-out not only occurs in remote areas, but in urban areas as well. Headmaster of Vinh Nguon Secondary School in Chau Doc town in An Giang province Nguyen Thanh Hai confirmed that by the end of the first semester, 22 students had given up school.

Dong Thap province is considered the locality most successful in curbing the rate of drop-outs. However, 167 high school students have dropped out so far this school year (6.23%). Tam Nong High School alone has had 134 drop-outs (9.31%).

Local authorities have warned that more and more students in the Cuu Long River Delta may drop out in the time to come. Many students prefer spending time on jobs in the winter-spring rice crop and during festivals.

The high rate of drop-outs has been explained by local education and training departments as arising due to the poverty of students’ families. As parents have to go farther to earn their living, students have to stay at home to look after younger siblings and do housework, or accompany their parents.

However, analysts have pointed out that poverty is not the only reason for the drop-out rate. In several localities, investments have not led to reductions in the rates of dropping out. Tam Nong High School in Dong Thap province, for example, has VND100mil to support students’ studies, but the rate of drop-outs has increased to 9.31%, higher than previous years.

Prof Dr Vo Tong Xuan, former Headmaster of An Giang University, said that poverty is just one of the problems. Xuan said that the essence of the problem is that students have lost eagerness for learning due to overloaded curricula.

Xuan said that while Vietnam’s textbook curriculum proves to be heavy in comparison with many countries in the world, Vietnam maintains backward teaching methods – the read-and-write down method – which makes students afraid of lessons and schools.

Xuan said that in order to improve the situation, it is necessary to stop blaming students and parents, while gathering strength to solve the problem at the roots. It is necessary to create a fair pedagogical environment and allocate staffs with qualifications and capabilities.

VietNamNet/LD