Teaching literacy to children in floating villages

The sound of motorboats slicing through the water sends ripples across the floating classroom, causing it to sway. In this makeshift school in the Suoi Tuong floating village (Suoi Tuong hamlet, Tri An commune, Dong Nai province), young students in the charity class must steady their handwriting to the rhythm of the waves.

Sister Teresa Pham Thi Kim Lan reviews assignments for the young students at the charity class in the “floating house” settlement. Photo: Doan Phu

In the “floating house” settlement, where homes in the semi-submerged floating village of C3 (Suoi Tuong hamlet) are built with steel frames and corrugated metal roofs for easy relocation, the voices of children ring out like birds in the forest.

Chasing fish and shrimp, forgetting their letters

When families moved to the Tri An reservoir to make a living, many brought their children along, and some had children born on the floating villages. These youngsters are often fluent speakers but illiterate.

Skilled in survival and labor, swimming, helping with household chores, fishing, and many more, yet for some children, letters and numbers remain unfamiliar. That is why the establishment of the charity class in the “floating house” hamlet and Suoi Tuong floating village holds even greater meaning.

“In our minds, when we settled on this floating village, all we hoped for was a place to live and enough to get by; we never dared to dream about schooling for our children. Fortunately, the little ones have always received support from the local authorities and religious organizations.”

Fisherman Nguyen Van Thanh, Suoi Tuong hamlet, Tri An commune, Dong Nai province.

At 8 a.m., Ngo Van Quy (19), a resident of the Suoi Tuong floating village, steers his small motorboat toward the charity classroom just as the lesson begins. After greeting Sister Teresa Pham Thi Kim Lan of Phu Ly Parish, the teacher in charge, Quy quietly takes a seat at the last desk and opens his books.

Although he is the oldest student in the class, Quy is still at the “Grade 2/Book 2” level (as Sister Lan refers to it, meaning the second volume of the Grade 2 textbook), behind many of his younger classmates, aged 10 to 14, who are already in Grades 3 to 5. Even so, Sister Lan considers him a quick learner with strong study habits. For Quy, reaching the Grade 2/Book 2 level after just one year of study is a testament to his determination.

At 2 p.m., during the afternoon session at the Suoi Tuong floating village, two sisters, Le Thi Men (16) and Le Thanh Phung (14), are attending lessons at the Grade 6/Book 1 level. Having learned some basic reading and arithmetic beforehand, they completed their primary education after three years in Sister Lan’s class and are now continuing in Grade 6. Although they study alongside classmates of different ages and levels, both girls say they are determined to learn, hoping that literacy and numeracy will help them one day leave the floating village and find work onshore.

Sister Lan’s morning class in the “floating house” settlement and her afternoon class in the Suoi Tuong floating village currently serve about 80 students, from Grade 1 to Grade 6. Among them are children who have never attended school, as well as those whose education was interrupted elsewhere and are now returning.

Sister Lan shares that her students’ abilities vary considerably, while many come simply for a place to play. Still, she patiently guides them with kindness, hoping that one day each child will realize the importance of education, just as a forest plant or a water reed will eventually blossom.

Nine-year-old Tran Thi Kim Nhung, a Grade 2/Book 1 student in the “floating house” settlement of Suoi Tuong hamlet, shares: “I love coming to the charity class because I get to study, play, and receive treats like cookies and candy.”

Many students are unsure of their own surnames

The charity classroom in the “floating house” settlement is not as tidy as the one in the Suoi Tuong floating village. However, because it sits onshore at the edge of the forest, the children are spared the noise of boat engines and the rocking waves that can throw off their handwriting during lessons on the water.

Children of fishing families in Suoi Tuong hamlet, Tri An commune, Dong Nai province, on their way to the charity classroom

Since the class is held on land, the children have plenty of space to run around and play. When we asked a few of them, around eight to ten years old, for their full names while they were playing in a group, they cheerfully responded with just one name: Son, Thuy, Den, Tin…

According to Sister Lan, on nights when children accompany their parents to catch shrimp and fish, they often arrive at class drowsy, nodding off or yawning. Yet she never utters a word of complaint. When the children are alert and able to focus, she makes the most of it by teaching reading passages, arithmetic exercises, and spelling practice. And when they are too tired to stay awake at their desks, or bring along younger siblings who cause disruptions, she responds with patience and compassion.

“The students attend irregularly, and their learning levels vary widely. That’s why I have to tutor each one patiently,” Sister Lan said. “What makes me happiest is that, no matter their circumstances, none of them give up on school. Their eagerness to learn has allowed the two charity classes, here in the ‘floating house’ settlement and in the Suoi Tuong floating village, to keep going for many years.”

As we parted from Sister Lan’s charity classes and the children of the shaded Ma Da Forest and sunlit, wave-kissed Tri An Lake, we were heartened to see the care and compassion society continues to extend to them.

By Doan Phu – Translated by Hong Van, Minho