Flooding at Vietnamese School Hinders Student Access After Heavy Rain

In Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, heavy rain on the morning of September 23rd caused significant flooding at Binh Trieu Primary School, submerging the schoolyard up to knee-height and making student access to classrooms extremely difficult. Parents were seen carrying or piggybacking their children to reach their classes, with some lessons delayed until around 10 AM. One parent described the situation as a recurring problem, stating that the schoolyard and classrooms flood whenever there is heavy rain or a high tide. This has occurred three to four times since the beginning of the school year, sometimes leading to the closure of ground-floor classrooms. Another parent expressed concern about their child slipping on the waterlogged corridors, noting that the usual 5-10 minute commute to school took over 30 minutes, and wished for the school's reconstruction and elevation. According to the school's vice principal, the school's location in a low-lying area, coupled with a pond behind it, causes the schoolyard to flood after more than an hour of heavy rain due to slow drainage. This issue has persisted for decades, with local residents sometimes bringing water pumps from the early morning. Despite two high-capacity pumps being provided by the local commune on the morning of the incident, they were insufficient to clear the water before classes were scheduled to begin. Binh Trieu Primary School serves over 2,300 students across 51 classes. Due to limited facilities, the school operates on a single-session per day basis. The school is currently undergoing renovation and reconstruction, which is expected to take over a year to complete. With rain forecasted to continue through the night, teachers and staff are concerned about further flooding.