Primary Schools

This past week I have had the privilege of visiting many Primary Schools. They all seem to be in a similar design, they are built is a U shape with trees and benches and cement in the middle. I was able to sit in on two lessons a day, generally a lesson is Vietnamese language teaching and a Math lesson. Children have very strict rules in Vietnam. They all wear a uniform of sorts, some schools more strict than others, and they must sit up straight with their arms folded and resting on the top of their desks. If they wish to answer a question, they still keep their elbows on the desk and raise only their forearms. A change from Canadian classes.

Schools are underfunded and teachers are underpaid. Teachers also complain of not enough materials, or time to prepare lessons, and what do we do with multilevel groups!! It's good to know teachers are similar everywhere.

One school even gave me a bouquet of flowers. Did I ever feel special. Another school picked a whole bunch of fruit from the best tree in the compound.