Remote schools in Gia Lai struggle without basic toilet facilities

Hundreds of teachers and students at remote schools in Gia Lai Province in central Vietnam are forced to relieve themselves in bushes due to the lack of toilets.

"There have been students who couldn't hold it and had accidents in the classroom," said teacher Le Thi Cuc. "I had to clean up, spray menthol oil to reduce the smell, and comfort the children as they would be teased by their classmates."

Tpe 2 village school, a satellite campus of Cho Glong Primary and Lower Secondary School in Cho Long Commune, serves 75 students from Grades 1 to 5 but has no toilet facilities. When nature calls, both students and teachers must use the surrounding vegetation.

During the 2025-2026 school year, three to four students in Cuc's combined Grade 1 and Grade 2 class experienced accidents at school. With many parents working in the fields during the day, she often had to take the children home to change clothes before bringing them back to class.

The school has only two classrooms, forcing one class to study at another site more than one kilometer away. Students attend nine sessions per week.

There is no toilet in Tpe 2 village school in Gia Lai Province. Photo by Kim Thi

Teachers have endured these conditions for years. Cuc and her colleagues typically wait until students leave or use break times to attend to their own needs. The two teachers often take turns keeping watch while the other steps away.

Using toilets at nearby homes is not always practical, particularly during class hours or when only male family members are present.

Pham Dinh Long, chairman of the Cho Long Commune People's Committee, said the commune covers a large area with a dispersed population. Its four schools serve a total of 1,836 students.

In addition to Tpe 2, two other satellite campuses with more than 100 teachers and students also lack toilet facilities.

"The commune's residents mainly rely on agriculture, and the rates of poor and near-poor households remain high," Long said. "These factors affect educational conditions and the care provided to children."

Le Thi Cuc's students at the end-of-year school closing event. Photo by Kim Thi

Dozens of kilometers away, Hrach Kon village school, a satellite campus of Chu Krey Ethnic Boarding Primary and Lower Secondary School, faces similar difficulties.

Located 12 kilometers from the main campus, the school serves 32 students and employs three teachers. Without toilets, staff and students use bushes on the edge of the village.

Teacher Le Thi Hoa said she must check carefully for passersby before relieving herself. During the rainy season, conditions become even more challenging as the ground turns muddy and slippery.

"Many students return to class with wet clothes after going outside," she said.

According to principal Nguyen Xuan An, Hrach Kon is one of five satellite campuses under the school that have yet to receive adequate infrastructure investment. More than 200 teachers and students across these campuses lack access to proper sanitation facilities.

Students in Hrach Kon village school in Gia Lai Province. Photo by Kim Thi

Readers can join the Hope Foundation in building new toilets for students in Cho Long, Chu Krey, Kong Chro... communes in Gia Lai Province here.