Handicraft village suffocates Da Nang schools
Thanh Nien Daily, Vietnam
Ngoc Lan Kindergarten is bombarded from all sides by stone dust
Students at several Da Nang schools have trouble breathing and listening through all the dust and noise created by nearby handicraft villages.
Mai Dang Chon Primary School used to be famous for its beautiful and quiet location. But the emergence of the nearby Non Nuoc Stone Handicraft Village has shrouded the neighborhood in a distracting cacophony of noise and thick haze of dust.
Not far from Mai Dang Chon, Huong Duong Kindergarten suffers the same fate. A wall built to shield Huong Duong’s 240 kids from dust and noise isn’t getting the job done. During breaks, kids have to stay inside their classrooms as dust covers everything outside.
Huong Duong’s Principal Nguyen Thi Hong Phuong says the nearby stonecutting creates an overwhelming amount of noise.
But no school is more miserable than Ngoc Lan Kindergarten, which is sandwiched between two stone handicraft centers. Teachers here say they spend all their time cleaning chairs and desks. Otherwise, their students choke on the dust.
Additionally, teacher Thai Thi Thu Hien says her students cannot even sing during their music studies thanks to the noise.
“In kindergarten, singing is one of the most important activities,†she says. “But we can’t sing here. The loud noise simply drowns out our voices.â€
Despite complaints from schools and the local Depart of Education and Training, little has been done to solve the problem.
Teachers and students can only hope that the Ngu Hanh Son District People’s Committee makes good on its claim that it has a plan to move the stone businesses out of the area.
Reported by Dieu Hien