Lam Dong Province Faces Local Shortage of School Textbooks
Listen to the story
Local authorities say the shortage of school textbooks in Lam Dong province must be fixed as soon as possible. Some students in the area do not have the books they need for class.
The situation has raised questions about a similar case in Hue city, where a program that let students borrow textbooks was temporarily suspended. Officials and educators are now looking at what lessons can be learned from that experience.
In response, a company in Hue plans to raise 5 billion Vietnamese dong. This money will be used to buy textbooks for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. These are students whose families often struggle to pay for school materials.
The two situations show a wider issue: many local areas in Vietnam face challenges making sure every student has the textbooks they need. When books are missing, students can fall behind in their studies.
Officials in Lam Dong have not given full details about how the shortage will be solved. However, the case in Hue shows that both public programs and private fundraising can play a role in supporting students who cannot afford books on their own.
Education officials hope that quick action, along with support from businesses and communities, can help make sure textbook shortages do not affect students' learning in the coming school year.
Vocabulary5 words
- shortage
- not having enough of something needed
- temporarily suspended
- stopped for a short time, not forever
- disadvantaged
- having fewer resources or opportunities than others
- fundraising
- collecting money for a specific purpose
- authorities
- people or groups with official power to make decisions
Quiz
Answer key
1. A local shortage of textbooks 2. It was temporarily suspended 3. True
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Local authorities say the _____ of school textbooks in Lam Dong province must be fixed as soon as possible.
Some students in the area do not have the _____ they need for class.
The situation has raised questions about a similar case in Hue city, where a program that let students borrow textbooks was _____.
Officials and educators are now looking at what _____ can be learned from that experience.
In response, a company in Hue plans to raise 5 billion Vietnamese _____.
This money will be used to buy textbooks for students from _____ backgrounds.
These are students whose families often struggle to _____ for school materials.
When books are missing, students can _____ in their studies.
The case in Hue shows that both public programs and private _____ can play a role.
Education officials hope that quick action can help make sure textbook shortages do not affect students' _____ in the coming school year.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think some areas face shortages of school textbooks?
- How could businesses help solve problems like this in education?
- Do you think borrowing programs are a good solution for textbook shortages? Why or why not?
- What can communities do to support disadvantaged students in their education?