A run-down secondary school in Quang Ngai has made national headlines these days thanks to its US$30,000 restroom, but there are many other facilities in the same central province that are even more extravagant.
Long Hiep Secondary School, located in Minh Long District, is an old school with the main gate nearly collapsed, classrooms covered with moss, and learning equipment in severe shortage. But it is remarkable for the 29-square-meter restroom that cost VND600 million, or $28,846, to build.
The expensive facility, however, is poorly constructed and several equipments have begun to deteriorate.
Tuoi Tre reporters checked out the bathrooms of other schools in the province, and were eventually stunned to discover that some of them are even worth more than VND700 million, or $33,654.
Leaky classroom vs. costly restroom
One such facility belongs to the Nghia Hiep secondary school in Tu Nghia District.
Like that of the Long Hiep, Nghia Hiep’s new restroom, worth more than VND710 million, was also built under the hygiene and clean water program, and in the same model.
This means the women’s room has three squat toilets without a single door.
The facility was put into use in September 2012, and the investment and construction was totally carried out by the province’s Department of Education and Training.
“Our role in the business is only … observers,” school master Le Phi Hung admitted.
The school has repeatedly called on the department for support in purchase of other learning equipment, all but the toilet request is met, Hung said.
Nghia Hiep has been recognized as a national-standard school, but the equipments in its three labs for informatics, biology, and chemistry are too old that they produce inaccurate results.
Similarly, the Nang An primary school in Mo Duc District was also equipped with a new bathroom in January.
The restroom, along with a water tower, cost a whopping VND721 million.
However, after only five months of use, the facility shows sign of downgrading and deterioration.
The women’s room is barely sheltered, while the water valves of the squat toilets there are out of order.
“I have to fill up a tank of water for the students to use instead of the valves,” the school guard Pham Ngoc Kim said.
This alternative way however results in flooding the room floor, causing students to fall down, he added.
Having such an extravagant toilet is not the school’s greatest desire, as there are many things that need upgrading, according to the school master Nguyen Van Khanh.
The school still has ten classrooms built in 1980 that are in critical condition with leaky roofs.
“We badly need to have these classrooms rebuilt, but the proposal remains unapproved for years,” he said.
True stories
The Quang Ngai education department has invested in 24 clean water facilities and restrooms since 2010, consuming a total expense of more than VND12.27 billion, according to its report.
The minimum cost of a bathroom is VND300 million, and the highest is VND750 million.
The Binh Chanh primary school has a VND749 million restroom, while the respective figures for the Van Tuong and Pham Kiet high schools are VND688 million, and VND632 million.
Nguyen Manh Hung, head of the social cultural affairs department of the province’s People’s Council, said the media has made accurate reports over the restroom at the schools in the province.
“The people’s council will work with the education department in July over the issue,” he said.
Meanwhile, Le Tan Hung, deputy director of the province’s Department of Planning and Investment, said, “Based on the annual capital allocation for the clean water program, the education department proposes the list of projects to be constructed, and the planning department only approves the technical reports for the constructions.
The planning department has rejected several costly projects from the education department, he added.
“As for the expensive restrooms, the department will review and announce the results later,” he said.
Đăng ký: VietNam News
