Over the past seven years, members of the Social Work Team at the Da Nang University of Science and Technology have been keeping the operation of special classrooms where visually-impaired children can have smoother access to proper education.  

Tutoring classes for visually-impaired pupils of the Support Centre for Inclusive Education Development have been maintained from 2013 to the present

On the evening of 11 January, some classrooms at the Support Centre for Inclusive Education Development in Lien Chieu District’s Hoa Minh Ward were lit up and full of laughter and voices coming from members of the Social Work Team and blind pupils.

That is one of group study sessions that members of the Social Work Team have organised for the Centre’s blind pupils over the past seven years, receiving active support and high laud from the Centre’s leaders as well as the University’s Youth Union Organisation.

Leader of the Social Work Team Truong Thiet Lam said his team has been established for 17 years. During that period, the team has been active in carrying out numerous charity programmes across the city in an effort to help the needy as much as they can. Specially, tutoring activities for blind pupils at the Support Centre for Inclusive Education Development have been maintained from 2013 to the present.

“These free classrooms, with 15-16 pupils each, are organised on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, operating between 7.00pm and 9.30pm. They are divided into the categories of primary to secondary schools” Lam added.

At these classrooms, with their high dedication and enthusiasm, ‘amateur teachers’ help their pupils to review their school lessons and support them to do their homework in an effective manner.

Apart from giving meaningful lessons to these disadvantaged pupils, the dedicated team members usually spend much time informally chatting with them, and they are willing to share joy and sorrow in life with them, and give words full of great encouragement to them.

Each week, about 16 members of the Social Work Team who are students of the Da Nang University of Science and Technology, the University of Education and others are actively involved in supporting visually-impaired pupils to review their school lessons.

Such special classrooms are organised on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, operating between 7.00pm and 9.30pm

Student Le Thanh Truong from the University of Science and Technology is supporting 7th grader Nguyen Thanh Kha to review her learnt lesson

A blind pupil using Braille, a tactile reading and writing system used by blind and visually impaired people who cannot access print materials

Le Thi Linh (left), a student from the Da Nang University of Education, instructing a blind pupil to do her homework

Apart form tutoring, Da Nang's students usually spend much time informally chatting with visually-impaired pupils in order to share joy and sorrow with them, as well as give great encouragement to them.

A happy smile is seen on the face of a visually impaired pupil during the sesson

The team members’ persistence and great efforts are paid off as many sight-impaired pupils have gained good study achievements.

Tran Van Hoang, for example, was admitted directly to the Ho Chi Minh City University of Education during the 2016 - 2017 academic year, whilst another one, Mai Van Hien, passed the university entrance examination at the Ho Chi Minh University of Economics during the 2015-2016 school year.

By XUAN SON, NGUYEN LE - Translated by M.D