80 years of lighting up knowledge in Kinh Bac learning land

GD&TĐ - Nearly 80 years of construction and development, Ngo Si Lien High School (Bac Ninh) - formerly Hoang Hoa Tham School, is one of the few high schools established right after the success of the August Revolution in 1945.

This is also the school honored to welcome President Ho Chi Minh to visit and encourage teachers and students to compete in teaching well and studying well.

Bamboo and leaf school survives "rain of bombs and storm of bullets"

Few people know that to have a solid foundation today, nearly 80 years ago, generations of teachers and students of Ngo Si Lien High School overcame many difficulties and challenges during the resistance war against France and the American imperialists who "escalated" their bombardment of the North.

Opening the school yearbook, Mr. Nguyen Tuan Anh - Vice Principal of Ngo Si Lien High School said that the success of the August Revolution in 1945 opened a new era, an era of independence and freedom for the nation. However, the new government at that time faced countless difficulties, the important revolutionary tasks focused on: Fighting hunger, illiteracy and foreign invaders.

In that historical context, following President Ho Chi Minh's policy of promoting national education , Hoang Hoa Tham School (now Ngo Si Lien High School) was one of the few high schools in Vietnam that was officially established. At that time, in the whole of French Indochina, there were only 3-4 high schools.

In early 1946, with the support and encouragement of the revolutionary government in our country, teacher Pham Duc Cuong - who directly contributed his enthusiasm and efforts - opened 3 First Grade classes and 1 Second Grade class (First Grade equivalent to grades 6 to 9, Second Grade equivalent to grades 10 to 12) with nearly 200 students studying in the French military camp left behind by the previous occupation, and named the school Hoang Hoa Tham.

On May 6, 1946, Hoang Hoa Tham School was honored to receive a visit from President Ho Chi Minh - the beloved leader of the nation, to encourage and cheer on teachers and students to compete in teaching well. The school remained until the nationwide resistance war broke out (December 1946), evacuating each person, each place to follow the resistance war.

According to the Vice Principal, when the Ministry of Education recognized a series of public high schools in the provinces and named the schools after famous people such as: Han Thuyen (Bac Ninh), Luong Ngoc Quyen (Thai Nguyen), Hung Vuong (Phu Tho), Phan Dinh Phung (Nghe An)... Bac Giang (old) was able to establish Ngo Si Lien School in the system of high schools nationwide.

During the resistance war against the French, teaching and learning at the school encountered many difficulties, and the school had to evacuate to a point in the liberated zone many times. According to the story, at that time, the 4-year high school was converted into a secondary school with grades 5, 6, and 7, and the subject of labor was introduced into the school.

With the enthusiastic help of the local people, teachers and students together built schools and quickly settled down to study. Under the simple roof of bamboo and leaves, overcoming all difficulties and challenges, the school successfully achieved its goal of training students to become good soldiers, good cadres, and good workers.

Mr. Nguyen Tuan Anh - Vice Principal of Ngo Si Lien High School shared with reporters of GD&TĐ Newspaper about the school's nearly 80-year journey.

When the American invaders waged a destructive war in the North, the school had to evacuate twice to Nghia Trung commune, the old Viet Yen district (from 1965 to 1973). Here, teachers and students worked hard to build dozens of classrooms, dig thousands of meters of trenches, make hundreds of shelters, and weave thousands of straw hats to ensure safety for teachers and students. Despite the hardships and difficulties, the educational goals and motto were well implemented, and the school's student exam rate was still the highest in Ha Bac province at that time...

Miraculously, the school survived the bombs and bullets caused by the destructive war of the US Air Force in the North. Under the enemy's bombs and bullets, the school always carried out Uncle Ho's teaching: "No matter how difficult it is, we must continue to compete to teach well and study well."

And the dream of studying was a burning desire, but listening to the call of the Fatherland, the call of the heart, thousands of teachers and students at that time volunteered to put down their books and join the army to support the battlefield in the South; many became heroes, emulation fighters, but many also left their blood and bones in the motherland.

The great victory in the spring of 1975 ended our nation's resistance war against the American imperialists, the country was unified, the country was united. Entering a new stage, the school was rebuilt spaciously enough for 27 classrooms with 1,398 students and 10 cultural supplementary classes with 500 students. In 1994, the school changed its name to Ngo Si Lien High School for the Gifted, especially on November 18, 2004, by Decision No. 134 of the People's Committee of Bac Giang province (old), the school was renamed Ngo Si Lien High School until now.

Students of Ngo Si Lien High School are proud of the school with a long tradition.

Firmly entering the new era

About the school that had the honor of welcoming President Ho Chi Minh to visit after the August Revolution in 1945, Ngo Si Lien High School today has become a "bright spot" of the Bac Ninh education sector. The school is modern and spacious with 5 buildings, 36 classrooms, 100% equipped with air conditioning, smart TV, standard lighting; a system of subject rooms, laboratories, multi-purpose halls... meeting the requirements of teaching innovation.

In the new school year 2025 - 2026, the school welcomed more than 500 grade 10 students, with the entrance score ranking at the top of the old Bac Giang province. Previously, in the 2025 High School Graduation Exam, the average score of the whole school reached 7.22 - among the highest in the old Bac Giang province and the top 10 in Bac Ninh province. The annual university entrance rate is over 99%, affirming the comprehensive training quality.

A highlight of Ngo Si Lien High School is the foreign language learning movement. Currently, the number of students with IELTS certificates is increasing. Not only do they study well in class, students also participate in many playgrounds: English Club, debate competitions, exchanges with other schools... creating an environment to practice skills, preparing for integration. The school currently has 89 staff, teachers, and employees; of which 81 teachers, most of them meet or exceed the standards. Many teachers are excellent teachers at the provincial level, actively participating in professional training and improving their qualifications.

Pham Kim Chi - class 12A8 expressed that studying at Ngo Si Lien High School is a source of pride for the school's 80-year tradition of construction and development. "I wish to contribute to spreading the beautiful image of Ngo Si Lien High School through small actions such as protecting the learning environment, maintaining a clean and beautiful landscape, and building a civilized lifestyle. With constant efforts, each student today will be a piece to continue the school's 80-year glorious tradition...", Kim Chi confided.

The 2025-2026 school year has a special significance, as teachers and students of Ngo Si Lien High School enter a period of competition to achieve achievements to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the school's founding. The school aims to maintain its top achievements in Bac Ninh province, improve the quality of graduation exams and university entrance rates, and at the same time focus on nurturing excellent students, developing life skills and soft skills.

“We are determined to promote our tradition and achieve many achievements towards the 80th anniversary of the school’s founding. Every teacher and student identifies this as a special milestone, an opportunity for Ngo Si Lien High School to continue affirming its position on the educational map of Kinh Bac land - Bac Ninh province…”, Mr. Nguyen Tuan Anh shared.

Promoting the glorious tradition and achievements over the past 80 years, teachers and students of Ngo Sy Lien High School are determined to build the school to be increasingly strong and comprehensive, worthy of being a Heroic Labor Unit in the renovation period. The school is a center for teaching people - teaching letters - teaching professions. The tradition of "Patriotism - Love of learning - Courage - Creativity" of teachers and students of Ngo Si Lien High School will be enhanced in the new era, the era of national development.

After nearly 80 years of construction and development, the school has a long tradition of being the pride of the people of Bac Giang province - now Bac Ninh province. With the results achieved, Ngo Si Lien High School has been continuously recognized as an excellent and advanced school at the provincial level, the State has awarded 3 Labor Medals: Third Class (1962), Second Class (1986), First Class (1996), the President conferred the title of Labor Hero (2005). In 2010, the school was honored to receive the Third Class Independence Medal from the Party and the State... In recent years, the People's Committee of Bac Giang province (old), the Ministry of Education and Training has awarded many other noble awards.

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/80-nam-thap-sang-tri-thuc-vung-dat-hoc-kinh-bac-post746756.html