The story of young people 'sowing knowledge in the highlands'

Teacher Hoang Diem with students at Ma Le Primary Ethnic Boarding School, Dong Van, Ha Giang

Teaching is a profession that requires a lot of sacrifice and dedication. Especially for teachers in the highlands, their task is not only to teach but also to rise up, overcome geographical, life and cultural difficulties to bring dreams to children in the mountainous areas. In the atmosphere of the Vietnamese Teachers' Charter Day taking place across the country, let's listen to the feelings of exemplary young teachers who are working at some schools in the northern mountainous areas.

Students are the motivation for teachers to stay with the school and the village.

With nearly 10 years of working in the education sector, teacher Hoang Diem (29 years old) has devoted his youth to Dong Van district, Ha Giang province. That time has also helped him gain enough experience and understand the difficulties of teachers and students in the highlands.

Teacher Hoang Diem guides highland students how to fold blankets

According to his sharing, there was a time when Hoang Diem had to travel 40km and walk another 10km to reach the school. After that, he was transferred to work at Ma Le Primary Boarding School in Ma Le commune, Dong Van district, Ha Giang province (12km from home). Every day, close to ethnic minority children, Hoang Diem always understands their suffering. Limited communication language, poor family life, long and difficult roads to school... are the things that prevent children in this place from having the opportunity to study.

Hoang Diem confided: “The biggest motivation for me and many other teachers in the highlands to choose to dedicate myself to this place is for the future of the children. Overcoming difficulties and seeing the innocent, pure smiles of the children makes me extremely happy. The children can go to school, eat better, and dress better. Despite many difficulties, they still try to go to school regularly, be obedient, and obey their teachers.” That is why teachers in the highlands always spend a lot of time with their students. Besides teaching knowledge in class, Hoang Diem also teaches life skills and performs arts to improve the self-confidence of ethnic minority children.

Wholeheartedly for dear juniors

Ban Moi school still has many difficulties and shortages.

After graduating from university, teacher Va Thi Kia (23 years old) returned to her hometown and took on the job of homeroom teacher of class 2A5 at Ban Moi School - Bac Yen Town Primary and Secondary School, Bac Yen District, Son La Province. As a Mong ethnic child, Kia dreamed of becoming a teacher since childhood to bring letters to her village. The class that Kia was in charge of had only 10 students, of which 7 were from poor households, 1 was from a near-poor household, and 2 were in difficult circumstances because their families had many siblings.

When talking about her students, Va Kia expressed: “The students here are all Mong ethnic people, so they have many limitations in communicating in Vietnamese. Therefore, their learning becomes more difficult. Many times they do not understand, I have to speak in their ethnic language to guide them. Many of their parents work far away, live with their grandparents, so they are not cared for, many times they go to class without a pen to write, and when they come home, no one teaches them to study, etc. Winter comes but many of them do not have warm clothes to wear. There are some students whose families cannot buy shoes and have to wear sandals in the cold winter. When I see them like that, I know I need to try harder.”

Ms. Va Kia guides students to practice beautiful handwriting.

To be closer to her students, Va Kia chose to stay near the school so she wouldn't have to travel nearly 30km from home. Every day, the Mong teacher always puts her heart into each of her lessons, confiding and encouraging the children to overcome difficult circumstances and become useful people for society. Va Kia herself is also a shining example for her students to follow.

Following in the footsteps of generations of "sowing knowledge in the highlands"

Coming out of the ATK Son Duong Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities, Son Duong District, Tuyen Quang Province, the boy Tien Manh has now become a History teacher at this very school. As a student of the Nung ethnic group, he started studying and living in a boarding environment since grade 6. Now, Tien Manh has grown up and continues to follow in the footsteps of his teachers to carry out a noble mission with generations of ethnic minority students.

Teacher Tien Manh has just started working at ATK Son Duong Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities since mid-2023.

Tien Manh shared: “After graduating from Hanoi National University of Education, although there were many choices, I wanted to contribute to my old school to bring knowledge to ethnic minority students like me. Interacting with the school's students, I saw myself again from the days of my first steps of independence until I became an adult like today.”

From his own image many years ago, Tien Manh understands the difficulties of ethnic boarding students in terms of accommodation, activities at school, innocence and homesickness that are forever imprinted in their minds. Therefore, as a teacher, Tien Manh is always attentive, caring and advising students as if they were his own children.

History class of teacher Tien Manh

How proud and admirable are the examples of young teachers in the highlands who volunteer to stay at school and in their villages for the sake of their juniors. On the occasion of Vietnamese Teachers' Day, November 20, we would like to send them our deepest thanks and gratitude.

Source: https://moet.gov.vn/tintuc/Pages/tin-tong-hop.aspx?ItemID=9632