Gradually improve the quality of teaching and learning

Da Bac Commune is an area with a large population of ethnic minorities, especially the Khmer. Based on the practical need to better care for the education of ethnic minority children, on September 12, 2014, the People's Committee of Ca Mau province issued Decision 1415 to establish Danh Thi Tuoi Ethnic Minority Boarding Secondary School.

In the early days of its establishment, Danh Thi Tuoi Secondary School for Ethnic Minorities faced many difficulties, lacking human resources and facilities. However, at present, the school has been invested in spaciously, not inferior to other schools of the same level in the area.

In August 2024, Danh Thi Tuoi Secondary School for Ethnic Minority Boarding Students was recognized as meeting National standards level 1.

In the 2025-2026 school year, the school has 25 staff and employees, including 3 administrators and 17 teachers. The total number of students in the school is 195, including 171 ethnic minority students, with 7 classes, an increase of 1 class compared to the 2024-2025 school year.

Ms. Le Hong Thanh, Vice Principal of the school, said that the school's teaching staff is basically stable in number, 100% of them meet the standards of professional qualifications and skills; have experience and a high sense of responsibility in performing assigned duties and tasks. The school's facilities basically serve educational activities well.

“The school currently has 6 classrooms, 3 department rooms and 8 offices, 1 library, 1 online meeting room and 1 auditorium. All classrooms are equipped with 65-inch TVs and 1 desktop computer with internet connection; tables and chairs are enough for students. In addition, the school has also invested in a dormitory with 13 rooms, 1 dining room and 1 kitchen according to prescribed standards,” Ms. Thanh informed.

An ethnic language lesson at Danh Thi Tuoi Secondary School for Ethnic Minorities.

Having worked at Danh Thi Tuoi Secondary School for Ethnic Minorities for 15 years, Ms. Ly Hoa Ly, a math teacher who is also Khmer, said that most of the ethnic minority students at the school have parents who work far from home and are left to be cared for by grandparents or relatives. The grandparents are old and therefore pay little attention to the children's studies.

“Teachers at school must grasp the circumstances of each student, classify students' abilities into groups to teach effectively, because in the same class, students' academic performance is not equal due to different family circumstances and learning conditions.

In addition to teaching, teachers also care about the material and spiritual lives of students to provide timely encouragement and support, while educating them about human ethics, preserving and promoting their national cultural identity," Ms. Ly shared.

Ms. Ly Hoa Ly guides students in their studies.

Danh Thi Sa Thia, a 9th grade student at the school, shared that the learning environment here is very good, the teachers teach enthusiastically, if there is any problem in class that you do not understand, you can ask the teachers at any time, the teachers also care a lot about the students' lives.

“I will try my best to study well to achieve my goal of going to university and becoming a teacher for ethnic minority children, just like the way my teachers at school taught us,” said Danh Thi Sa Thia.

Warm kitchen at school

In addition to teaching, the staff and teachers of Danh Thi Tuoi Secondary School for Ethnic Minority Boarding Students also pay attention to the nutritional health of the students. This school year, according to the agreement with parents, each day for 2 meals at school, parents only pay 34,000 VND (from the support money for ethnic minority students).

Ms. Le Hong Thanh prepares meals for students.

“Many ethnic minority households in the area are still facing difficulties and rely on financial support for their children to cover expenses. If the food ration is increased, many families will face even more difficulties, so the school decided not to increase it.

In times of rising prices like today, although each meal is only 17,000 VND, the school still tries to cook soup, savory dishes (braised or fried) with fruits or vegetables so that the children can eat enough nutrients.

The school also instructed the kitchen to regularly change the dishes to make the children feel delicious when eating, always cooking extra rice and soup so that the children can eat more when needed," shared Ms. Le Hong Thanh, Vice Principal of the school.

Staff and teachers help take care of meals for students.

Menu 17,000 VND/meal at Danh Thi Tuoi Secondary School for Ethnic Minorities.

According to Ms. Thanh, the kitchen currently only has one catering staff, due to lack of funding to contract more staff, so each session, the school assigns a few more staff and teachers to support the kitchen work such as: cooking, serving food on trays, clearing tables, washing dishes, etc. As a manager herself, Ms. Thanh also has to work hard in the kitchen to help make sure the children have their meals on time.

The staff and teachers just finished class and hurried down to help wash the dishes.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Huong, a teacher at Danh Thi Tuoi Ethnic Minority Boarding Secondary School, said that her house is 7km from school and she has to go back and forth 4 times a day. After finishing teaching, she runs down to the kitchen to help the children eat before going home to rest. Although it is hard work, she considers this a responsibility and a way to share.

“At school, female teachers are on duty during the day to help with the kitchen, while male teachers are on duty at night, managing the students’ sleep. The staff and teachers support on a voluntary basis, mainly out of love for the students. Everyone wants to take good care of the students, because students in remote areas and ethnic minority areas are already disadvantaged,” said Ms. Huong.

"The meals at school are delicious, the dishes change regularly during the week, and the teachers are very enthusiastic. The school's dormitory is also clean, airy, and convenient for students to rest and study" - La Gia Hao, a student at Danh Thi Tuoi Secondary School for Ethnic Minorities.

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/cham-lo-hoc-sinh-dan-toc-bang-tinh-thuong-va-trach-nhiem-post753875.html