A teacher has spent more than 20 years diligently spreading knowledge on the border of Tay Ninh

Fate with students in border areas

Every time the school year is about to begin, the image of teacher Chu Phuong Uyen (43 years old, from the old Bac Giang province) on her familiar motorbike roaming around the self-governing groups of Tam Pho hamlet has become familiar to the people here. For her, there is no summer vacation, only days of "racing" against time to motivate students to go to school.

In 2001, after graduating from university, young girl Chu Phuong Uyen followed her family to Tay Ninh to start a business and took a job at Tan Dong Primary School. At that time, Tan Dong was still facing many difficulties. As a border commune, the lives of the people, especially the Khmer ethnic group, faced many difficulties.

Ms. Uyen was assigned to teach at Tam Pho school, a remote location far from the center, where 100% of the students were children of the Khmer ethnic group. In the early days, the biggest barrier was not the lack of facilities, but language and awareness. Many parents did not know Vietnamese, and their children grew up in an environment where they only communicated in their mother tongue. For many families, going to school seemed like a "luxury" after worrying about food and clothing.

"The first years were really difficult. The children came to class as if they were in another world . They didn't understand what I was saying, and I didn't speak their language well. I had to learn, learn from them, learn from the village elders, hamlet chiefs, learn every greeting and every question," Ms. Uyen shared.

Working in the border area, Ms. Uyen found her happiness and started a family. Her husband worked in Ho Chi Minh City. Normally, Ms. Uyen could have asked to be transferred back to the city for family reunion, especially since she had moved her household registration to Ho Chi Minh City. However, her heart and career were still tied to Tan Dong land.

“For more than 20 years, my child and I have chosen to stay in this border area. The students here need us. They are like our own children, so how can we leave them?” Ms. Uyen confided.

"Sow" trust in parents

According to Ms. Uyen, to "sow knowledge" to students, first of all we must "sow" trust in parents.

She said: "Most of the parents here are farmers or hired workers. Many people do not use phones, or if they do, it is only for basic calling. If I want to make any announcements, I cannot text or call via Zalo, Facebook... like in the city. The only way is to go from house to house.

The journey was through dusty red dirt roads on sunny days and muddy roads on rainy days. Some houses were 6-7km apart. She came not only to remind her children to go to school but also to listen.

Her most memorable experience was the process of "untangling" the procedures for 6-year-old children. Many families, due to circumstances and not being fluent in Vietnamese, had children who were old enough to enter first grade but still did not have birth certificates.

"Without a birth certificate, they cannot enroll in school. If I don't do it, the children will miss a year of school. So I have to travel all the way to take the parents to the commune's Justice Department, explain and guide them through the steps of completing the paperwork for their children. Seeing the children with all the required documents for enrollment, I cried tears of joy," Ms. Uyen confided.

More than a teacher

At Tam Pho, Ms. Uyen is not just a teacher. She is a sister, a mother, and an important bridge between the school and the community. Many families have the habit of sending their children to Cambodia to work. On the first day of school, many children have not returned.

“I couldn’t sit still so I reported to the school. Then I went to the village elders, hamlet chiefs, and the most prestigious people in the self-governing groups of Tam Pho hamlet to ask them to inform, remind, or even ‘put pressure’ on the family to understand the importance of studying and bring their children home in time for the opening ceremony,” Ms. Uyen confided.

The perseverance of Ms. Uyen in particular and the teachers has been rewarded. The rate of students attending class at Tam Pho is always maintained. From shy children who do not know a word of Vietnamese, through the guidance of teachers, they have learned to read, write, and are more confident in communication and integration.

Teachers of Tan Dong Primary School at the opening ceremony of the 2025 - 2026 school year.

Mr. Le Van Bao - Principal of Tan Dong Primary School (Tay Ninh) commented that Ms. Uyen always shows enthusiasm and a high sense of responsibility. She does not consider "going from house to house" as a burden, but considers it the responsibility of a teacher in the village, a Party member "going first, doing first". She always excellently completes all assigned tasks, not only in teaching but also in mass mobilization work.

“Tan Dong Primary School has 16 classes at 3 locations, with a total of 410 students, of which 170 are ethnic minorities. The burden of eliminating illiteracy and maintaining student numbers always weighs heavily on the teachers’ shoulders, and Ms. Uyen is one of the pioneers on that front. That silent sacrifice is the clearest proof of Ms. Uyen’s love for the profession and children and the teachers teaching in the border communes,” Mr. Bao emphasized.

For over 20 years, Ms. Uyen's journey has been steadfast on the red dirt roads of Tan Dong. For her, it is not just about teaching, but also about empowering each little student, to ensure that no one is left behind on the journey to find knowledge.

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/co-giao-hon-20-nam-miet-mai-geo-chu-noi-bien-gioi-tay-ninh-post755553.html