Sowing the light of knowledge in the darkness

TPO - Amidst the hustle and bustle of life, the evening literacy classes at Chau Thanh and Phuoc Thang Secondary Schools in Ho Chi Minh City quietly remain lit, sowing the light of knowledge in the night for students with special circumstances.

Night class for children with special needs

For nearly 30 years, Phuoc Thang Secondary School in Phuoc Thang ward has kept its lights on every night to maintain night classes for underprivileged children who cannot afford to attend regular schools.

After teaching during the day at school, from 6:30 PM onwards, teachers at Phuoc Thang Secondary School continue to teach literacy classes. It's a special class because the students are of different ages. During the day, many of them work to help support their families. Their study time is limited to just five lessons in the evening class.

Mr. Tran Manh Hung, Deputy Principal of Phuoc Thang Secondary School, teaches the literacy class at the school.

At 6 PM, upon entering the school grounds and inquiring about the evening literacy class, a young teacher in a red ao dai (traditional Vietnamese dress) warmly greeted me. She introduced herself as Bui Thi Phuong Nhung (22 years old), a Natural Science teacher at Phuoc Thang Secondary School. Ms. Nhung explained that after graduating from Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, she became a teacher at the school and was assigned to teach the evening literacy class. Her home is in Long Hai commune, 30km from the school, so after teaching in the evening, she sometimes doesn't get home until 10:30 PM.

Sharing about the motivation behind overcoming this obstacle, Ms. Nhung said that it was her love for the profession that helped her overcome her own difficulties to accompany the children.

Young teacher Bui Thi Phuong Nhung teaches Natural Science in the evening literacy class at Phuoc Thang Secondary School.

The young teacher shared that most of the children are temporary residents who had dropped out of school prematurely. Each child has their own circumstances, but they all strive to attend school. The teachers here are patient and gentle, trying to find ways to teach in an easy-to-understand manner so that the children can easily grasp the material and develop an interest in learning.

Before class, Nguyen Thi Chuc Doan (14 years old, temporarily residing in Phuoc Thang ward, Ho Chi Minh City), the only female student in the 7th grade literacy class here, confided: “Two years ago, I dropped out of Phuoc Thang Secondary School when I was almost finished with the 7th grade. After dropping out, I worked part-time selling lottery tickets at an agency while also learning to do nails. However, I still wanted to finish the program to take the entrance exam for a logistics major, so I decided to attend this evening literacy class.”

Meanwhile, Tran Bao Duy (15 years old, temporarily residing in Phuoc Thang ward, Ho Chi Minh City) said that his parents are factory workers, so his family is facing financial difficulties. "During the day, I work at a coffee shop to help my parents cover expenses, and at night I go to school hoping to get into a vocational school…" - Duy confided.

Similarly, the evening literacy class at Chau Thanh Secondary School (Vung Tau Ward) has been running since the 2003-2024 school year, on weekday evenings from Monday to Saturday, to help immigrant children in Vung Tau Ward have the opportunity to attend school.

Looking towards a bright future

These evening literacy classes also nurture the dreams of immigrant students or those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Nguyen Thi My Tien (16 years old, temporarily residing at alley 878, 30/4 Street, Phuoc Thang Ward) recounted that her parents divorced, and she had to interrupt her studies because she moved here with her mother from Dong Thap province to rent a room and make a living. "After being encouraged by the authorities and teachers to return to school to complete the program, I went to class with the hope of attending a vocational school, which would give me a brighter future," Tien confided.

Evening literacy classes at Chau Thanh Secondary School, Vung Tau Ward, Ho Chi Minh City.

Nguyen Chau Khang (15 years old) said that his parents work as factory workers in the Dong Xuyen industrial zone, and their difficult living conditions forced him to drop out of school in the 8th grade. After being out of school for almost a year, he applied to resume his studies at the literacy class of Phuoc Thang Secondary School.

“In class, the teachers are caring and empathetic to the circumstances of students like me. Initially, I only intended to finish 9th grade and then look for a job. But after hearing my story, the teachers encouraged me to try to continue studying, at least to finish 12th grade so I could apply to a vocational school,” Châu Khang shared.

Nguyen Quoc Bao, a student at Chau Thanh Secondary School, shared that his purpose in attending classes is to complete the secondary education program in order to progress to higher levels of education.

Despite meager allowances, and even no remuneration for administrators, these teachers remain dedicated to their classes, spreading the light of knowledge to students with special circumstances.

Speaking with reporters, Mr. Tran Manh Hung, Deputy Principal of Phuoc Thang Secondary School, expressed that the school's evening literacy class has been maintained for over 30 years thanks to many generations of dedicated teachers who care about their profession and the children who are less fortunate than their peers. The class is for children who do not have the opportunity to attend regular classes or who have had their education interrupted.

According to teacher Tran Manh Hung, in addition to closely monitoring and supporting students in their classes, the school actively encourages them to attend classes regularly to acquire knowledge, connects them with benefactors to support them with school supplies and textbooks, and provides moral support to help them focus on their studies.

"The area still has many immigrant children, so their education is interrupted or they lack the means to attend school. Therefore, teachers at the school regularly visit and encourage them to come to class. Currently, the school maintains 50 students across 3 junior high school grades who attend regularly. Despite meager allowances, and even a lack of remuneration for the administrators, the teachers remain dedicated to their classes, spreading the light of knowledge to these students with special circumstances," shared Ms. Nguyen Thi Minh Dong, Principal of Chau Thanh Junior High School.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/gieo-anh-sang-tri-thuc-trong-dem-post1797959.tpo