Sow words from the heart

During the special days of November, we had the opportunity to talk with Mr. Ha Ngoc Dao (former Director of the Department of Education and Training of Dak Lak). He said that at the age of 13, he left his family and hometown of Binh Dinh (now Gia Lai province) to go to the North to study. At that time, students in the South received special attention and care from the Party and Uncle Ho.

In the general difficulties, the bone-chilling cold of the North at that time became a challenge for the children in the South who were used to the warm sunshine. Because it was too cold, the students did not dare to bathe, kept warm in straw beds, covered with cotton clothes and cotton blankets, which resulted in ringworm and scabies. Loving the students like their own children, the teachers did not hesitate to boil pots of water from neem leaves for them to bathe.

Mr. Dao recalls: “At that time, teachers not only imparted knowledge but also thoroughly educated revolutionary ideals. It was in that difficult but loving environment that not only urged us to study well, but also to train and challenge ourselves to participate in the resistance war, sharing the fire with our compatriots in the South."

Teacher Dao himself wrote letters in blood twice to the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Education asking to "go to B" - that was the oath of youth tempered in the sacred and special teacher-student relationship.

Teacher Ha Ngoc Dao (front row, sitting in the middle) takes a souvenir photo with his students in Hanoi .

Having devoted his entire life to the education cause, from the anti-American resistance war until the country's liberation, Mr. Ha Ngoc Dao has held many positions and was the one who laid the foundation for the province's education sector after liberation. He had thousands of students, and had guided many generations in a family. There were also students who he only taught for a few years or months; many students were successful in their careers, but the relationship between teachers and students was always close, close, and full of respect. Over the past 6 decades, the reunions have taken place regularly, not only as an opportunity to express gratitude for the teacher's contributions, but also as an affirmation of a priceless legacy, which is the legacy of humanity and ideals passed down through many generations.

For teacher H'Chac Hwing (Ede ethnic group, teacher at Y Jut Primary School, Buon Don commune), over the years, she has nurtured her passion for teaching and her students' dreams from the days she went to school in the difficult border area.

Recalling her primary school days, she said that Y Jut Primary School had two campuses, one of which was in Tri village - where she lived. The school at that time was dilapidated, with a thatched roof, covered with rotten planks, and a bumpy ground. Students walked barefoot, covered in mud, and many ages studied in the same class. Learning conditions were poor, but the teachers' teaching spirit became a source of light for poor students.

She clearly remembers the image of her teachers not only persistently spreading knowledge; but also going to each village, up to the fields to help parents harvest crops; and encouraging parents to send their children to school regularly. That respect and understanding of life planted in the heart of student H'Chac the seed of determination to become a teacher.

First grade students at Y Jut Primary School are cared for by teachers on their first day of school.

In 1996, after graduating from the pedagogical school, teacher H'Chac Hwing returned to the village, to Y Jut Primary School to continue to inspire learning for ethnic minority children. For nearly 30 years in the classroom, Ms. H'Chac has been present at all schools of Y Jut Primary School, including one nearly 20 kilometers from her home, overcoming bumpy roads just to bring the light of knowledge to her students. She not only teaches knowledge but also imparts skills, sharing her joys and sorrows to help students overcome life's challenges. The educational method of love and understanding has brought sweet results, in her homeroom classes, very few students drop out.

The gifts her students sent her were simple, full of the flavor of the village, but she treasured them very much: a few bags of green tamarinds, vegetables, or bunches of wild flowers picked in a hurry. But the most precious reward for Ms. H'Chac was the maturity of her students. That was also the sweet fruit of many generations of teachers who had persistently "carried letters" and "sown the seeds of knowledge" with all their enthusiasm and perseverance in the border area.

Source: https://baodaklak.vn/xa-hoi/202511/geo-chu-tu-trai-tim-2ef15d3/