Overcoming difficulties to keep the school and the students alive.
At the foot of the majestic Truong Son mountain range, once a stronghold during the fierce years of the resistance war, today resounds with very different sounds: the school drum, the sound of students reciting lessons, and the lively laughter and chatter of students. In Huong Khe – the land connecting the western mountainous region and the eastern plains of Ha Tinh province – a special school is quietly sowing the seeds of knowledge for the children of ethnic minorities.
The Ha Tinh Ethnic Boarding Secondary and High School, formerly the Huong Khe Ethnic Boarding High School, was established in 1996. For nearly 30 years, this school has not only been a place of education but also a common home for thousands of students from many different ethnic groups and regions across the mountainous land of Ha Tinh.
In its early days, the school faced numerous difficulties. Facilities and teaching equipment were lacking, the campus was cramped, and playgrounds and sports fields were limited. The students were children of ethnic minorities, away from home for the first time, and unfamiliar with the collective lifestyle in a boarding school environment. In recent years, the school's enrollment has shrunk, and the teaching staff is insufficient and unevenly matched – there are too many teachers at the lower secondary level but too few at the upper secondary level…
In that context, the school's staff, teachers, and employees chose a difficult path: compensating for shortcomings with love and overcoming difficulties with perseverance. Beyond teaching, the teachers also took on the roles of fathers, mothers, older siblings, and mentors, gradually instilling in students life skills, social skills, and how to integrate into a multicultural environment.
“ Education here is not just about imparting knowledge, but also about moral education and life skills, helping students become confident, independent, and learn to love and cooperate,” shared Mr. Dang Ba Hai, the Vice Principal in charge of the school.
Having dedicated over a decade to the boarding school, teacher Tran Thi Le Na considers it her second home. Despite the great tragedy of losing her beloved husband to a serious illness, she single-handedly shouldered the family responsibilities while persistently teaching, quietly caring for her students in every aspect, from meals and sleep to their joys and sorrows, in this remote mountainous region.
"To teach these children effectively, you must first understand and care for them," she said simply. For her, a teacher is not only strict in the classroom but also compassionate enough to be a source of emotional support for students far from home.
Preserving identity amidst the flow of integration.
A unique feature of Ha Tinh Ethnic Boarding Junior and Senior High School is its experiential approach to education. During a Literature lesson, the classroom transforms into a stage. Students embody literary characters, reenacting the work with their own emotions. Language barriers and the shyness often seen in ethnic minority students are gradually overcome.
Not only in Literature, but also in Economics and Law Education, the subject is being "refreshed" with mock trials. The solemn atmosphere, with a judge, lawyers, defendants, accusations, and defenses, makes the lesson as vivid as real life. Through this, students not only understand the law but also learn to respect it, develop critical thinking skills, and build confidence in public speaking.
"The students have changed noticeably. From shy and insecure to more confident, proactive, and self-assured," shared the teacher who directly organized the lesson.
In the strong current of integration, traditional culture in many ethnic minority regions faces the risk of fading away. Recognizing this, the school persistently nurtures a love for ethnic culture in students through extracurricular activities: ethnic cultural festivals, traditional costume weeks, folk game competitions, etc.
Students not only learn about culture from books, but also live with the culture, design their own costumes, make musical instruments, and learn about the language, writing system, and customs of their own ethnic group. These activities help them understand that preserving their identity is not only a responsibility but also a source of pride.
From the perspective that every student should be able to play a musical instrument, in the 2025-2026 school year, the school directed the establishment of a Music Club, guiding all students in using the recorder; to date, 100% of the students know how to play basic songs. Building on that foundation, in the second semester of this school year, the school will organize lessons for students to learn to play the keyboard wind instrument.
Over the past nearly 30 years, the school has had nearly 1,600 junior high school students and nearly 300 high school students graduate. 42.5% of ethnic minority students have been admitted to university (including 12 students who scored above 27 points); the first two Chứt ethnic minority students have entered university; three students have been honored as outstanding ethnic minority students nationwide; and one student participated in the National Congress of Exemplary Children of Uncle Ho. Notably, 11 ethnic minority students have been admitted to the Party, becoming a source of young cadres for the future.
Nguyen Tien Manh, a 10th-grade student of Lao ethnicity, born into a near-poverty family, is one of the outstanding examples. Excellent academically and actively involved in youth union activities, Manh dreams of becoming a teacher to return and serve his homeland.
Nestled amidst the vast Trường Sơn mountain range, the Hà Tĩnh Ethnic Boarding Secondary and High School continues to steadfastly keep the flame of knowledge alive. From these simple classrooms, dreams are growing, quietly but persistently, just like the people of this mountainous region.
Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/giu-lua-tri-thuc-duoi-chan-day-truong-son-post761911.html
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