The journey to eradicate illiteracy in the Si Ma Cai border region.

Located in the mountainous border region, Si Ma Cai is one of the communes facing numerous socio -economic difficulties, including challenging terrain, poor transportation, uneven levels of education, and particularly persistent illiteracy among middle-aged people. To improve the quality of human resources and the lives of the people, the local authorities have made efforts to organize literacy classes in every village and hamlet. As a result, literacy efforts in Si Ma Cai have achieved positive results, contributing to raising the intellectual level of the population and changing the production mindset of the people.

Dedicated to the important task of eradicating illiteracy...

After a hurried evening meal, teacher Nguyen Trong Nam – a teacher at Si Ma Cai Secondary School – set off again to teach literacy at the Sin Chai 1 branch of Si Ma Cai Primary School No. 2. The journey, though only 7 km, was arduous, traversing winding slopes and rough, rocky roads under construction, making the trip more difficult than ever. After nearly half an hour of climbing the slopes, Mr. Nam arrived at the school just as dusk was falling.

Although there were still 30 minutes before class started, many students had already arrived. Seeing the teacher arrive, the students, some with graying hair, respectfully bowed in greeting. For Teacher Nam, this was both a joy and a motivation to continue his work in literacy education.

"Every time I hear the elderly students call me 'teacher,' I feel a sense of responsibility. We only hope that people can read and write fluently so they can serve themselves in life," shared Teacher Nam.

Teacher Nam, originally from Phu Tho province, has spent 11 years dedicated to education in Si Ma Cai and has participated in numerous literacy classes. In 2025, he and his colleagues were in charge of the second phase of the literacy class in Sin Chai 1 village with 25 students, the youngest born in 1992 and the oldest in 1965. The students' journey to class was fraught with difficulties. Floods caused landslides, forcing them to walk in many sections. In winter, the biting cold was unbearable. But overcoming all obstacles, the students persevered in attending class because of their burning desire to learn to read and write.

According to Mr. Nam, the most difficult thing is not teaching the knowledge, but rather motivating and maintaining the students. Most illiterate people are of working age and must prioritize earning a living. Many work far away on seasonal jobs, making it difficult to maintain student numbers. Therefore, teachers must be flexible, create a relaxed learning atmosphere without pressure, and regularly visit and encourage the students. Their advanced age slows down their learning, so teachers must patiently "re-teach" each lesson.

Like Mr. Nam, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Hai, a teacher at Nan San Ethnic Boarding Primary School, is dedicated to literacy education day and night. Her class has 20 students, all middle-aged and elderly Hmong. Due to their limited Hmong language skills, the teachers have to rely on the more proficient students to act as interpreters. Many students feel insecure because of their age and are hesitant to communicate in Vietnamese; some even knew almost no standard Vietnamese before coming to class. These challenges require teachers to be extremely patient and subtle in each lesson.

...and unexpected results

Thanks to the coordinated efforts of the government, the education sector, and the people's eagerness to learn, literacy programs in Si Ma Cai have achieved encouraging results. By 2025, Si Ma Cai commune aims to achieve Level 2 literacy standards for lower secondary education and complete Level 3 universal primary education. Fifteen out of 20 schools in the commune meet national standards.

In 2025, the commune will continue to organize 5 literacy classes with 100 participants through the Community Learning Center... These results demonstrate the effectiveness of literacy work, the efforts of the local government and the education sector, especially in the context of a dispersed population and difficult transportation conditions.

Recently, the commune Party Committee issued Project 04 on improving the quality of human resources associated with job placement for the period 2025 - 2030. Each year, the commune will open 1-2 literacy classes, aiming for a literacy rate of 97% or higher.

However, according to Mr. Nham Tien Duc, Head of the Culture and Social Affairs Department of the commune, difficulties in literacy eradication still exist: People are busy earning a living, the learning time is long, many students live scattered in remote mountainous areas, and the roads are in poor condition. A portion of students have limited Vietnamese language skills, so they are hesitant to communicate; meanwhile, the lack of a practice environment makes them easily forget what they have learned. Therefore, for literacy eradication to be effective, it requires not only time but also the involvement of the entire community in encouraging people to attend literacy classes and to study diligently to meet the requirements.

Eradicating illiteracy is not simply about helping people learn to read and write, but also about opening up opportunities to access knowledge, improving the quality of life, and gradually escaping poverty sustainably. For a remote border commune like Si Ma Cai, it is also a strategically important task in developing human resources and maintaining social security.

The journey to eradicate illiteracy in Si Ma Cai is still fraught with difficulties, but the persistent efforts of the teachers and the determination of the people are bringing about daily changes. From night classes, the light of knowledge is spreading to every village and hamlet, contributing to building a more developed, civilized Si Ma Cai, confidently stepping into the future.

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