Literacy classes in the highlands

Việt Nam•05/10/2023

Every day at exactly 7 PM, after a busy day of farming and household chores, the students of the literacy class in Huoi Pa village, Muong Lan commune, Sop Cop district, gather in the classroom to learn to read and write. Their calloused hands awkwardly grasp the pens, practicing writing each letter on the pages of their books, their voices echoing, breaking the silence of the mountains and forests.

We arrived at Huoi Pa village, about ten kilometers from the center of Muong Lan commune. Fortunately, the sun shone all day, so the bumpy dirt road to the village wasn't slippery, although there were still some muddy sections that made our journey difficult.

The road to Huổi Pá has many muddy dirt sections.

Arriving in Huổi Pá at dusk, Lieutenant Colonel Tòng Văn Xum, an officer at the Mường Lạn Border Guard Post, was preparing his lecture. A few students, who had arrived early, were practicing writing; some had even brought their young children to class. Lieutenant Colonel Xum explained: "This literacy class can only be held in the evenings because the villagers have to work in the fields all day. In the late afternoon, they have to prepare meals for their children before they can come to class."

The class has 49 students and has been running since April of this year. Lieutenant Colonel Xum further shared: Many students live far from the class, and the dirt roads are steep and difficult to travel, so it takes another 15-30 minutes for the class to fill up. Most of them are the breadwinners of their families, so persuading them to attend class is really difficult. With the strong determination of the unit's commanders, the Party committee, and the local government, we have successfully encouraged all illiterate people to attend class regularly.

Every evening, literacy classes are held at the primary school.

The students are of various ages, ranging from 12 to 51. Many are grandparents, but they still diligently attend classes regularly, hoping to learn to read and write. As the oldest student in the class, Giàng Thị Pặng has never missed a single lesson since the class began. Ms. Pặng said: "Although my family work is very hard, and I have to go to the fields every day, I still try to arrange my time to come to class. Now I can write, read, and do simple math problems."

Lieutenant Colonel Tong Van Xum instructs the trainees on how to write.

Meanwhile, 16-year-old Hang A Thai shared: "By participating in the class, I also receive free books, notebooks, and pens, and I get 10,000 VND per session. I hope to learn to read and write so I can learn how to grow fruit trees and raise livestock effectively, and escape poverty soon."

The literacy program, jointly organized by the Muong Lan Border Guard Station and various schools, has provided students with essential basic knowledge and skills, helping them to initially develop general competencies and language skills in all areas of reading, writing, speaking, and listening at a fundamental level.

Besides teaching literacy, border guards also live, eat, and work alongside the villagers. In addition to teaching classes to trainees, they advise on strengthening the village management board's operations; guide the people in applying science and technology to production, and improve the productivity of crops and livestock.

Muong Lan Ethnic Minority Boarding Primary School has also made significant contributions in coordinating with the Border Guard Post to organize literacy classes. Ms. Lo Thi Hac, the school's Deputy Principal, said: "Our goal is for students to be able to perform simple thinking operations; select mathematical operations and formulas to present and express content, ideas, and problem-solving methods; and use mathematical language, tools, and simple mathematical learning resources to perform simple math learning tasks."

Major Lo Van Tuan, Deputy Political Officer of the Muong Lan Border Guard Station, said: "Every year, the unit regularly calls upon and coordinates with philanthropists to donate books, notebooks, and learning materials to ethnic minority students in the area. During the period 2012-2023, the unit coordinated with the Sop Cop District Education and Training Department and the Muong Lan Ethnic Minority Boarding Primary School to organize the closing ceremony of 8 literacy classes in 7 villages, with 220 students. Currently, we are implementing 2 literacy classes in Huoi Pa and Pa Kach villages, with 80 students."

Although the students in the literacy class in the remote Huổi Pá area still struggle with spelling and their handwriting is uneven, it is the result of the efforts of each student and their "military-uniformed teachers." Each student shares the same dream: to learn to read and write so they can better understand the Party's policies and guidelines, the State's laws and regulations, and how to effectively develop their family's economy for a better life.

Teachers from Muong Lan Ethnic Minority Boarding Primary School, along with border guards, distributed candies and snacks to encourage the students.

Leaving Huoi Pa with the moon high in the sky, we hoped that the road to the village would soon be built so that new knowledge and favorable conditions for socio-economic development could reach the people, and poverty would soon be eradicated.

Huyen Trang

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