Literacy class in the highlands

At exactly 7pm, after a busy day of farming and housework, the students of the literacy class of Huoi Pa village, Muong Lan commune, Sop Cop district, gather in class to learn to read and write. Their calloused hands fumble with pens to practice writing each letter on the pages of their books, while the sound of reading breaks the silence of the mountains and forests.

We returned to Huoi Pa village, about ten kilometers from the center of Muong Lan commune. Luckily, it was sunny all day so the bumpy dirt road to the village was not slippery, but there were still some muddy sections that made it difficult for us to move.

The road to Huoi Pa has many muddy dirt roads.

Arriving at Huoi Pa when it was just getting dark, Lieutenant Colonel Tong Van Xum, an officer of Muong Lan Border Post, was preparing his lecture. A few students had arrived early and were practicing writing; some students brought their children to class. Xum said: This literacy class is only open in the evening, because the villagers have to go to the fields all day. In the late afternoon, they prepare food for their children before coming to class.

The class has 49 students, organized since April this year. Lieutenant Colonel Xum shared more: Many students live far from the class, the dirt road is steep and difficult to travel, so it takes 15-30 minutes for the class to be full. Most of them are the pillars of their families, so it is really difficult to persuade them to come to class. With the strong determination of the unit commander, the Party Committee, and the local government, we have persuaded all the illiterate people to attend class regularly.

Every evening, literacy classes take place at the elementary school.

Students are of different ages, from 12 to 51 years old. Many are grandparents, but they still persistently attend class regularly, with the desire to learn to read and write. As the oldest person in the class, Giang Thi Pang has not missed a single class since the class was organized. Pang said: Although the family work is very hard, having to go to the fields every day, I still try to arrange my time to attend class. Now I know how to write, read and do simple math problems.

Lieutenant Colonel Tong Van Xum guides students on how to write.

As for Hang A Thai, 16 years old, she shared: When attending the class, she also received free books, pens and 10 thousand VND for each session. She hopes to learn how to read and write to learn how to grow fruit trees and raise livestock effectively, and escape poverty soon.

The literacy program coordinated by Muong Lan Border Guard Station and school units has provided students with basic and necessary knowledge and skills, helping students initially form general competencies, develop language skills in all reading, writing, speaking and listening skills at a basic level.

Not only teaching, border guards also eat, live and work with the villagers. In addition to teaching students, they also advise on strengthening the activities of the village management board; guide the people to apply science and technology to production, and improve crop and livestock productivity.

Muong Lan Primary Boarding School also contributed a lot in coordinating with the Border Guard Station to organize literacy classes. Teacher Lo Thi Hac, Vice Principal of the school, said: Our goal is that students can perform simple thinking operations; choose mathematical operations and formulas to present and express content, ideas, and problem solving methods; use mathematical language, simple math learning tools and means to perform simple math learning tasks.

Major Lo Van Tuan, Deputy Political Commissar of Muong Lan Border Post, said: Every year, the unit regularly calls for and coordinates with benefactors to donate books and learning materials to ethnic minority students in the area. During the period 2012-2023, the unit coordinated with the Department of Education and Training of Sop Cop district and Muong Lan Primary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities to organize the summary 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 of the literacy class in the highlands of Huoi Pa still have trouble spelling and writing evenly, it is the effort of each student and the "green-uniformed teachers". Each student has the same dream of being able to read and write to better understand the Party's policies and guidelines, the State's laws and policies, as well as how to effectively develop the family economy to have a better life.

Teachers of Muong Lan Primary Boarding School and Border Guards distributed candy and encouraged students.

Leaving Huoi Pa when the moon was hanging overhead, we hoped that the road to the village would soon be built so that new knowledge and favorable conditions for socio-economic development would be closer to the people and poverty would soon be pushed back.

Huyen Trang

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