Teachers and the ferry trips that sow the seeds of knowledge

This year's Vietnamese Teachers' Day comes in a very special context: the Party has issued Resolution 71 on education and training, the National Assembly has passed the Law on Teachers for the first time, and is preparing to consider and synchronously amend the Law on Education, the Law on Higher Education, the Law on Vocational Education and issue a Resolution on education development in the upcoming session.

These are not just legal documents, they are an affirmation that education is becoming a strategic pillar of the country, and teachers are at the heart of that innovation.

In the atmosphere of gratitude, I remember my own journey - the winding journey of someone who tried to "avoid" the teacher's career but eventually came to it with peace, pride and gratitude.

Photo: Trong Tung

My first dream in life was to be a doctor - perhaps inspired by my mother, a doctor who had saved countless lives and was considered by those patients as their second birth. As for being a teacher, I… avoided it! Many generations of my family were teachers, to the point that adults always advised me to try another career because at that time, “Writers - Teachers - Broadcasters/Three families combined equaled two poor families”.

My childhood in Phu Tho was associated with meals of cassava cakes with chopsticks filling - a type of cake without filling, you have to use chopsticks to poke the middle to create a hollow space for the broth to soak in. Despite the poverty, that simple kitchen was always filled with laughter from a family of teachers - people who were very loving even though they were not rich in material things.

And yet, by any chance, I still became a teacher, then the head of a doctoral training institution. Sometimes I also believe in karma, in the influence of ancestors' blessings, in the belief that there are things I cannot avoid, and do not need to avoid. Because in the end, I find myself happy in my teaching career. Happy to accompany students, to witness their path unfolding, to be a witness to the silent changes in thinking, in attitude, in the aspirations of each person.

Being a teacher, to me, is like rowing a boat. Each boat trip is a batch of students, a journey of imparting knowledge and lighting in them the fire of exploring the world . The boatman does not expect anything for himself, only that the passengers reach the other shore safely, just as a teacher does not expect anything more than that his students are better than him, better than him, happy with their lives, and if possible, serve the country with the capacity and faith they have accumulated on their learning journey.

The greatest value of education is not only knowledge, but also the "hunger for knowledge" that makes people always want to learn more, want to explore more, want to reach new things.

My father once said: “Education is a notebook without a last page.” That saying has followed me all my life, and has become a motto when I guide my PhD students. I always hope that they do not see a PhD as the end, but as the starting point of a bigger journey - a journey of learning what they love and loving what they learn.

When looking back on my life as a teacher, I deeply understand one thing: showing gratitude to teachers is not only about wishes, bouquets of flowers, or solemn ceremonies. Showing gratitude to teachers is first of all creating an environment for them to contribute, giving them the belief that society respects their efforts, allowing them to "become teachers" in the true sense - not bound by procedures, achievements or invisible pressures; but wholeheartedly nurturing the intelligence and personality of the younger generation.

Especially at this time, when the country is entering a period of strong transformation, when the world is changing every day with new demands on capacity, skills and creativity, the role of teachers becomes more and more important. Resolution 71, the Law on Teachers, the revised education laws... are great efforts of the State to perfect the institution to protect, support and promote the team of teachers - those who make silent contributions but create the most sustainable values. Without dedicated teachers, there will be no high-quality human resources; without teachers to guide the way, there will be no team of intellectuals leading the integration, digital transformation, and innovation; without inspirational teachers, there will be no young generation who dare to dream, dare to aspire, dare to go beyond the old limits.

I believe that the future of the country lies in today's classrooms - where each teacher is sowing the seeds of knowledge, cultivating character and kindling the desire to contribute in the young generation. And so, Teacher Appreciation Day is not just a day of celebration; it is a reminder that developing education must go hand in hand with honoring and protecting the teaching staff. When teachers are respected, education will develop. When education develops, the country will break through. And I believe: Education is the top national policy, deciding the future of the country.

For me, being grateful to my teachers is also being grateful to the fate that brought me to this profession, to the lessons from my family, from my childhood, from the teachers who taught me, and from the students who helped me grow up every day. Being a teacher is a beautiful career - sometimes arduous, sometimes quiet, but always containing great meaning: contributing to the journey of building a strong, humane and open Vietnam.

In this season of gratitude, I hope that society will give more love, sympathy and sharing to those who are standing in class every day, diligently researching, quietly rowing boats full of hope. Because in every step of the country's development today and tomorrow, there are always the footsteps of teachers, always the silhouettes of silent boats, always a torch of knowledge passed from generation to generation - shining forever.

Vietnamnet.vn

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/nguoi-thay-va-nhung-chuyen-do-gioi-mam-tri-thuc-2463216.html