“Lighting up” the letters (Part 3): Radiant faith, love...

Construction of Tam Lu Primary and Secondary Boarding School started.

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Education in the highlands. Just those few words evoke so many memories, emotions, thoughts, and concerns. In many places, schools are just temporary thatched houses built on steep mountain slopes, in remote villages. The climate is harsh, the roads are difficult and isolated, and the teaching and learning facilities do not meet basic requirements...

In the summer, the sun shines brightly into the classroom. The sun slant through the palm and thatched roofs, hitting each page of the book, reflecting on the children’s faces. The sun is hot enough to make you sweat, but it is still better than when it rains and the classroom floor is wet, with nowhere to hide.

Winter came, the wind blew into the empty classroom, biting at the skin with cold waves. The children huddled in layers of clothes, none of which fit their small bodies. Their bare feet had bravely overcome the slippery, rocky slope 5-7 kilometers from the school, rubbing against each other from time to time as if seeking warmth, rubbing until their toes were red and sore.

Seeing students in need and struggling, teachers feel sorry for them. But for teachers, "staying in remote areas" and "sticking to the school" is also full of hardships.

Teacher Nguyen Van Chinh (47 years old, Bat Mot 1 Primary School, Bat Mot Commune) came to Bat Mot in 1998, working at the remote school in Phong village - one of the commune's particularly difficult areas. Back then, from the old Thuong Xuan town, teacher Chinh took a motorbike taxi to the center of Bat Mot commune at a cost of about 200,000 VND, which was considered "cleaning out" his monthly salary for a trip. After that, to get to Phong school, he continued to walk nearly 6km of bumpy and dangerous mountain forest roads.

The road was long and expensive, so at that time, sometimes the teacher could only return home once every one or two weeks. All of his activities and those of a few other male colleagues were confined to a small, dilapidated thatched hut, built temporarily by the villagers so that the teachers could have a place to rest.

Despite the difficulties and deprivation, Mr. Chinh is not afraid of hardship or suffering. Like many other teachers who have determined to stick with the education in the highlands, from the bottom of his heart, his greatest hope and wish is that students in Bat Mot and across the country's border will be able to study in a better, more spacious and solid environment and facilities. Only then will the journey to knowledge of students in the border areas be less arduous and difficult. "Only by having knowledge can we hope to see the future, and life can turn to a new page - a bright page of life" - Mr. Chinh often shares with his students positive and encouraging words like that.

Build aspirations on rocks, mountains...

Mountainous - lowland, border area, island - mainland..., before and after those hyphens are geographical barriers, differences, gaps in living conditions, income, access to healthcare, education ... Thanh Hoa has a border of more than 213km, adjacent to Laos, in which many highland communes still face difficulties in living conditions and learning conditions.

Based on that reality, in recent times, the Party, State and Thanh Hoa province have paid special attention, synchronously implemented solutions, mobilized maximum resources to invest in developing the lives of ethnic minorities, mountainous areas, remote areas, border areas, and difficult islands, and cared for the education cause.

Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training of Thanh Hoa Nguyen Van Dinh said: "In addition to the mechanisms and policies of the Central Government, Thanh Hoa province also regularly allocates budget to invest in infrastructure and educational facilities in ethnic minority, remote and isolated areas. Along with that, from May 1, 2025, students in ethnic minority and mountainous areas will enjoy new policies according to Decree No. 66/2025/ND-CP replacing Decree No. 116/2016/ND-CP dated July 18, 2016. Regarding the teaching staff, the Department of Home Affairs has sent a document to all levels of education in the whole province to deploy teacher recruitment according to Decree No. 111/2022/ND-CP of the Government in an effort to overcome the shortage of teachers. However, due to limited resources, investment in educational infrastructure and teaching and learning facilities in many mountainous communes in the province is still facing difficulties, not meet basic requirements".

Implementing the Conclusion Notice No. 81-TB/TW dated July 18, 2025 of the Politburo on the investment policy for the construction of inter-level primary and secondary boarding schools in 248 land border communes, Thanh Hoa province has proactively conducted surveys and made a list of investments for 21 inter-level boarding school projects with a total investment of about 1,590 billion VND. Of which, 6 schools in Bat Mot, Son Thuy, Tam Thanh, Tam Lu, Na Meo, and Yen Khuong communes will start construction in 2025 with a total investment of about 767 billion VND. 15 projects will be invested in 2026 with a total investment of 823 billion VND. After the list is approved, the province continues to closely coordinate with central ministries and branches, focusing on directing functional branches, agencies and units to complete documents, legal procedures, site clearance, contractor selection... to promptly deploy and complete the projects.

“The simultaneous construction of inter-level boarding schools in the land border communes is an event of profound political, social and humanistic significance, aiming at narrowing the gap, equalizing access to education, contributing to the cause of socio-economic development, strengthening national defense and security in the border areas - which are considered the "fence" of the Fatherland. The projects, when completed and put into use, will be a special mark in the education career of the province and also an important milestone opening a new journey for education in the highlands of Thanh Hoa”, Mr. Dinh shared.

These days, the echoes of the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of primary and secondary boarding schools have brought joy to the eyes and smiles of many teachers, students, parents and people of Yen Khuong, Tam Thanh, Tam Lu and Na Meo communes.

The old people said to each other with heartfelt words: “The future of the children here will be different.” The teachers looked at their beloved students with eyes filled with hope.

From his experience and practical educational experience, Mr. Vu The Hau, Principal of Bat Mot 1 Primary School, commented: “The inter-level school helps students not to have to travel far or transfer schools many times, reducing the dropout rate, especially among ethnic minority students. This is a practical solution to narrow the gap in access to education. The inter-level school model helps to effectively use facilities, equipment, personnel and funding. Management and operation are more convenient, thereby creating flexibility in organizing teaching and educational activities; students can study in a synchronous and interconnected environment from primary to secondary school. The consistency in curriculum, methods and staff helps to limit interruptions in the learning process, thereby improving the quality of teaching and learning”.

And the students, the central target of the policy, are eagerly waiting for the day they can study in solid classrooms, eat hot meals, and take peaceful naps in a spacious, modern, and safe school.

Lu Thi Kim, a 6A student at Tam Lu Secondary School, excitedly shared: “The new school has been built, so my friends and I will no longer have to go to school every day; our parents and teachers will not have to work hard and worry too much about us when it rains or storms. My friends and I are very happy and look forward to the school being completed and put into use soon.”

“Each new school will be a place to sow letters, nurture knowledge, light up dreams, realize aspirations; a symbol of the spirit of national solidarity, the affection and responsibility of the Party, the State, and the People towards their compatriots, towards the border areas of the Fatherland”, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said at the main bridge (Yen Khuong Primary and Secondary Boarding School) in the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of primary and secondary boarding schools in the land border communes, making the hearts of every Thanh Hoa citizen in particular and Vietnam in general filled with emotion.

The inter-level boarding schools not only bring hope for education in the highlands to shine. Above all, they are also the work of the Party's will and the people's heart, a beautiful symbol of the spirit, solidarity, core cultural values and precious traditions of the Vietnamese people. All gaps, including the gap in access to education, will gradually be narrowed and filled if the entire political system joins hands, upholds the spirit and responsibility to strive for the common goal.

Article and photos: Huong Thao

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/sang-bung-con-chu-bai-3-nbsp-rang-ro-niem-tin-yeu-269210.htm