Mid-Autumn Festival, rereading Uncle Ho's letter to southern students

On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the day President Ho Chi Minh and President Ton Duc Thang sent letters to the children of Hoang Le Kha School (Tay Ninh) and all children in the South (September 25, 1965 - September 25, 2025), each generation of students and young people in Tay Ninh today is even more proud, deeply aware of the responsibility to study, practice, and continue the tradition of their fathers and brothers.

Generations of students of Hoang Le Kha School at a reunion. (photo courtesy)

"Each child be a hero"

Documents of the Propaganda Department of Tay Ninh Provincial Party Committee recorded: When the Americans deployed the "Special War" strategy, modern weapons, equipment, toxic chemicals, artillery shells... day and night swept and attacked the South and Tay Ninh. Tay Ninh people were rounded up into strategic hamlets, many revolutionary cadres sacrificed and suffered imprisonment; many children of revolutionary families were orphaned, had no place to rely on, some had to go to work as "servants" (hired workers), very painful.

According to former Head of the Propaganda Department of Tay Ninh Provincial Party Committee Vo Hoang Khai, the situation was so serious that in 1961, the Tay Ninh Provincial Party Committee issued a Resolution with the core content: "For children who are not adopted by relatives or clans, the Provincial Party Committee will provide a basis to organize and educate them together with the children of comrades who have sacrificed or been imprisoned"... The children were taught collective living, independence, self-management... and soon matured.

Leaders of the Central Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Commission and leaders of Tay Ninh province reviewed Uncle Ho and Uncle Ton's letters to students in the South.

Tay Ninh Provincial Party Committee also proposed and was allowed by the Southeast Regional Party Committee to establish a school to teach culture to the children of cadres and party members. At the end of 1962, Hoang Le Kha School was established. At that time, students wore grass-colored uniforms, floppy hats, sandals, and backpacks... When the enemy swept, the students were divided into two groups: the younger group herded buffalo and cows, the older group joined the guerrillas to fight against the sweep.

Documents still recorded that on the Mid-Autumn Festival of 1964, during literature class, teacher Ho Van Quoc gave the topic: "Students, please write a letter to Uncle Ho". From the topic of teacher Quoc, with all respect and sincere feelings, many students sent their feelings through letters to beloved Uncle Ho. After that, teacher Ho Van Quoc selected the good words and beautiful ideas, assigned the students to copy them into a complete letter and send it.

Tay Ninh leaders reward excellent students of Hoang Le Kha School.

Receiving the letter from the students of Hoang Le Kha School, President Ho Chi Minh was deeply moved. So, on the Mid-Autumn Festival of 1965, Uncle Ho and Uncle Ton (President Ton Duc Thang) wrote a letter to the students of Hoang Le Kha School and all the children in the South. In the letter, Uncle praised the bravery and intelligence of the children of Tay Ninh and the South, and at the same time advised: "Each child must be a hero".

In 2023, the Liaison Committee of Hoang Le Kha School - Southern Tay Ninh Province Students coordinated with Chau Thanh District (former Tay Ninh) to inaugurate the Hoang Le Kha Boarding School Memorial Area (1962-1975 period) in Phuoc Lap Hamlet, Phuoc Vinh Commune. The project has an area of ^{​​1,700m2} , with many items such as: bust of comrade Hoang Le Kha; stone statue carved with a teacher's arm; relief; stele honoring generations of teachers and students;...

Engrave the words of beloved Uncle Ho

According to the Propaganda Department of Tay Ninh Provincial Party Committee, although the content of the letter was available, Tay Ninh still wanted a copy published in the newspaper. So two years ago, the image "Full text of the letter published in Nhan Dan Newspaper, No. 4191, September 25, 1965" was scanned from the valuable archives of the Newspaper, and was solemnly sent to the Department by the library information system of Nhan Dan Newspaper, as requested. The letter reads:

Dear children,

Reading the letters sent by the children of Hoang Le Kha School to the two Uncles on the occasion of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the two Uncles were very happy and moved. The children missed the two Uncles very much and were looking forward to the day when the country was unified. Like the people of the North, the two Uncles loved the children of the South very much and were looking forward to the day when the South would be liberated, so that the North and South could be reunited.

…Both Uncles and I are very pleased to hear that you have done many useful things such as: helping your families with production, doing communication work, digging tunnels, sharpening spikes, helping your aunts and uncles build combat villages...Boss is even more pleased to know that you always try to study well in very difficult circumstances, even in places where enemy soldiers are constantly sweeping through villages and planes are constantly bombing schools. Many of you have shown yourself to be brave and intelligent, worthy of being children of the heroic South.

…The two Uncles believe that:

North and South will reunite as one family/We will meet, young and old will have fun together/I miss you all so much/I hope each of you will be a child hero.

The two Uncles, the people and children of the North, send you many kisses and cordial greetings to your teachers and parents.

In September 2025, also on the occasion of the Mid-Autumn Festival, we visited the school and Phuoc Vinh commune, Tay Ninh province. From the instructions of Uncle Ho and Uncle Ton, implementing his thoughts and views on education and training, on improving people's knowledge and nurturing talents, in recent times, the Party Committees and authorities of Tay Ninh province have always paid special attention to education and training, taking care of students.

From a province heavily devastated by war, with a severe shortage of schools and teachers, the province's education sector has now developed in scale. Many generations of students from the school are now key leaders of the Party and the locality!

Students of Hoang Le Kha School performed art performances to celebrate the 60th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh and President Ton Duc Thang sending letters to children in the South.

In Tay Ninh, the high school graduation rate remains at over 95% annually, the junior high school graduation rate reaches over 99%. Many Tay Ninh students have achieved high results in the PISA, STEM, and regional Olympic exams. Tay Ninh has been implementing Resolution No. 71-NQ/TW of the Central Executive Committee on breakthroughs in education and training development, focusing on fundamental and comprehensive innovation in education...

Accordingly, the locality is developing a system and network of schools in a synchronous, standardized and modernized direction. Encouraging the socialization of educational institutions; especially the private preschool and general education system in industrial zones, clusters and new urban areas. The province's education and training sector has also strongly shifted the educational process from mainly equipping knowledge to comprehensively developing learners' capacity, physique and qualities. At the same time, strengthening moral education and lifestyle for the younger generation... as Uncle Ho once wished!

MINH ANH-HOANG LIEM

Source: https://nhandan.vn/tet-trung-thu-doc-lai-thu-bac-ho-gui-hoc-sinh-mien-nam-post910039.html