Lighting up the highland villages.

The three summer months are a time for teachers to relax after a year of hard work in the classroom and educational activities. But for the teachers at Na Loc Primary and Secondary School (Muong Khuong district), summer is the season to "eradicate the learning season."

The heavy rain made the road from the center of Ban Lau commune to Pac Bo village muddy, with water rising up to the wheels in many sections. My colleague and I had to grope our way through the darkness for nearly 30 minutes before we finally arrived.

At 7 PM, the flashlight beams of villagers heading to the literacy class in Pac Bo village flickered in the rain. The class had over 20 students. Ms. Ly Thi Thom and Ms. Do Thi Thanh Thuy from Na Loc Primary and Secondary School shared a motorbike to make the journey easier. The class ended at 10 PM, and the deserted road lacked streetlights; on many days, the two sisters would wander for an hour before reaching home. The road from the center of Ban Lau commune to Pac Bo village had been widened, but during the rainy season, many sections were prone to landslides. “On days with heavy rain, the water level at the Doi Gianh spillway rises and flows rapidly, forcing Ms. Thuy and me to sleep at the school,” Ms. Thom recounted.

Ms. Thom is a Dao woman who used to teach in the disadvantaged area of Muong Khuong, so she understands the circumstances of her students very well. For many reasons, they couldn't attend school, and over time, they became hesitant to communicate. Some students had speech impediments, couldn't pronounce the tilde, or pronounce difficult syllables like uya, uyen, uyet… She used gentle, guiding methods to help students become more confident and assertive in their learning. Because the students were older and had limited proficiency in standard Vietnamese, she often had to use her "strength" in the Dao language to guide them through each letter, how to read, how to hold a pen, and to convey lessons relevant to their lives.

After participating in literacy classes for the local people for some time, Ms. Thom shared: "Seeing the students happy as they gradually learn to read, write, and communicate confidently... gives me more motivation to complete my task. Outside of class hours, I spend time chatting and talking with the students to better understand their living conditions, customs, and culture. This makes teaching easier for me, and I also learn more about life experiences and practical knowledge."

Sharing the class with Ms. Thơm is Ms. Đỗ Thị Thanh Thúy, an art teacher at Na Lốc Primary and Secondary School. “Working at school all day, sometimes very tiring evenings, but just seeing the students attentively listening to the lecture gives me more motivation. There are days when students stay late to take notes, so I don’t get home until after 11 PM,” Ms. Thúy shared.

Ms. Thom turned on the projector and read aloud the poem "The Sound of Leng Gung Waterfall," and below, the students chanted along in unison. The oldest student in the class, Ms. Ly Thi Huong, over 60 years old, squinted at the blackboard, her voice still somewhat hesitant, but she couldn't hide her joy: "Before attending this night class, I was the only illiterate person in my family. Many times, when the commune or village issued documents, I couldn't read them, which was very inconvenient. Since the literacy class was organized in the village, I told my husband and children I would attend. Now, after 4 months of attending, I can read, write, and do simple math..."

Dang Thi Tuoi is the youngest student in the class. Due to her family's poverty, she couldn't attend school when she was young. Knowing about the literacy class, she was encouraged by her husband and children to attend. Currently, Tuoi is the most agile and has the best handwriting in the class, and has been chosen by the teachers to be a "teaching assistant" to help the older students.

Seeing our dedicated teachers on the podium motivated us to study hard.
Ms. Dang Thi Tuoi shared.

Arriving at the Pac Bo village literacy class quite early and quietly observing the students, teacher Thao Ha, the class leader, said: The Pac Bo village literacy class started in April 2024 with 25 students. 24 teachers from Na Loc Primary and Secondary School are participating in teaching literacy. Regularly from Monday to Friday each week, the teachers take turns, with two teachers teaching each session. This year, the school merged two levels, resulting in a large amount of paperwork, so the teachers did not have a summer vacation. After their duties at school, the teachers continue with their literacy work. Most of the students are older adults, engaged in manual labor, and their fingers are no longer nimble; many have feelings of inferiority and self-consciousness. The female students have young children, working in the fields and doing housework during the day, and also struggling to care for their children.

To encourage students to persevere in their pursuit of literacy, we regularly understand the circumstances of each family and the difficulties they face. From there, we find ways to promote and encourage them to recognize the benefits of education.
Teacher Thào Hà, the class teacher, said.

At 11 PM, the class ended. Outside, the rain continued incessantly, and the students' flashlight beams faded around the bends in the road. The two teachers busily packed their books and put on their raincoats as they headed home along the familiar route, only for their colleagues to continue their journey tomorrow, bringing literacy to the remote highlands...

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