The headmaster in the mountainous region used his salary to provide meals for poor students.

Over the past few months, teacher Vi Van Tuan has carefully set aside a sum of money in his salary envelope. That money is not for anyone else but to pay for boarding and other necessary expenses for a special student – Siu Long (5 years old), an ethnic minority boy living with his grandparents in the Pu Luong mountains.

Teacher Tuan said that in the 2025-2026 school year, Thanh Son Kindergarten had 130 students, most of whom were children of the Thai and Muong ethnic groups. In the first days of the new school year, Siu Long did not register for boarding meals and was often absent from school. The boy was skinny, his clothes were sometimes clean and sometimes dirty, and many days he came to class with a pale face from hunger.

Sensing something was wrong, the principal went to the house. Siu Long’s grandparents’ small stilt house was located halfway up the hill, roofed with old fibro cement, and could only be reached on foot. There was nothing valuable in the house.

"His parents separated, his father worked far away, his job was unstable so he rarely sent money home. The two brothers were brought back to my wife and I to raise," Mr. Ha Van Pien (Siu Long's grandfather) sighed.

Siu Long does not have a local household registration, so he is not eligible for the school meal subsidy. Many days, his grandparents do not have enough money to send him to class.

Understanding the situation of his young student, teacher Tuan asked the family's permission to pay all the boarding fees and other fees for Siu Long.

Teacher Tuan paid for his poor student's meals and some other expenses.

“Boarding meals cost 18,000 VND per day, 5 days a week, about 360,000 VND per month. He doesn’t have a household registration yet, so I have to pay more than 1 million VND in support fees that he doesn’t receive. The amount isn’t much, but I want him to be able to go to school like his friends,” said Mr. Tuan.

Since then, every week the teacher personally paid the boy's tuition. Thanks to his quiet care, Siu Long went to school regularly and no longer missed long days. The boy became more alert, enjoying singing, dancing and running around in the yard.

“As a teacher, I see the hardships of my students and feel sorry for them. I just hope they can make up for it and be happy and social with their friends,” the principal smiled when asked about the poor student.

Mr. Pien was touched by the principal's kindness to his disadvantaged nephew.

According to Mr. Tuan, before working at Thanh Son Kindergarten, he had also adopted many students with similar circumstances at another school. Many years later, when their families overcame their difficulties, their parents called to thank him.

Some parents, when meeting him on the street, gave him a bunch of wild vegetables and bamboo shoots as a simple thank you. Looking at these special gifts, he has more faith in his profession and the love he has for students in the highlands.

“Because of poverty and hardship, we didn’t know what to do. Luckily, my family met Mr. Tuan. He adopted my child, gave him food and a proper education. My family is very grateful to him,” Mr. Ha Van Pien could not hide his emotion when talking about the principal’s love and support for his disadvantaged child.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/thay-hieu-truong-vung-cao-trich-luong-lo-bua-an-ban-tru-cho-hoc-tro-ngheo-post1798040.tpo