Teacher Ian Wilson and his journey to bring literacy to the mountains.

One Monday morning, teachers and students at Albert Einstein High School (Binh Chanh, Ho Chi Minh City) were surprised when CEO Ian Wilson (an Australian, pictured) bought a flock of ducklings from his own pocket.

He designed a pond right in the schoolyard and raised ducklings there. When the ducklings grew up, he would trade them for another flock of ducklings. He understood that the young students liked cute little animals.

During his five years in office, the school gate was never without him. Half an hour before class started, he insisted on standing at the gate to shake hands with each student like a friend and greet each parent bringing their children to school. And on one stormy morning, the image of the CEO personally laying out a mat to prevent students from falling has been etched in the memories of many children, even into adulthood. Many parents still remember him as a companion in their children's journey of growth.

Then one day, he fell seriously ill and had to return to his home country for treatment, much to everyone's regret. However, he couldn't bear to leave his homeland and his Vietnamese students. One late afternoon back home, while Ian Wilson was intensely missing his children, he received an email from Vietnam inviting him to return to work, but this time in the remote Northwest region. He immediately said "yes" because as long as it was for his Vietnamese students, anywhere was fine. Two days later, he was in Vietnam.

The Canadian International School Lao Cai (CIS Lao Cai), where Mr. Ian Wilson served, is located in a mountainous border region adjacent to China. This was all thanks to Ms. Nguyen Thi Kieu Oanh, his former school principal, who wanted to build the first international high school for students in the Northwest region. And Mr. Ian Wilson was the person she placed her complete trust in for the principal's position.

The school is perched high on a hill, surrounded by mountains and forests, with only trees and birdsong. It's about 5km from where Ian lives, and although he was offered a car and driver, he refused, preferring to cycle to school like his students – at 5 a.m. every morning. He waits for the first students to arrive, shaking hands as a sign of agreement: let's experience this together and strive for success. The school is brand new, with few students, but the Australian teacher is very strict, demanding everyone do their best to serve the students. He and his staff personally clean the floors, tidy up, and remove the rocks blocking the path…

He rarely talked about himself or shared his accomplishments; only those around him could truly sense his influence. Ms. Nguyen Thi Kieu Oanh shared: "Through his actions, everyone understands how much Professor Ian loves Vietnam and his students."

AN THU

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