Honoring 80 teachers who crossed mountains to preserve knowledge for students and people in border areas

From makeshift classrooms in the middle of the forest to lunches with only men men, 80 teachers in border areas were honored for their persistent journey of nurturing knowledge and lighting hope for their students.

"Green uniform teacher" Ho Van Huu at the meeting on the afternoon of November 13 - Photo: NGUYEN BAO

During a meeting with 80 teachers working in 248 communes, wards, and border special zones on the afternoon of November 13 in Hanoi , Mr. Le Quan - Deputy Minister of Education and Training - affirmed that teachers are the flame that lights up the belief and desire to learn and are living proof of the spirit of love for the profession, dedication, and humanity of the teaching profession.

Among the 80 teachers honored at the Sharing with Teachers 2025 program, there are 36 teachers who are ethnic minorities representing 18 different ethnic groups and 12 teachers wearing green uniforms.

One day, when an elderly woman timidly raised her hand to the board and wrote her name, I felt my eyes sting.

Lieutenant Colonel CU BA PO (My Ly Border Guard Station, Nghe An Provincial Border Guard Command)

The teacher in green uniform

Faced with the thirst for knowledge of the people in the highlands, border and island areas, many soldiers at the border posts have taken on additional teaching duties. Among them is Lieutenant Colonel Cu Ba Po, 47 years old, working at My Ly Border Post, Nghe An Provincial Border Guard Command.

Lieutenant Colonel Cu Ba Po said he used to think that his mission was to patrol and protect the border, keeping the country peaceful. But when the Party Committee and the unit command assigned him to participate in the work of eliminating illiteracy in Pieng Vai village, My Ly commune, he understood more deeply the mission of a border guard: to bring the light of knowledge to places in need, sowing seeds of hope in the midst of steep mountains and forests.

The classroom of the "green uniform teacher" is just a makeshift house, with patchwork tables and chairs, and light provided only by a few weak bulbs or oil lamps during power outages. The students are adults in the village, mainly Mong ethnic people, who have never been to school and whose common language is limited.

Many old men and women over 60 years old, their hands shaking but still trying to write each letter carefully. There are mothers carrying their children on their backs, holding pens in their hands, learning each letter. There are even children studying while looking after their younger siblings, but still attentively following every word.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Po, the journey to Pieng Vai village is not an easy one. To get to the village, teachers have to cross steep and dangerous mountain passes, sometimes walking for kilometers across streams and forests. In the rainy season, the ground is as soft as mud, making every step slippery. There are days when it is dark and they arrive at the school with their heavy backpacks soaked and their clothes covered in mud.

"Strangely, in the midst of fatigue and cold, I felt warmed up when I saw my classmates already sitting and waiting, their eyes shining as if welcoming something very sacred. One day, when an elderly woman timidly raised her hand to the board and wrote her name, I felt my eyes sting.

She smiled and said, "I never thought I could write my name on paper. Now I can, thank you soldiers!" For me, that is the greatest reward after so many hard days," Lieutenant Colonel Po said.

Similarly, Captain Ho Van Huu, working at Ba Tang Border Guard Station, Quang Tri , said that through screening, the rate of re-illiteracy among women members in the area is quite high, especially in A Doi Do village, A Doi commune. In October 2021, Captain Huu directly advised the station command to develop a plan, coordinate with the People's Committee of the commune, and the Women's Union of A Doi commune to conduct a survey, make a list and mobilize women to participate in "illiteracy eradication" classes.

After many years of implementation, a total of 7 classes with 190 students have been opened. Captain Huu, along with staff from the mass mobilization team and some officials from the A Doi Commune Women's Union, directly teach the classes. Classes are held in the evening, 3-4 sessions per week, and the classes last 6 months.

After completing the "illiteracy eradication" classes, in March 2023, the green-uniformed teacher continued to be trusted by the unit and locality to continue coordinating with local schools and the Women's Union of the two communes to review and open two "illiteracy eradication" classes for 115 students (women's union members, youth...).

The special role of teachers

Mr. Le Quan - Deputy Minister of Education and Training - said that developing education and training in difficult areas, especially in mountainous, border and island areas, requires the special role of teachers.

Among the 80 teachers honored this time, 36 are ethnic minority teachers representing 18 different ethnic groups, and 12 are wearing green uniforms. The oldest is Ms. Tran Thi Thao, 56 years old, from Lai Chau. The youngest is Ms. Tuoi, 28 years old, from Tuyen Quang.

According to Mr. Quan, in current activities, the ministry is implementing priority policies in education for ethnic minorities and disadvantaged areas. Through surveys, it shows that learning conditions, opportunities related to employment and higher education still have many difficulties and challenges.

There is an alarmingly high rate of 9th grade students in remote areas dropping out of school and not continuing their studies. Many of them also go to work in the cities in areas such as restaurants and construction sites. There is also a shortage of local jobs.

According to Mr. Quan, in the near future, there needs to be a policy to pay attention to this group. The construction of centralized, inter-level boarding schools, and education at the high school level also needs to have innovations to have more streaming and career guidance to train talents for students in mountainous areas, and vocational training so that they can have jobs on the spot, and their livelihoods are linked to jobs that stay in the area.

Worrying about meals with men men of students in mountainous areas

At the Sharing with Teachers 2025 program held in Hanoi on the afternoon of November 13, many teachers also shared their emotions and concerns about the lunches of students in mountainous areas.

Ms. Giang Thi Tuyen - Phu Lung Primary School, Bach Dich Commune, Tuyen Quang Province - said that the school is a border school in a remote area of ​​the province, but since 2020, the school no longer has a boarding system for students.

According to her, there is no longer a boarding system, students have to take care of their own lunch, books and learning equipment. But in fact, 100% of the school's students are ethnic minorities. The circumstances of the majority of students are very difficult.

"The children's houses are too far from school and they have to bring their lunch to class. Looking at their lunch boxes, I was deeply moved because they were so simple. Some children only had a little white rice, some did not have white rice but had men men and a little vegetable soup. There was nothing fresh food," Ms. Tuyen said, adding that currently 100% of teachers had to stay in rented accommodation because there was no boarding area for teachers.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/vinh-danh-80-thay-co-vuot-nui-giu-con-chu-cho-hoc-tro-va-ba-con-vung-bien-20251114085122847.htm