Lesson 1: The Incubators of Knowledge

(Baonghean) - Coming to education in the highlands is always a difficult journey and leaves many emotions. In the middle of November, we made a trip to remote schools in the Western region of Nghe An. In places that sound "far away" such as Pha Lom, Huoi Phuon, Huoi Pho... there are teachers from the lowlands who are still working hard day and night to nurture the seeds of knowledge. Their presence has become a support for faith and hope.

Introduced by the Department of Education and Training of Tuong Duong district, we went to the house of teacher Dang Thi Anh in Tam Thai commune. Coincidentally, when we arrived, teacher Anh and her parents were discussing with a carpenter to renovate the old house. The house is located next to National Highway 7, much lower than the surrounding road surface, so it is damp all year round, and we can wade through it even before it rains. Gently handing us a glass of cool water, Ms. Anh smiled and said: "After much hesitation and longing, we decided to renovate the house. Renovate it so that the grandparents can live higher, and next year, we can also bring our son here for them to take care of." After saying that, she enthusiastically invited us to go with her early tomorrow morning to Tam Hop Kindergarten, Pha Lom school - where she is working, "to experience the reality".

Teacher Loc Dinh Hoa - who has been living in the village for more than 30 years, is currently working in Pha Lom village (Tam Hop - Tuong Duong).

And then finally, that “terrible” road appeared before our eyes. In the dim light, the headlights, even though on, could not illuminate more than 1 meter. We strained all our senses, following the sound of Ms. Anh’s motorbike to find our way. On one side was a deep abyss, on the other side was a steep slope, the road was a sine wave and constantly had curves that challenged the driver. For the past 5 years, Ms. Dang Thi Anh has gone through thousands of dangerous trips like that to get to school. She could not remember the times she slipped and fell, the times her motorbike turned sideways in the middle of the road against the driver’s will. The journey to her 30 students, who were children of the Mong ethnic group, was not easy.

Teacher Dang Thi Anh is one of more than 200 preschool teachers in Tuong Duong district who live in remote areas, overcoming hardships and deprivation to carry letters to the mountains. She and her husband built a temporary house, nearly 10km from Pha Lom preschool. Every weekend, she visits her main house in Tam Thai - where her parents and younger brother live, and then early the next morning she rushes back to work and her small family. At 6:30 a.m., the thick fog still covers Tam Hop. From afar, the sound of a child's cry can be heard. Teacher Anh hastily stepped on the gas while avoiding the slippery cobblestones in the middle of the road. "It's the sound of my little boy crying, missing his mother!" - she quickly said.

When we arrived, her husband, Mr. Minh, was holding their son, An Huy, waiting in front of the door. The baby, seeing his mother, leaned over to be held, rubbing his tear-stained face against his mother’s chest, looking for milk. Mr. Minh sadly told his wife: “The baby cried all night, honey…”.

Only having time to coax her child a few words, quickly kiss her eyes and lips, teacher Dang Thi Anh choked up as she handed over her baby who had just stopped breastfeeding, turned around, and hurriedly drove away because if she stayed any longer, the pain of missing her child would be unbearable. She still had 30 Mong ethnic children waiting at school…

The school is located in the middle of the village, surrounded by simple stilt houses of the people, but it is always filled with laughter, singing, and children's chirping. For a long time, the presence of schools has become a symbol of faith, hope, and dreams. Pha Lom is home to the Mong ethnic group, with its own unique language and customs. In order for the people of the village to accept them as a part of their daily lives, the teachers here had to go through an extremely difficult process of mass mobilization. Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Ha - Principal of Tam Hop Kindergarten shared: “In the first days of working at Tam Hop, I and 14 other teachers were very worried. We were worried because the Mong ethnic people have somewhat conservative living and thinking habits, and worried about how to get close and intimate so that the people can listen and understand, and then follow. But then everything went smoothly, because all the teachers here implemented the three together: eating, living, and working with the locals, and gently persuading, finally the kindergartens in Tam Hop area all had stable enrollment, 100% of children went to school at the right age.”

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Ha is also a typical example of a teacher in the remote area. Although her hometown is Con Cuong, Ms. Ha has spent 13 years teaching at Yen Na Kindergarten, Tuong Duong. During 13 long years, countless children of ethnic minorities have been held and lulled to sleep by the hands of that teacher. The smile is always on her lips and when she comforts the children, she is very sweet. Ms. Ha is luckier than many other teachers in the remote area because she has a solid support system. “For the 13 years I have been in Yen Na, my husband also brought his tools to repair cars near the school where I teach to open a shop. Now that I have moved to Tam Hop, he has also come along. He has never complained or told me to change jobs, but has always encouraged me to complete my tasks,” Ms. Ha confided, her eyes shining with pride that is hard to hide.

The stories and lives of teachers who are devoted to the profession of spreading knowledge in the highlands keep increasing throughout our journey. Ms. Kha Thi Ty - a teacher at Tam Hop Primary School, Pha Lom campus is also a child of Tuong Duong land, but fate has tied her to her son from Xuan Truong, Nam Dinh. For nearly ten years, the distance of more than 300km from the lowland countryside - where her husband and two beloved daughters look forward to day and night to Pha Lom village - where Ms. Kha Thi Ty is devoted to the profession of spreading knowledge in the highlands - has been growing longer with the years.

Only a couple of times a year, arranging professional work, Ms. Ty asks for a few days off to go back to the North to visit her husband and children. The makeshift, simple room has only an old computer that stands out, also a means of communication, helping her feel closer to her family. But all of it is still not familiar enough to fill the gnawing longing for a full home. Ms. Ty confided: “My job has become my calling, I just work until I retire and then go back to my children. It is very difficult but I am used to it, when I miss home and my will is wavering, I think of my students’ eyes, they are innocent and thirsty for knowledge. So I love them again, cling to the school, cling to the students!”

Each teacher in the remote area has a different story, and each story is heavy with emotions, haunting and heartbreaking. Leaving Tuong Duong, we continued our journey to the remote Ky Son area. Mr. Nguyen Hong Hoa - Head of the Education Department of Ky Son district said: "In the district, there are 1,200 teachers in the remote areas at 167 schools. In recent years, the Party, the State and the education sector have had many policies to pay more attention to the lives of teachers, creating favorable conditions for teaching and learning facilities... In general, the living and teaching environment of teachers in remote areas has improved a lot, but there are still difficulties."

For 16 teachers of Keng Du I Primary School, Huoi Phuon school, the makeshift dormitory made of canvas and mixed wood has become their second home. Withstanding the harsh winds of Keng Du, the dormitory has been lacking in both front and back. The faded canvas and temporary wooden pieces are now termite-infested and shaky. When we arrived, the teachers here were becoming reluctant carpenters, repairing the dormitory to welcome the approaching winter. Mr. Vo Thanh Binh - Vice Principal of Keng Du I Primary School, while walking, confided sincerely: “7 years ago, when I went to the village, things were not like this. Now, thanks to many changes in the State's policies, along with the attention of the education sector as well as the ripple effect of the whole society, the lives of boarding teachers are much better than before. Teachers are assured and confident to complete their teaching work well. Nearly 100% of teachers in Huoi Phuon can speak the ethnic language!”

In Keng Du, on this remote land, many teachers have built their own small home. The simple happiness of a couple has helped them through many hardships. Although life still has many shortages, and the sadness of missing their young children who have to be sent to their grandparents in the lowlands has never faded, the couple Phan Tuan Anh and Nguyen Thi Huong are still somewhat satisfied with their peaceful life. By the warm fireside, Huong confided: “My husband and I have done the ideological work, we have understood everything, we can work with peace of mind. Everyone wants to choose a convenient and easy place, so where can we look in these remote places? We must be proud of our career!”

Indeed, like the message “Everyone chooses easy work, who will be left with hard work” in the song “A forest, a life”. For teachers in the highlands, they did not choose easy work. For them, ending a day of hard work with white chalk and blackboard, they truly have space for their own lives. The night in Huoi Phuon was full of emotions. When we were there, the teachers were preparing performances to celebrate Vietnamese Teachers’ Day, November 20. Mr. Lo Van Luong was very skillful in playing the guitar, Ms. Y Xong had a sweet voice… No one could count how many nights Huoi Phuon quietly passed by with the singing and the guitar, and all the feelings, the sharing, the joys and sorrows just passed by…

Every year, November 20th comes to teachers in the highlands very gently and simply. A makeshift stage will be set up in the school yard, and homegrown performances by teachers, students and villagers will resound. "Sometimes singing and dancing last until 2-3 am!" - Teacher Lo Van Luong said with a smile. It's so simple, but joy and happiness still sparkle in the eyes, because for teachers from the lowlands living in the villages, the deep love for the village, for the highlands' letters has helped them firmly believe in the career of "cultivating people".

Dao Tuan - Phuong Chi