Story of the first female principal in Nghe An

(Baonghean.vn) - She said she loved teaching since she was a child, and even later, when she grew up with many future career choices, she still firmly believed in the profession of educating people. That steadfast belief anchored her amidst many storms and difficulties on the path of spreading knowledge.

Former female teacher Nguyen Thi Hoai Thanh with her nephew, a third-year student at the Faculty of English - Vinh University of Education

Peacefully located on Nguyen Thi Dinh Street (Block 14, Quang Trung Ward, Vinh City) is the home of teacher Nguyen Thi Hoai Thanh's family. The former teacher is now in her 80s, but her quick wit and elegance are still evident in her every gesture and in her clear yet tactful way of speaking.

Teacher Hoai Thanh smiled softly and said that after decades of teaching, the only thing she kept in mind and always reminded her children and grandchildren was to maintain the pure ethics of the profession. "All titles and honors will eventually pass away, the only "golden list" that remains is the gratitude in the hearts of generations of students." - teacher Hoai Thanh confided.

The former teacher was clear-headed and slowly told the story of his life and career. The story of his childhood, living a strict life in the rites of a family with a Confucian tradition in Nghi Trung (Nghi Loc); the story of female student Nguyen Thi Hoai Thanh, at the age of eighteen or twenty, with the responsibility of the Head of the Youth Union, waving the patriotic flag high on all the country roads; the story of enduring bombs and bullets, studying at the Faculty of Literature, Intermediate Pedagogical School of Lien Khu 4 in the harsh evacuation conditions in Bach Ngoc (Do Luong)...

After graduating from the Inter-Zone 4 Intermediate Pedagogical School, she was assigned by the province to teach at Vinh High School (now Huynh Thuc Khang High School). During her 3 years on the podium, hundreds of essays and poems were still sung with passion, despite the bombs and bullets of the fierce war days.

In 1951, facing the harsh conditions of the war, the Provincial Party Committee decided to establish Le Hong Phong High School (Hung Nguyen) to ensure the quality and safety of teaching and learning for children in Hung Nguyen and neighboring areas. Teacher Nguyen Thi Hoai Thanh was trusted with the responsibility of being the head of the new school.

“Being a principal at a young age, and being a woman, the role of managing a newly established school had many difficulties. But fortunately, all were overcome thanks to the solidarity and support of colleagues, people and students.” – teacher Hoai Thanh recalled. In her memory, there is still the intact image of teachers and students wading through flood waters, picking up notebooks, tears in her eyes exposing old pages whose ink had faded in the silver water; the days of drought gleaning rice in the cracked rice fields, in the evenings still lit by the dim light of oil lamps preparing lesson plans, going to each house to tutor weak students…

She said that no poem could describe the hardships of those days, but it did not extinguish the passion for teaching, but on the contrary, it only brightened the will and virtue of her and her colleagues. After going through the difficult days of the "opening of the country" period, in 1965, teacher Nguyen Thi Hoai Thanh was transferred to become the Principal of Le Viet Thuat High School. In 1977, she continued to take on the role of head of Huynh Thuc Khang High School until her retirement in 1988.

Leaving the podium, but for teacher Hoai Thanh, there is still passion, concern and enthusiasm for the career of educating people. She shared that the luckiest thing for her is always being able to live in a pedagogical environment, not only when working at school, but also in her cozy home. Her life partner is also a respected teacher of many generations of students in Vinh city, and especially, the 4 children and 1 grandchild of the teacher are still continuing the noble career of educating people of their parents.

Teacher Nguyen Thi Hoai Thanh also worked as the Party Secretary of the residential block for 15 years, and became a core member of the movement to encourage learning and talent. Children from families with difficult circumstances in the area were sought out and helped by her and the block's executive committee. Having devoted her whole life to the career of educating people, Ms. Hoai Thanh said that this was her luckiest and proudest opportunity.

Thanh Quynh - Phuong Chi