The centenarian teacher from Nghe An and the shirt gifted by President Ho Chi Minh.

I received a shirt as a gift from President Ho Chi Minh.

At the age of 102, Mr. Tô Sĩ Giơu (born in 1918, residing in Minh Thành commune, Yên Thành district, Nghệ An province) has become significantly weaker. He lies in bed, covered with a thick blanket, his head completely covered by a fur hat. Yet, when his two younger colleagues, Mr. Lô Kam Y Hiệp and Mr. Trần Hữu Hy, came to visit, he still managed to sit up.

The stories of the arduous years spent teaching in the most disadvantaged areas of Nghe An province flooded back into the narratives of these teachers, now of advanced age.

Despite being over 102 years old, teacher Tô Sĩ Giơu still vividly remembers the time he met President Ho Chi Minh and received a shirt as a gift from him.

As a child, Mr. Giơu studied classical Chinese with his father, a patriotic scholar. Later, his parents sent him to Vinh city to study Vietnamese and French. Thanks to his literacy skills, he was assigned to work in the education sector in Yen Thanh district. During the August Revolution of 1945, Mr. Tô Sĩ Giơu was a youth leader in Văn Tụ commune, participating in the seizure of power in his district.

From 1945 to 1957, he was the Principal of Minh Thanh Primary School and achieved many accomplishments in literacy campaigns, combating illiteracy, and raising the intellectual level of the people. Thanks to his great contributions to the education sector, in 1958, teacher To Si Giou was honored with a Certificate of Merit as an Emulation Fighter in the Education Sector of 1957 by the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor.

Also in that year, Mr. Giou was the only representative from the Nghe An Education sector to attend the 2nd National Congress of Heroes and Emulation Fighters of Industry, Agriculture, and Military.

Teacher Tô Sĩ Giơu and his younger brother and colleague Lô Kam Y Hiệp reminisce about the difficult times they faced while teaching in the high mountains of Nghệ An.

“I’ve been to Hanoi many times before, but this trip was special. We had the opportunity to meet President Ho Chi Minh, who praised us and gave us gifts—each of us a khaki jacket, and the government donated several meters of fabric. He advised us to always strive in our duties to maintain the achievements we had attained,” the 102-year-old teacher recalled.

President Ho Chi Minh's advice became a guiding principle throughout the working life of teacher To Si Giou. He treasured his khaki jacket like a precious possession, and he decided to sell the few meters of fabric he received as a gift to buy desks and chairs for his students.

Later, the khaki jacket that President Ho Chi Minh had given him was donated by the old man to the Yen Thanh District Cultural and Sports Center for display and use in propaganda work.

The khaki jacket gifted by President Ho Chi Minh was handed over by teacher To Si Giou to the Yen Thanh District Cultural Center (Nghe An province) for display and to educate the younger generation about traditions.

He was a man of intellect, heart, and vision, always respected and admired by his colleagues, both professionally and in character… I remember the days at the Mountain Teacher Training School located in Con Cuong district, training mainly students from mountainous areas and ethnic minorities, to create the first source of local teachers to send to villages and hamlets to teach.

Those were difficult and scarce times. Everything was prioritized for student teachers; the teachers had to build their own houses, grow their own crops, and raise their own livestock to support their work. Even as the Vice Principal, Mr. Giơu never shied away from any task and was always the school's "champion" in production and animal husbandry.

In 1957, teacher Tô Sĩ Giơu was recognized as an Emulation Fighter in the Education sector and attended the National Congress of Heroic Emulation Fighters of the Workers, Farmers, and Soldiers. At this Congress, Mr. Giơu had the honor of meeting President Ho Chi Minh and was presented with a coat by him.

"Those were very hard times, lacking everything, especially food. Many children couldn't bear it and wanted to drop out of school to work in the fields. Teacher Giơu encouraged and persuaded them, keeping them at school. Many of those children later became Teacher Giơu's colleagues, undertaking the work of teaching literacy and eradicating illiteracy in the most difficult villages of the western districts of Nghe An province," said Mr. Lo Kam Y Hiep (80 years old), always speaking with deep respect for his colleague and teacher.

A lifetime dedicated to the field of education.

Throughout his teaching career, Mr. Tô Sĩ Giơu was assigned leadership roles in many schools in disadvantaged areas both within and outside the province. No matter the location or the difficulties, with the vision, heart, and intellect of a teacher and a father, he always wholeheartedly dedicated himself to the common good, to the cause of education, and to his beloved students.

The ethics and intellect, and the contributions to education of teacher Tô Sĩ Giơu, serve as a shining example for generations of teachers in Nghe An.

In 1976, teacher Giơu retired. His greatest asset in life was the Certificates of Merit from the Ministry of Education and Training, the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, and the People's Committee of Nghe An province for his contributions. These certificates, though faded, still clearly show the handwriting, serving as the most vivid evidence of the recognition from the Party, the State, and the education sector for his contributions to the field of education.

After retiring, the old teacher enjoyed the simple pleasures of farming on the hillside overlooking the rice paddies that were plowed year-round. On either side of the gate were couplets: "Books are like fields, no one asks about taxes - The pen becomes a tree, easily bearing flowers."

“These are his teachings, inscribed here so that every time they enter or leave the gate, the descendants can read them and remember them. He wanted his descendants to uphold family traditions, cherish literacy, and strive to overcome hardships to become successful and accomplished individuals,” said Mr. To Si Luu, son of Mr. Giou.

Throughout his career in education, Mr. Tô Sĩ Giơu received recognition and numerous commendations from various levels of government, ministries, and departments.

The philosophies on learning and morality accumulated throughout his life as a writer and teacher were partly influenced by the teachings of his grandfather, the patriotic scholar Tô Bá Ngọc, who made significant contributions to the Cần Vương movement in the 19th century. Before being executed by the enemy, Mr. Ngọc instructed his descendants: “There is nothing to resent in my life; consider wealth as coarse dust, and righteousness as precious as gold. Live a clean and upright life, and do not do anything that would bring shame to your ancestors. At this time, national affairs are important, family matters are minor…”

Remarkably, four or five of his children and many grandchildren have continued his legacy in education, achieving numerous accomplishments in their work. As a successor to his grandfather, To Viet Vinh – a teacher at Phan Dang Luu High School (Yen Thanh district, Nghe An province) – emotionally stated: “I am proud to be his grandson and follow in his footsteps. He was an exemplary, compassionate man who always prioritized education, loved hard work, and set a good example for his children and grandchildren.”

At 102 years old, with 70 years of Party membership, the greatest asset of teacher Tô Sĩ Giơu is the respect and admiration of his colleagues and descendants.

His life has had a positive influence on his descendants, inspiring us to continuously strive to preserve and enhance our family traditions. It's regrettable that, despite dedicating his entire life to education, he has yet to be recognized as an Outstanding Teacher due to time constraints.”

At the age of 102, with 70 years of Party membership, teacher Tô Sĩ Giơu is content with what he has, despite his extremely modest lifestyle. His greatest asset in old age is the respect and admiration of his colleagues, his children and grandchildren, and the affection of his students and friends… Having lived through two centuries, he remains loyal, dedicated, and worthy of the sacred title of "teacher."