Young couple 'guarding' a school together

(Baonghean.vn) - Always jokingly saying that both husband and wife are "guarding" at Tham Tham school (Nhon Mai Primary School, Nhon Mai commune, Tuong Duong district), teacher Kim Thi Minh and her husband, teacher Kha Van May, have spent nearly 10 years living in the village, spreading knowledge in this difficult land.

A classroom with different groups of students and Ms. Minh and Mr. May teaching together.

Located in the middle of the mountain, it's just autumn, but teachers and students at Tham Tham school (Nhon Mai Primary School, Nhon Mai commune, Tuong Duong district) have to carry with them life jackets and scarves to wear when the wind changes.

Ms. Kim Thi Minh (born in 1980) said that because the weather here changes so erratically, even though she and her husband have been living here for nearly a decade, they still "don't understand" the weather in this land. "It's like there are 4 seasons in one day, it's sunny but when the wind changes it's as cold as winter" - Ms. Minh said.

Tham Tham school consists of only two makeshift classrooms built by the local people from makeshift wooden planks. This is also where Ms. Minh and her husband, Mr. Kha Van May, have been teaching for the past years.

This school has 5 classes with 25 students, the wife is in charge of classes 1, 2, 3 while the husband is in charge of classes 4 and 5. Talking about his students, Mr. May excitedly said that up to now, in the area, there are no more students dropping out of school to work in the fields. A newly paved road has also been built across the school, making it easier for students to get to school.

Teacher Kim Thi Minh has been living with her husband in Nhon Mai commune (Tuong Duong) for nearly 10 years.

Ms. Minh said that 8 years ago, Mr. May and his wife were both teachers at Nhon Mai Primary School and were assigned to this school in the village. Although the first days were very difficult, being assigned to work at the same school with her husband was an advantage for Ms. Minh. Because if she had gone to this school alone, she probably wouldn't have been able to stay. "It was very difficult. If we wanted to go to school, my husband and I could only walk. Luckily, my husband helped us and shared with us, so we overcame everything together," Ms. Minh said, adding that their love for the profession and their love for the students helped the young couple overcome everything and stay determined to stay with the students.

Teacher Kim Thi Minh corrects her students' handwriting.

To achieve the results she has today, this 36-year-old female teacher and her husband had to use every method to both convey knowledge and love to the children. According to Ms. Minh, for students in the highlands, their education often stops at knowing how to read and write, many families only care about farming, so before teaching the children, she and her husband had to go to each house, confide in the parents' families to discuss the importance of studying. The classroom here is also very special, when the teacher has to take charge of 3 classes at the same time even though the number of students is very small. In each classroom, each class has desks facing a different direction. During the same teaching session, teachers constantly change positions to implement different curriculums for each class.

“There are no more students dropping out of school, but the facilities here are so degraded that it is very difficult for the students. Every time it rains, we have to force the students to sit in a corner because water leaks everywhere. In the cold season, we have to light a fire and sit around it to study,” said Ms. Minh.

Trinh An