The heroic sacrifice of Nguyen Van Nam has been included in a Literature exam.
The event of Nguyen Van Nam, a 12th-grade student from Do Luong I High School (Nghe An province), sacrificing his life while bravely saving five children from drowning in the Lam River on the afternoon of April 30th, was included in this year's high school graduation exam for Literature, surprising and moving many candidates.
In the Literature exam for the 2013 high school graduation exam this morning, question 2 (3 points) in the General section for all candidates asked: "Write a short essay (approximately 400 words) expressing your thoughts on the courageous act of student Nguyen Van Nam in Nghe An province who rescued five children from a raging flood." Many candidates and parents were deeply moved by this exam question. Speaking to us over the phone, Mr. Nguyen Van Dieu, father of the young hero Nguyen Van Nam, choked back tears: “I was very surprised and moved to hear that the social commentary question in this year's high school graduation exam was about my son's courageous act of saving lives. His passing leaves a huge pain and loss for our family. Especially these days, when his peers are busy with exams, if Nam were still alive, he would also be busy with his exams. But I believe that his death was not meaningless. Many students and young people will learn from and follow his example, performing beautiful, meaningful, and humane actions for everyone.”
Provincial leaders present the "Brave Youth" medal to Nguyen Van Nam.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Kieu Huong, Principal of Do Luong I High School - the school Nam attended - said she was very surprised by the exam question and very proud of Nam. “The exam question was based on a current event reported in the press, which happened to a student at our school, so I feel very proud. Nam is a good student, academically strong, and his sacrifice deeply moved the school, his family, friends, and teachers. He is a selfless example that deserves respect and praise. The Ministry of Education and Training's decision to include this event as an essay question in the Literature exam is very meaningful and has high humanistic value, encouraging a beautiful way of life, love, and self-sacrifice for others among today's youth,” Ms. Huong said.
Candidates were moved by the exam question about the courageous act of Nguyen Van Nam.
Reportedly, Nam's classmates and many other students in the school called the teacher to share their feelings about this year's Literature exam. Nguyen Trong Khanh, a student from Nguyen Truong To High School (Vinh City), said: “The exam had three questions, including a social commentary question asking about my feelings regarding the courageous act of self-sacrifice by Nguyen Van Nam, a student from Do Luong I High School, who saved five children from drowning. This is a touching story that we have talked about a lot with the school and our teachers. Nam's example is a beautiful act that each of us should learn from and emulate.”
Many parents were moved to tears when they received the exam paper from their children. Ms. Trinh Thi Thuan, a teacher at Thanh Duc Primary School (Thanh Chuong) and parent of Nguyen Khanh Linh (a 12th-grade student at Thanh Chuong I High School), shared: “The exam questions were excellent. They weren't formulaic or clichéd from textbooks. Whether an essay is good and gets a high score depends on the students' life experiences and genuine feelings about the courageous sacrifice of their friend...”
Hopefully, following the launch of the campaign "Learning from and emulating the courageous actions of Youth Union member Nguyen Van Nam," including the story of Nguyen Van Nam's courageous sacrifice to save five children from a raging flood in exam questions will create a powerful educational and propaganda force that will spread widely to all generations, especially his peers and the young generation of Vietnam in general...
Thanh Phuc - Nguyen Khoa
