"Teachers' Village" Phan Dang Luu

(Baonghean) - This is the village named after the famous revolutionary intellectual Phan Dang Luu in Hoa Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district. The village has 120 households, but more than 200 people are teachers, with at least one teacher in each household and as many as seven or eight. Therefore, besides the name Phan Dang Luu village, it also has another "reputation": "the village of teachers"...

Teachers' Village

Phan Dang Luu village, like a giant inkstone, lies in the south of Hoa Thanh commune. While a few high-rise buildings have sprung up, the overall structure retains its old-world charm, with dark brown tiled roofs nestled among gentle green bamboo groves. The Pen and Inkstone mounds remain, symbols of a land of learning for generations.

A corner of Phan Dang Luu village.

We visited the village on a sunny morning, and as soon as we arrived, we heard the babbling of children studying. Mr. Phan Xuan Luc, Secretary of the Phan Dang Luu Village Party Branch, said: "Our village has always valued and prioritized education. This village may not be as materially wealthy as other rural villages, but it is rich in knowledge. The most unique thing is that the village, with only 120 households, has more than 200 people working in the teaching profession. The village's teachers have all levels of qualifications, teaching from preschool to university, and many of them are principals, vice-principals, and work in educational management... According to Mr. Luc, the number of retired and currently teaching teachers in the village is enough to open four schools. This doesn't even include the dozens of students from the village currently studying at teacher training colleges."

In the village, many families have three to four generations working as teachers, with many families having parents, children, daughters-in-law, sons-in-law, and grandchildren all being teachers. Some families even have entire "squads" of teachers, such as the families of Mr. Phan Dang Khai (12 people), Mr. Phan Xuan Chau (6 people), Mr. Phan Xuan Thu (7 people), and Mr. Phan Dang Chuan (5 people)... We visited Mr. Phan Xuan Chau's house, a former teacher at Phan Dang Luu High School, and found him reading. He said: "Even though I'm retired, I still have to read and improve my knowledge to teach the children in the village. After graduating from high school, I put aside my studies to fight against the Americans. After the war, I returned to continue my old dream and became a high school literature teacher. Mr. Chau married a teacher and had three children. Following in their parents' footsteps, his children are now high school teachers and have completed their master's theses. Including his daughters-in-law and sons-in-law, his family currently has six teachers."

Teacher Phan Đăng Chuẩn provides free education to students in the village.

Following Mr. Chau's directions, we arrived at the home of Mr. Phan Xuan Khai, a couple of teachers. All six of their children have achieved academic success, most notably the young Doctor of Science Phan Xuan Hieu – one of the 10 outstanding individuals awarded the Golden Globe Prize in 2013. Currently, Mr. Khai's family is a "squad" of 12 teachers, including his wife and in-laws. Mr. Khai explained: "Teaching is a traditional profession in our village. Even during the most difficult times, when salaries were insufficient, my wife and I, along with other teachers in the village, persevered; no one left the profession. This is the most unique characteristic of our village. Having many teachers makes it very convenient for educating our children. Therefore, the land and people here are very kind, pure-hearted, and intelligent."

Not only families with a tradition of teaching, but also many farmers with only a few acres of leased land have managed to raise their children well, like Mrs. Nguyen Thi Han, whose seven children are all teachers. Mrs. Han said: "I was too poor in terms of education, so I cherish educated people and tried my best to raise my children to become scholars and mandarins..." Mr. Phan Dang Chuan, Chairman of the Hoa Thanh Commune Education Promotion Association, said that currently, there are more than 1000 teachers in Hoa Thanh commune, but Phan Dang Luu hamlet is the most typical example. Perhaps our commune has the most teachers among all villages in Nghe An. Every time on Vietnamese Teachers' Day or during Tet (Lunar New Year), generations of students from all over flock to the village to visit their former teachers, creating a festive atmosphere. The village is overflowing with flowers. That is the greatest happiness of the teaching profession.

Village for Promoting Education

The ancient village of Phan Đăng Lưu, also known as Đông Village or Hạ Thành Village, is a culturally rich area with a history spanning thousands of years. According to the village's Gazetteer of Culture and History, this region is renowned for its tradition of academic excellence, being one of the cradles of scholarly achievement and academic excellence in Yên Thành district. From ancient times, the village allocated a portion of its land as "scholarly land" to provide to poor but academically gifted students who passed examinations. Many families and clans here have produced individuals with high academic achievements across generations and dynasties. Many of them became scholars and respected figures in the imperial court. Notably, the village is the birthplace and nurturing ground of the outstanding revolutionary intellectual Phan Đăng Lưu (1902-1941).

Continuing that tradition, Phan Dang Luu village has consistently promoted education for generations. According to Mr. Phan Dang Chuan: The education promotion movement and the education promotion associations of the village and clans here have existed since ancient times. Every year on September 2nd (before the start of the school year), the village and clans organize gatherings to encourage and reward outstanding students. The reward fund is established by successful villagers to promote the tradition of valuing education. For families facing difficulties, the association provides assistance so that their children can pursue their studies to the end. This is a form of encouragement and motivation that is not easily found for generations of students in the village.

Every day at 7 PM, the village loudspeakers broadcast reminders for students to study; the village security team conducts inspections. Families who obstruct or disrupt their children's studies are reminded, and repeated violations result in reprimands broadcast on the village radio. Thanks to this, self-study has become a regular practice among the village's students. In addition, the village has a Teachers' Association, a gathering place for retired teachers. The association organizes many meaningful activities such as visiting, encouraging, and sharing joys, sorrows, and difficulties in life, and also serves as a platform for teachers currently teaching to share their experiences and challenges.

Because they were born in a village with many teachers and a strong tradition of promoting education, the village's students have consistently excelled at all levels, achieving the highest university admission rates in the district. To date, the number of PhDs from the village has reached dozens. For example, Mr. Phan Dang Dieu's family has three children who are PhDs and currently hold important positions in research institutes and government agencies. Almost every field has its share of village children, including professors, PhDs, doctors, musicians, poets, writers... and high-ranking officials in the Party, government, and mass organizations from the central to local levels.

Mr. Nguyen Khac Duc, Chairman of the Hoa Thanh Commune People's Committee, said: "Regardless of the circumstances, whether in wartime or peacetime, Hoa Thanh has consistently maintained its position as a leading unit in education in the district. Phan Dang Luu village is considered a traditional village of teachers, and is one of the exemplary villages that promotes the movement of valuing education and encouraging talent development in the commune and district."

Text and photos:Tien Dung