Vietnamese

Society

A special class for those over 50 in the highlands.

Dinh Tuan • June 15, 2024 09:50

Driven by their dream of learning to read and write, for many days now, women of the Thai and Khơ Mú ethnic groups in Lượng Minh commune, Tương Dương district, a remote mountainous area, have been walking nearly 5km to school to learn to read and write.

Every morning from Monday to Friday, the women and mothers of Minh Tien and Minh Thanh, two villages in the inner part of Luong Minh commune, Tuong Duong district, call out to each other as they head to school to learn to read and write. The photo shows the women and mothers going to school together. Photo: Dinh Tuan

The class was held at Luong Minh Primary School in Luong Minh commune. This literacy class has nearly 20 students from the Thai and Khmu ethnic groups. Most of the students are middle-aged or elderly, many of whom have been grandmothers for many years, but they did not hesitate to attend the literacy class. (Photo: Dinh Tuan)

To get to literacy classes, some women had to walk nearly 5km through mountainous terrain; despite the difficulties, they hardly missed a single class. Photo: Dinh Tuan

Ms. Kha Thi Ngoc (born in 1977), from Minh Thanh village, Luong Minh commune, said: “There are 5 people in my village attending this class. Because we don't have motorbikes, every morning we walk to Minh Tien village to learn to read and write. The distance is nearly 5km, but we walk and chat along the way, so it feels shorter. After class, we walk back home. Although it's tiring, everyone tries to attend class regularly because they get to learn to read and write.” (Photo: Dinh Tuan)

In this class, Lo Van Pom (born in 1986) is the only male. Pom said: “My family is poor and has many siblings, so I had to drop out of school after the third grade to help my parents work in the fields to earn a living. Recently, I heard from officials about a literacy class, and even though my house is far from the class, I decided to register. Being illiterate is very difficult; every time I go to the commune office to do paperwork, I have to ask someone to write it for me.” (Photo: Dinh Tuan)

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hien, a teacher at Luong Minh Primary School, was assigned to teach the class. She shared: “Most of the students are elderly and haven’t used books or pens for a long time, so to teach effectively, I have to use special teaching methods to help them understand and remember easily. My way of speaking and conveying knowledge is completely different from that of students at school, and I always create a lively and cheerful atmosphere in the class. For this class, I also teach according to the lesson plan, but I don’t force them to follow a strict schedule. Because the women learn more slowly, if the teacher isn’t kind and gentle, it’s easy for them to become discouraged and quit. Our goal is for everyone to learn to read and write, not to chase after any curriculum or achievement.” (Photo: Dinh Tuan)

Those rough hands, accustomed only to working in the fields, now write quite beautifully thanks to Ms. Hien's guidance. Photo: Dinh Tuan

Upon investigation, it was learned that the reason these women were illiterate was due to extremely difficult economic conditions in the past, preventing them from attending school. Witnessing firsthand the enthusiastic learning of these "students," the youngest of whom is nearly 40 years old, one can truly admire their dedication to learning. It is certain that in the near future, they will no longer feel ashamed or inferior because of their illiteracy, but will be able to read their favorite books and newspapers for entertainment after a hard day's work, to acquire more scientific and technical knowledge, and to apply it to their work and production. It is suggested that local authorities at all levels should review and support the opening of literacy classes so that everyone who wants to learn has the opportunity to do so. This aims to help people improve their skills and knowledge, leading to the application of science and technology in production, contributing to socio-economic development and improving the quality of life. (Photo: Dinh Tuan)

Related articles

Read more

Tuong Duong Commune

See more about Society

Featured in Nghe An Newspaper

Latest

Read more

A special class for those over 50 in the highlands.

POWERED BYFREECMS- A PRODUCT OFNEKO