The second mother of the Khmu students.

Your teachers are always there to support you!

Recalling the joyful and sad memories of her 18 years of teaching, Ms. Nguyen Thi Long (born in 1977)'s eyes sparkled with happiness as she told us about her young student, Moong Thi Ngoc, from Dinh Son 1 village (Huu Kiem commune, Ky Son district). This is a very special student of the Khmu ethnic group, whom she has accompanied and cared for since childhood. Later, she passed the entrance exam to the Banking Academy with a high score. Now, she has graduated and has a bright future ahead of her.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Long is one of 91 outstanding teachers in Nghe An province who received a Certificate of Commendation from the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee during the period 1982-2022. Photo: Thanh Quynh

Ms. Nguyen Thi Long first met Moong Thi Ngoc in 2007, when Ngoc was in third grade. From the very first lesson, she was impressed by the outstanding intelligence of her young student. To encourage her, she accompanied, shared, and attentively cared for her in each lesson.

However, when Ngoc stopped attending class in the 5th grade, Ms. Long had to travel all the way to Dinh Son village where she lived to find out what was wrong. It turned out that during the summer months, Ngoc had to go into the forest with her parents to tend their fields. The journey from the fields back home was quite long, so each trip often lasted for months. Upon learning this, Ms. Long and her colleagues immediately set out to reach her. After traversing the hilly terrain for nearly three hours, the sight of the small, dirt-stained student motivated her to do something to bring her back to school.

A lesson at Huu Kiem Ethnic Boarding Primary School. (Photo provided by the subject)

And then she decided to persuade Ngoc's parents to let her live with her. Even though, at that time, she had two young children and the whole family was living in a cramped rented room. But she knew that if she didn't act, Ngoc might lose her future.

After picking her student up, she took care of her meals and sleep, and tutored her in math and literature. As a result, the student confidently achieved high scores in the gifted student competitions. This turning point gave her more motivation to rekindle her desire to learn and excel in subsequent levels of education. After graduating from primary school and entering new environments, even though she was no longer by her side, she remained a source of emotional support for the student during moments of weakness or when facing difficulties in life.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Long (born in 1977, wearing a yellow shirt) was born in Thanh Chuong but has been associated with Huu Kiem Ethnic Boarding Primary School since 2005. (Photo provided by the subject)

Situations like Ngoc's are not uncommon at Huu Kiem Primary School – a school with six campuses located in the remote villages of the commune. The school has nearly 430 students, mainly from the Thai and Khmu ethnic groups. Among them, more than 100 children from the Khmu ethnic group have to stay at the school as boarding students due to the remote location, only able to visit home on weekends. Being young and far from home, the teachers are like parents to these children, someone they can rely on during their childhood years.

To build closer relationships with students and parents, teachers at the school learn Thai and Khmu languages ​​together, while also helping ethnic minority students become proficient in standard Vietnamese before entering higher education. Driven by this commitment, Ms. Long developed the innovative teaching method "Helping Khmu Students Pronounce Standard Vietnamese Accurately." This initiative was highly praised and widely applied in the school's teaching practices. With her many professional innovations, in 2012 she was awarded the title of National Excellent Teacher. For many consecutive years, she has maintained the title of Excellent Teacher at the provincial level, and has been recognized as an outstanding worker at both the grassroots and provincial levels.

Recently, Ms. Nguyen Thi Long was also one of 91 outstanding teachers in Nghe An province who received a Certificate of Commendation from the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee during the period 1982-2022. This is truly a great source of pride for a teacher working in a remote and disadvantaged area.

After many years of dedication and effort, Ms. Nguyen Thi Long has been recognized and awarded many meaningful Certificates of Merit and Commendations by various levels and sectors. (Photo provided by the subject)

Reflections after the ferry journeys

For Ms. Nguyen Thi Long, Luong Thi Phuong is perhaps the name that evokes the most regret after 18 years of dedication to teaching. She recounts that Phuong was born in the same year and studied in the same class as Moong Thi Ngoc. However, Phuong's life did not have a happy ending like Ngoc's, but instead faced many hardships because her family wanted her to leave school early to get married and follow her husband to China.

Since her daughter left to marry and move abroad, Ms. Long has been constantly heartbroken remembering her kind and gentle student. Even at a young age, she always knew how to behave and bring joy to those around her. The day her daughter left for China with her husband was also the day Ms. Long cried a great deal.

After years of losing contact, a great joy came to her in 2021 when, through social media, Phuong contacted her. Knowing that her student was still healthy, she was very happy. However, that happiness could not prevent her from feeling regretful for not being able to keep her student in school, and for her future.

Recalling her former student Luong Thi Phuong, Ms. Long couldn't hold back her tears. Photo: Thanh Quynh

"The Khmu people live off the forest, so their trips to the fields can last for months. Poverty and hardship tightly restrict their thinking, so few people pay attention to their children's education. They lack enough food, clothing, and even books, so sometimes teachers have to use their meager savings to support the children. Now, society has developed, and the children receive more attention and support from various levels of government and philanthropists, but bridging the gap is not easy. That is also the concern of the teachers here," Ms. Long confided.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Long and her colleagues are still striving every day to bring literacy closer to the students. Although many hardships and difficulties lie ahead, they always possess an boundless love for their profession, as Ms. Long shared: "We always encourage our students to focus on their studies, because behind them, there are always their teachers!"