A place where seeds of goodness are sown.

(Baonghean)These are the teachers at the Social Labor Education Center I in Nghe An. It's impossible to count all the silent work they've done to guide so many misguided lives back to the right path. Amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday life, this place truly is a warm home, nurtured by love and sharing between teachers and trainees.

Ms. Van is a young teacher but has 7 years of experience in reforming and educating those who have gone astray, guiding them back to the right path at the Center. "Teachers must develop a suitable working style and be extremely dedicated, enthusiastic, and passionate about their profession to successfully complete their tasks, because the trainees here have a past of falling into social vices, and their levels of awareness are also uneven," Ms. Van shared.



Sewing vocational training class at the Social Labor Education Center I in Nghe An.

Located in Hung Loc commune, Vinh City, the Center has become a warm and welcoming home for hundreds, even thousands, of misguided individuals. The Center currently has 43 staff members, including 20 female teachers. All staff members at the Center simultaneously perform administrative duties according to their respective levels and ensure the education of the trainees. For the female teachers, however, there are still certain difficulties. These include moments of discouragement, such as when each night shift is staffed by only one female officer managing 25 trainees who were once problematic individuals in society.
But it was their empathy, compassion, and love for their profession that helped them overcome everything. Teacher Van, Teacher Hang… still regularly take turns, still confide in the students like mothers and sisters. Many students, after leaving the center and reintegrating into the community, still frequently visit their teachers. Even after their term at the center ends, some students volunteer to stay and do community service, helping and sharing with new students, because they truly consider this place a loving home.

Mai Hai Van, a trainee who has made significant progress during her time at the Center, shared: "During my time working and studying here, the teachers have taught me many useful things, not only for myself but also for my fellow trainees in similar circumstances. The female teachers, in particular, are very friendly to the trainees; they even ask about and share the most sensitive issues."

Being present at the Center truly reveals the significance of the work of the teachers here. This is a unique center where over 70% of the trainees have criminal records, mainly for drug offenses and prostitution, so the work here is not easy for the staff, especially the female staff. Mr. Nguyen Huu Hong - Head of the Education Management Department, shared: The staff at the Center work in a much more specialized way than in other agencies and units. The work is not just confined to the 8-hour workday but requires staff to closely monitor the trainees' daily schedules.

On the other hand, the educational mission is not simply about teaching literacy as in other educational levels, but focuses on social studies, aiming to help trainees understand the harmful effects of drugs and prostitution on themselves, their families, and society. This helps guide them towards the right path after leaving the center. Therefore, for female staff members, the time constraints become a significant pressure, requiring great effort and dedication to the profession.

Besides time constraints, difficulties regarding the curriculum for educating trainees also cause considerable concern for teachers. According to our research, there is currently no standardized curriculum specifically designed for educating trainees in social labor centers; most of the curriculum is developed and compiled independently by the staff and teachers themselves.

...A vibrant and warm atmosphere of camaraderie permeated the Center in the days leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year). We believe that the educational philosophy of persuasion and love will bring sweet joy to the Center and to society as a whole.

Thanh Duy