People who build standard schools

• October 22, 2014 10:49

(Baonghean) - During our working trip to Do Luong district, we were quite impressed by a typical figure in the movement to build schools that meet national standards, whom many people working in the Do Luong Education sector affectionately call: "The person who builds standard schools." That is teacher Nguyen Thi Bay - Party Secretary and Principal of Dong Son Kindergarten, Dong Son commune.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Bay shared with us the process of building a standard school for Dong Son Kindergarten.

Teacher Nguyen Thi Bay.

Recalling the time she was transferred to become principal (August 2010), she said that at that time, classes were held in the village cultural centers; each village had one class for all age groups; and the principal's office was just one room in the village cultural center. After taking over the primary school's facilities at the new location, Ms. Nguyen Thi Bay led and directed the school to focus on renovating the school and classrooms to meet the requirements of preschool education; organizing half-day childcare; and dividing classes according to age groups. At the same time, she did a good job of motivating the school's staff, teachers, and employees to proactively prepare for building a standard school.

As Party Branch Secretary and Principal, Ms. Nguyen Thi Bay actively advised the commune's Steering Committee for building a national standard school, clearly defining the responsibility for building a national standard school as the responsibility of the political system and the people. Based on the five standards of a national standard school, the responsibilities of each organization within the political system and the school were clearly defined, and social mobilization was encouraged. In the 2013-2014 school year, Dong Son Kindergarten achieved national standard status. Spanning a total area of 5,500m2, the school grounds are neatly and beautifully designed, featuring greenery, flower gardens, and a clean vegetable garden; 12 enclosed classrooms, separate dining rooms for each class group, and playrooms for physical education and sports. The quality of childcare and education has continuously improved, with the rate of underweight children decreasing to 6.3%...

Mr. Nguyen Tat Tay, Head of the Education and Training Department of Do Luong District, shared: "Wherever there are difficulties, Ms. Nguyen Thi Bay's contribution always brings about positive changes." Before joining Dong Son Kindergarten, Ms. Nguyen Thi Bay was the Principal of Bai Son Commune Kindergarten - an extremely difficult mountainous area. With dedication and responsibility, she led and directed the school; advised the local authorities to mobilize contributions from the people along with budget support from all levels; mobilized 2 million VND each from the management staff and 1 million VND each from teachers and staff for the school to borrow interest-free for 3 years to build the school into a cultural workplace, and subsequently, the school was recognized as a national standard school in June 2006. Even before that, at Van Son Commune Kindergarten, in her position as Deputy Principal, Ms. Nguyen Thi Bay also made many contributions to help the school achieve national standard status in the early stages of building national standard schools in Do Luong District.

Teacher Nguyen Thi Bay shared: "I have always been deeply imbued with President Ho Chi Minh's thoughts on the revolutionary ethics of cadres, Party members, civil servants, and public employees. That is, they must demonstrate a sense of responsibility in all the work they undertake; their words must match their actions; they must understand and correctly fulfill their duties, responsibilities, and powers; and in short, 'cadres, Party members, civil servants, and public employees must wholeheartedly serve the Fatherland and the people.' If we fulfill our responsibilities completely, we will surely achieve results for ourselves and the collective."

For the past three consecutive school years, Dong Son Kindergarten has consistently achieved the title of "Outstanding Labor Collective" at the provincial level, and Principal Nguyen Thi Bay has continuously received the title of "Outstanding Emulation Fighter" at the provincial level and is currently being considered for a Certificate of Commendation from the Prime Minister.

Text and photos:Mai Hoa