The "golden" hopes of Phan school

(Baonghean) - In early April, good news poured in for Phan Boi Chau Specialized High School (Vinh City) as four students were selected for the national team to participate in the International and Asian Regional Olympiad competitions. This year, the school has the highest number of students participating in the International Olympiad in the last 10 years…

Nguyen Ngoc Khanh (center) at the ceremony welcoming students who won prizes at the 2014 Asian Physics Olympiad.

The first person we want to mention on this list is Nguyen Ngoc Khanh, a 12th-grade student specializing in Physics in class 12A3. Khanh is not a new name in this year's national team selection, as he won a Bronze Medal at the 2013-2014 Asian Physics Olympiad, despite being only in 11th grade. This was a success, but it also put pressure on Khanh in 12th grade, as everyone expected him to achieve a "miracle" like Cao Ngoc Thai and Nguyen Tat Nghia in previous years. And Khanh did not disappoint. His first prize in the 2015 National Physics Olympiad – the only first prize for Phan Boi Chau High School for the Gifted – and his secure place on the national team to participate in the Asian Physics Olympiad proved this.

For Hoang Anh Tai, being selected among the six Vietnamese students to participate in the International Mathematical Olympiad holds a special significance, as the school had waited 18 years for this "good news," since Nguyen Canh Hao's silver medal in the International Mathematical Olympiad in 1997. According to the teachers who coached him in the team, Tai possesses all the qualities of a talented math student: quick calculation skills, patience, intelligence, strong willpower, and high determination. However, that alone is certainly not enough, because "without a teacher, one cannot achieve anything." Few know that, among the subjects at Phan Boi Chau High School for the Gifted, mathematics is the subject that puts the most pressure on the teachers, and a medal in mathematics is something that all teachers and students desperately crave.

Looking back at the failures of previous years, Mr. Dau Hoang Hung, the homeroom teacher of class 12 A1, and the teachers in the team also recognized that "in terms of students' level and ability, Phan School is not inferior to any other school." However, the limitation is that "the school has not yet accessed international resources." Because of this, in recent years, in addition to improving their professional skills and qualifications, the teachers in the team have actively studied English to be able to research foreign materials. The clearest result of these efforts is the achievement of the Math team at the National Excellent Student Competition, and Hoang Anh Tai is the fourth student to be selected for the team participating in the International Mathematical Olympiad.

This also relieved a lot of pressure on the school, creating more confidence for the next phase. Previously, on March 28th, after going through the second round of the international team selection exam held at Hanoi Pedagogical University, Phan Boi Chau High School for the Gifted also had two students become members of the Vietnamese team participating in the Asian and International Informatics Olympiad in the Republic of Kazakhstan. These were Le Anh Duc (11th grade student in class 11A2 specializing in Informatics), who ranked 4th overall, and Ho Sy Viet Cuong (12th grade student in class 12A2 specializing in Informatics).

Teachers from Phan Boi Chau High School for the Gifted congratulate Nguyen Phuong Trang on winning the Silver Medal in the 2014 International Russian Language Competition.

To date, Phan Boi Chau Specialized High School has had 28 students participate in international and regional competitions in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Informatics, winning 5 Gold Medals, 5 Silver Medals, 7 Bronze Medals, and 4 Certificates of Merit at international and Asian Olympiad competitions, with many students winning 2 to 3 medals. Speaking about this success, Mr. Dau Van Mui, the school's principal, shared: Firstly, the school has a team of teachers who are mature in their profession, dedicated, cooperative, and sharing. The school also creates a unique learning environment, so that both teachers and students are conscious of maintaining the school's reputation, worthy of the favor, attention, and expectations of the province, the education sector, and the people of Nghe An.

But there's one thing that not every school can do: the awareness of preserving tradition and "transmitting" knowledge and experience between generations of teachers and students. One of the precious artifacts cherished and preserved by generations of students is a collection of written experiences. Depending on the period, some books are typed, others are handwritten, but all are presented with utmost care and detail. The content includes all the experiences on excellent math problems, national-award-winning essays, or challenging physics problems selected and compiled from international physics Olympiad competitions, submitted to the school by students from previous graduating classes before leaving. This is one of the "secrets" to the success of Phan Boi Chau Specialized High School today. It not only contains knowledge and heartfelt dedication, but also implicitly conveys the hope that future generations will continue the school's traditions.

A new exam season has begun, bringing with it anxiety, worry, and excitement, but also expectations and hopes. We believe that with their tradition and strong determination, Phan School and its students will achieve new successes, further enhancing the province's tradition of academic excellence.

Song Hoang