Excitement and joy at going to school.

(Baonghean) - Along with students nationwide, this morning nearly 700,000 students in 1,600 schools across Nghe An province officially began the new school year, creating a joyful atmosphere of the "All citizens bring children to school" event, looking forward to new expectations for positive results in the 2015-2016 school year...

Teachers and students of Ho Tung Mau Primary and Secondary School (Quynh Doi commune, Quynh Luu district) on the opening day of the 2015-2016 school year. Photo: Nguyen Ba Phuong

In September, the border region of Ky Son was shrouded in the first rains of the season. From early morning, students from remote villages like Nam Khien 1, Nam Khien 2, and Tham Hin crossed streams and rugged mountains to reach Nam Can Boarding Secondary School in time for the opening ceremony of the 2015-2016 school year. September 4th was the final rehearsal; students wore their traditional ethnic clothing, wore conical hats, and neatly draped red scarves around their shoulders. Everyone seemed aware that today was a special day, so even before 7 a.m., while the schoolyard was still damp with dew and a light drizzle was falling, all the students had already gathered. The atmosphere of the opening day at Nam Can Boarding Secondary School began earlier than usual...

Performing arts are an important part of the opening ceremony. Therefore, from the evening before, after dinner, the girls gathered to practice, and most of the songs they performed had the characteristics of their ethnic group. A week before, teachers and students also gathered to participate in labor, decorating the school in preparation for the opening day. This school year, Lau Y Xong, residing in Nam Khien 1 village, is in her final year. She said that her family has three siblings, and due to difficult circumstances, only she is able to continue her education to a higher grade. This is truly a great joy for the young student... And Ba Lam is a relatively outstanding student at this border school. Lam is the ninth child in a family of twelve children. Although his family is very poor, twice a week he has to walk 8km along mountain roads to school and back home on weekends, but Lam has never thought about dropping out of school. More than a week ago, Lam's older brother received his university acceptance letter, so Lam confidently told me: "I will try my best to study hard to catch up with you and so that later I can become a teacher for the students in my village, hoping to contribute to making life less difficult for my family and the villagers."

Nam Can Boarding Junior High School is located in a border commune, 60 km from the Ky Son district center. Despite the many difficulties faced by the school and the local area, for the past two years, the school has completed the construction of a dormitory building, providing boarding facilities for nearly 120 students from remote villages. Since the boarding facility was put into use, Mr. Dao Hai Lam, the school's Deputy Principal, has been less worried about students dropping out at the beginning of the new school year. “The Mong students here are very poor. Before the boarding facility was built, parents had to come and build makeshift shelters around the school for their children every year. Many students struggled, didn't have enough to eat, and dropped out after a while. Now, we don't have to worry anymore. Many students say that coming to school is better than being at home; they get three meals a day, and the food is delicious and nutritious,” Mr. Lam happily shared...

The new school year 2015-2016 is truly meaningful for Ms. Vo Thi Le Thu, Deputy Principal of Nghi Cong Secondary School in Nghi Loc District, even though it's her first year working in a new environment nearly 7 kilometers from home. Writing to her husband, who is working in Truong Sa, she confided: “I won't be teaching near home anymore, but you don't have to worry too much, because the new school is much more beautiful and spacious than the old one. My colleagues and students here are also very friendly and create all the conditions for me to quickly adapt to my new job.” Not only Ms. Le Thu, but more than 500 staff, teachers, and students of the school share the same sentiment, because this is the first school year that Nghi Cong Secondary School has been recognized as a standard school.

Looking back on the hardships along the way, both teachers and students agree that "this is a great gift" because, compared to the general standard in the entire district, Nghi Cong is a commune still facing many difficulties. Thanks to the concern of parents and the help of the local government, the school has mobilized hundreds of millions of VND to invest in facilities and equipment, meeting the best conditions so that all students can attend classes in one shift... Standing in the schoolyard shaded by green trees and adorned with colorful flags and flowers, Ms. Nguyen Thi Yen, a literature teacher, shared: "Now that Nghi Cong Secondary School is a standard school, we must try even harder to maintain this title and meet the expectations of parents and students. I also hope that in the new school year, the 9th grade class I am in charge of will achieve high results, with many students passing the entrance exams to top schools in the district and province"...

A class session at Nghi Cong Secondary School (Nghi Loc). Photo: MH

This year's back-to-school season brought the earliest joy to the teachers and students of Ho Tung Mau Primary and Secondary School in Quynh Doi commune, Quynh Luu district. Here, the opening ceremony was held a day earlier than the rest of the province, coinciding with the school's 70th anniversary celebration. Located in the heart of Quynh Luu's educational heritage, the school is not only honored to bear the name of a revolutionary pioneer but also to have produced many outstanding students for the locality and the country, including dozens of PhDs, associate PhDs, professors, and associate professors; many Central Committee members, National Assembly delegates, and military generals... Meanwhile, for the children of Sunrise Kindergarten in Vinh City, the opening day was organized like a celebratory event with the participation of all parents and teachers. At Blue Sky School, instead of the morning ceremony, the opening ceremony was moved to the evening, incorporating activities such as group performances, games, and gift-giving to exemplary students...

Throughout the province, this year's opening ceremony for the new school year is being organized in a spirit of "innovation," with a safe, streamlined, solemn, joyful, and economical approach, ensuring security, order, and traffic safety. In particular, this year's opening ceremony, in addition to traditional rituals such as welcoming new students, flag raising and singing the national anthem, and reading the President's letter, will include mass sports performances, cultural and artistic activities, and folk games to create an atmosphere of excitement for students. At many schools, especially those in disadvantaged areas and remote regions, provincial leaders will also attend. This will serve as encouragement and motivation for all teachers and students to embark on a new school year filled with joy, excitement, and success.

Huu Vi - My Ha