Overcoming hundreds of kilometers, parents take their children 'to the city' to take the exam

The oldest parent in the province

Grandma Phung Thi Huong is 91 years old this year, her hair is white, she walks unsteadily with a cane, but she still took her granddaughter more than 150km from Chau Hoan commune, Quy Chau mountainous district to take the entrance exam to Ethnic Minority Boarding High School No. 2. At the beginning of the exam, the granddaughter took the opportunity to review her lessons with her friends, while her grandmother sat far away, squinting and watching attentively. "She has no one else, she lost her mother when she was 1 year old, and her father when she was 4 years old, and her grandmother has raised her since she was little. These past few days, she took the exam to a boarding school, so her grandmother and several families in the village whose children were taking the exam took the bus to Vinh city," said Grandma Huong.

Parents and students at the exam site of Ethnic Minority Boarding High School No. 2. Photo: Duc Anh

Parents of the ethnic boarding school all came from mountainous villages and highlands to take the exam, a distance of hundreds of kilometers, in some places more than 300 kilometers. Therefore, in recent days, the school has created conditions for parents and candidates to stay free in the dormitory area.

“My grandmother also lives in the dormitory. Seeing her difficult and struggling circumstances, everyone encouraged and helped her a lot, giving her meal coupons so she could feel secure going to the exam,” said Mrs. Huong.

At the age of 91, Mrs. Phung Thi Huong still brought her grandchild from Quy Chau to Vinh to take the entrance exam to Ethnic Minority Boarding High School No. 2. Photo: My Ha

Mrs. Phung Thi Huong's granddaughter is Chao Thi Ngoc Truc, a former student at Quy Chau Ethnic Minority Secondary School. According to her, although her family is poor, Truc has been independent, well-behaved, and tried hard to study since she was young. Last school year, she also won third prize in the provincial excellent student category of Civic Education.

Tired and hard but still happy

For the second time in two consecutive years, Ms. Nguyen Thi Soa (Canh village, Ta Ca commune, Ky Son district) traveled by motorbike to Vinh to take her child to the exam. Meeting her again in front of the gate of the provincial ethnic minority high school when she was trying to coax her youngest child, about 4 years old, to sit quietly, this woman with a hard-working face said: "Last year I went down to encourage my older brother to take the national high school graduation exam. This year, my younger brother went down to register for the exam."grade 10, Provincial Ethnic Minority High School. La Thi Thuy Ha is studying at a secondary school near her home and could study at a high school in the district. But I have to support her wish to go to Vinh to study."

Ms. Nguyen Thi Soa and her daughter in front of the gate of the Provincial Ethnic Minority High School. Photo: My Ha

Having said that, she told a story about her children, about having just borrowed 30 million VND to have her son's nearsightedness surgery: Last year, La Tat Thanh (her son) got 26 points on his graduation exam, plus the bonus points, he could have passed the entrance exam to the University of Medicine. But then, he said his parents were so poor, where would they get the money to pay for his tuition, and then there were his younger siblings. His biggest wish was to go to the military school, but his eyes were nearsighted and did not meet the standards. All this year, he stayed home to study for the exam. Even though I had no money, I still took him to have his eyes operated on so he could have the opportunity to go to school. It was very hard at home.

This woman also admitted that she was uneducated. Meanwhile, her husband was orphaned since childhood, illiterate, and the family has been poor for many years. Despite the extremely difficult circumstances, they do not want their children to repeat their parents' lives, so for many years the biggest wish of the couple is for their children to study well and have jobs: "For the sake of the children, I accept everything, for the sake of the children, even though I am tired, I am still happy" - she added with a big smile.

Ethnic minority students coming to Vinh city to take the 10th grade exam all carry with them their own ambitions, their families, their teachers and their schools. Photo: Duc Anh

To get to Vinh on time for the exam, Soa and her three children traveled together on a motorbike and had to get there a day earlier. Arriving at the provincial Ethnic Minority High School, meeting her son's old teachers, she was assisted by the volunteer team to stay for free in the school's dormitory. Lunch and dinner were also eaten with the students. After this exam, at the end of June, she might have another trip to take her son La Tat Thanh to retake the exam for the second time. She always has optimism and absolute faith in her hardworking children...

This year, the Provincial Ethnic Minority High School has more than 500 students registered to take the exam. If calculated by the competition rate, getting into the school is even more difficult than the top public schools in the province. Not only competing in the same school, students in each district also have to compete with each other, because the quota is assigned to each district. With this rather special nature, only students with real ability can confidently register to take the exam to enter the provincial boarding school.

Volunteers at the Provincial Ethnic Minority High School support the students. Photo: NTCC

Having a child taking the exam this year, Ms. Vu Thi Nhu (Hamlet 9, Nghia Xuan Commune, Quy Hop District) said: I am nearly 40 years old and just gave birth to my second child, so all my family's wishes are placed on my child. I did not have the opportunity to study, my husband and I are both farmers, so we do not know how our children are studying. When I heard my child said he registered for the 10th grade exam in the province, I was very surprised. But then my family supported him and was very happy. Thanks to my child taking the exam, I was able to go to Vinh for the first time. Yesterday, my child said he did quite well on the test, and I hope he will do even better today to fulfill his dream.

To support candidates living far away, more than 2 weeks before the exam, the Provincial Ethnic Minority High School and Ethnic Minority High School No. 2 proactively provided phone numbers, contacted some cheap hotels or let parents and candidates register to stay free at the school. Meals for parents and candidates were also served attentively in the school cafeteria...

These beautiful and valuable experiences have also motivated the students to try harder, so that the exam season, although still stressful, has become much easier...