Overcoming the mountain peak

(Baonghean) - A few years ago, Mr. Bui Xuan Bac, the Vice Principal of Na Ngoi Secondary School (Ky Son district), invited me to visit the school. Thinking it was only a few dozen kilometers away, I readily agreed. Little did I know, from Muong Xen town down to Khe Kien was nearly 30km, then another 40km through Nam Can commune before finally reaching Na Ngoi. After traversing 70km of forest roads, my body ached from the bumpy ride, my legs were exhausted from wading through mud, and my heart pounded with fear of falling into the vast valley of white reeds.

But that pales in comparison to the 11-year-old student who braved mountains and forests to attend the district school. That's Va Ba Chia from Ka Tren village, Na Ngoi commune. His family is large, his parents are illiterate, and even government-provided rice doesn't last forever during the lean season. Chia fears lifelong poverty, so even without a penny and without any means of transportation, he is determined to go to school and learn to read and write. Before dawn, he sets off, crossing forests, wading through streams, and climbing mountains… in a single day, he arrives at school for the next day's lessons. Similarly, Lau Y Mo from Son Ha village, Ta Ca commune, has walked to school for four years. Undeterred by sun, rain, or cold, he never complains, as if poverty and hardship are nothing compared to the daily joy of going to school.

Students from class 6C, Ky Son Ethnic Boarding Junior High School, participated in the game.

Thò Bá Lỉa, from Đoọc Mạy commune, never gets to visit home or have her parents come to see her like other children. Lỉa's parents spend all year working in the fields and forests, with no concept of weekends or holidays. Knowing how hard her parents work, Lỉa doesn't ask for anything. She only goes home during Tet (Lunar New Year) and summer vacation. Even during long school breaks, when the school is deserted, Lỉa still stays. "Even if I wanted to go home, no one would pick me up," Lỉa honestly says. "Coming here to study and being supported by the government, I've finally learned what it means to have meat."

I still remember the words of the poet Y Phương to his child in the poem of the same name: "Living on rocks, don't complain about the rugged rocks / Living in the valley, don't complain about the poverty of the valley." Each student born and raised on the rugged mountains has not shied away from hardship and difficulty, striving to take control of their own lives. The clearest evidence is their academic achievements. Thò Bá Lỉa consistently won first prize in district-level student competitions and second prize in the provincial-level History competition; he was admitted to the Provincial Ethnic Boarding High School. He excitedly said: "So I have taken the first steps towards the threshold of university. It's not as easy as climbing mountains and crossing streams... but I will be determined to climb to the peak of knowledge."

Having dedicated herself to educating children in the highlands for nearly 30 years, Ms. Bui Thi Hung, Principal of Ky Son Ethnic Boarding Junior High School, shared: “I always tell my students that life is difficult everywhere, and if they give up because of immediate difficulties, their whole lives will be miserable. At least they have the opportunity to go to school, to eat well, to dress well, and to have teachers and friends by their side. Although some students are at a disadvantage compared to their peers due to their circumstances, that is precisely why they need to try harder and strive more. Nothing is impossible. They just need to have the will to escape poverty, to know how to dream and aspire.” Ms. Hung has said this to countless generations of students. She has instilled in these young hearts many hopes for change. And indeed, some of the flowers of the mountains and forests have shone brightly.

Visiting Y Mò in her dorm room, I happened to see the detailed grade sheet she had written in her notebook. Above it was the bolded phrase "Y MÒ – MUS TXOG NPAU SUAV" (which she explained meant "Y Mò – reaching for her dream"). She confided, "That phrase is my 'silent teacher,' urging and encouraging me when I'm distracted from my studies. And the grade sheet is for comparing my progress. Because I've set clear goals, I have to write them down to remind myself. My teacher said grades don't tell the whole story, but I still want my scores on each test to be higher than the previous ones."

Assessing the quality of students in the mountainous region, Mr. Nguyen Canh Hoat, Deputy Head of the Education and Training Department of Ky Son district, honestly stated: “The picture of education in Ky Son will take a long time to harmonize with beautiful colors. However, there are already bright spots that are very encouraging. The State's attention is clear, the efforts of the teaching staff are also clear, but what is noteworthy is the transformation in the students' awareness and their determination to overcome difficulties in their studies. That is truly wonderful.”

Text and photos:Tue Vu