The commune has over 700 teachers in Nghe An province.

(Baonghean.vn) - For generations, Quynh Doi commune, Quynh Luu district, has been known as one of the villages with the richest tradition of learning in Nghe An province. In this area, teaching is considered a traditional profession.

"Proud of Associate Professor Van Nhu Cuong - an outstanding son of Quynh village."

"Phan Dang Luu Teacher's Village"

Visiting Quynh Doi commune, known as one of the most academically-oriented areas in Nghe An province, and also the region with the highest number of teachers in the entire district, Mr. Ho Trung Trinh - Secretary of the Party branch of Hamlet 3 - said: "Quynh Doi is a land of studious people, with many children achieving academic success. Currently, there are many successful people in the hamlet, but mainly in the teaching profession. The hamlet has 210 households with 550 inhabitants, of which 94 are teachers, 18 of whom have retired."

The gate of Quynh Doi village. Archival photo.

The people of Quynh Doi explain that the reason why the villagers of Quynh took up teaching is because in 1940, the first teacher was Duong Van Khai, a founding meritorious official during the Le Loi era, who came to the village to teach. Under the tutelage of Teacher Duong Van Khai, many people passed examinations and became officials. From then on, life became less difficult and arduous compared to manual labor.

With the belief that "Education leads to knowledge, and knowledge only fuels a desire to learn," people in the village, rich or poor, strive to go to school. Some families in Hamlet 3 have had two to three generations working as teachers, and some families even have five to seven members who are educators.

The family of Mr. Nguyen Ba Nghinh (82 years old) and Ms. Ho Thi Quyen (78 years old) are retired teachers. Previously, Mr. Nghinh was the principal at Quynh Thanh Primary School, while Ms. Quyen was a teacher at Quynh Doi Primary School.

Even after retirement, the teachers remain passionate about education. They constantly remind and guide their children and grandchildren to study hard and pursue careers in teaching. Currently, out of their five children, three are teachers working in schools both within and outside the commune.

In Quynh Doi, families with multiple generations dedicated to teaching, like the families of teacher Nghinh and teacher Quyen, are not uncommon. Notable examples include the family of the late teacher Ho Sy Quy, with 13 members, and the family of teacher Phan Huu Hoan, with 7 members who are all teachers.

The tradition of studiousness and academic excellence among the people of Quynh village has been passed down from generation to generation. Photo: Viet Hung

According to the document "Education and Examinations" of Quynh village, preliminary estimates for the 470 years of Confucianism in Quynh Doi show that 521 people passed the Tú Tài (Bachelor's degree) examination, 203 passed the Cử Nhân (Master's degree) examination, and 958 successful candidates in 116 examinations. Many of those who passed the examinations went on to teach, thus forming a class of people known as "teachers" (Thầy Đồ). The teachers of Quynh village constituted a significant portion of the traditional teachers of Nghe An province.

From 1919 to the present, the number of teachers in Quynh village has reached 718, the largest number in the district and province. Currently, teachers from Quynh Doi teach at over 30 universities and 8 colleges throughout the country, with the school having the most teachers having 5. To date, the entire commune has 5 professors, including 3 brothers; 9 associate professors; and 120 doctors and masters.

The number of current primary and secondary school teachers in the locality is 218, while the number of retired teachers from 1993 to 2014 is 219. The teachers, both past and present, have contributed to the humane character of Quynh village – a cultural village in a heroic commune.

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Quy, Chairman of the Quynh Doi Commune's Education Promotion Association, said: "Quynh Doi village is a village where education is considered a profession. The teachers of the past and teachers of today regard their teaching as a responsibility to cultivate future generations."

The local government is very concerned about education. Every year, the "Excellent Teaching" emulation movement is maintained, and schools in the commune consistently achieve the title of outstanding advanced school, leading the district. To continue the pursuit of education for the younger generation, every year on the second day of the Lunar New Year, the Commune's Education Promotion Association organizes a spring writing ceremony. This ceremony is held to help the younger generation remember their roots and express gratitude to their ancestors who built their homeland. Through this, they are encouraged to emulate their example, follow in their footsteps, and strive to become useful members of society, worthy of the folk verse: "Our village has many scholars / Like trees on the mountain, like kites in the sky."

Viet Hung