Tri Le 4 Primary School in the central province of Nghe An Province has an entire male teaching staff.

The school has 378 pupils who study at classes located in six different villages in the mountainous district of Que Phong. To date, these villages have not yet been linked to the national power grid.  

The school has 46 teachers who are all male with more than half from other localities. The teachers have to learn the Mong language so that they can teach their pupils properly.

Lang Van Nhan, the school headmaster, claimed the conditions were too difficult for women, so women had never taught at the school for 40 years.

The school is some 30 kilometres from Tri Le Town, but 20 kilometres involves a steep mountain-side road.

Teachers Lo Van Son who has been working for up to 17 years at the school, said that many of his colleagues at the school often experienced accidents on the road to the school. Luong Trung Thanh, the school’s former headmaster broke his legs when driving his motorbike on a rainy day.

Due to the rough roads, the teachers often stay at the school. Only at weekend when the weather is favourable, they return to their home.

The school headmaster Lang Van Nhan said all of the pupils are from poor households. They are provided with free books and notebooks. 

The teachers also often call on the public to support the pupils.   

The teachers also have to come to many households to persuade parents to let their children to go to school.

There is no market and electricity so the teachers have to arrange their own food and then cook together.

The teachers of Tri Le 4 Primary School received an award in September at this year’s Vietnam Television awards.

Teachers drive on the muddy road to Tri Le 4 Primary School in Nghe An Province   

Tri Le 4 Primary School

All pupils of the school are from poor families

Dtinews