Teacher Nguyen Bach Yen Phuong has devoted her life to educating students in the island commune of Tan An, Ngoc Hien district of the southernmost province of Ca Mau.

In her 20s, she came to work in Nam Can district of Ca Mau in 1988 after graduating from the Teachers Training College of Tien Giang, another Mekong Delta province.

Many people asked her why she moved toCa Mau, a remote area full of difficulties, she said it was her destiny, she loves the place and wants to devote herself to teaching here.

Do Thanh Tam, head of the trade union of Ngoc Hien district’s education and training sub-department, said although Phuong is one of the teachers with the most disadvantaged backgrounds, she has made utmost efforts to fulfill all the assigned tasks excellently.

Since she moved to Ngoc Hien district in 1994, she has been known as a skilled teacher. She was one of the two teachers in island communes of Ca Mau to be presented with a certificate of merit by the Ministry of Education and Training recently, Tam noted.

Pham Thi Thu Huong, Vice Principal of the Tan An Primary School, said more than 70 percent of the local households are poor and they usually do not pay attention to their children’s school enrolment.

To ensure school enrolment, each teacher has to meet and encourage the parents to not let their children drop out, she said.

As there remain many shortcomings in local pre-school education, primary school teachers, especially those in charge of the first grade, have to shoulder great responsibility. Experienced and enthusiastic teachers are needed to provide first graders with skills and knowledge to prepare for further study.

Therefore, Phuong has been assigned to be in charge of the first grade, the Vice Principal added.

Phuong said she gives tutorials to under-performing students and encourages them to overcome difficulties  and keep studying.

Despite difficulties in local education, she still wants her only daughter to pursue teaching so as to bring literacy and knowledge to children in the island commune, she added.

Military officer works as teacher on island

Hon Chuoi island in the southernmost province of Ca Mau is home to a group of Khmer ethnic people, who do not receive education and eke out a living through fishing all year round.

“I have never imagined that I can teach children since I was not trained to be a teacher,” said Senior Lieutenant Tran Binh Phuc, who has taught children on Hon Chuoi island to read and write for the last six years.   

“When I got here, I saw illiterate children neglected by busy parents, and this kept bothering me,” Phuc said.     

He asked his superior at Border Guard Station No. 704 if he could try out a class and has been teaching nonstop ever since.     

According to Phuc, he now has 19 pupils attending classes between the first and sixth grades. Two of them have disabilities.      

The military-personnel-turned-teacher knows each student’s traits and background like the back of his hand, as if they were his own sons and daughters.      

Phuc spoke proudly about Dau Yen Nhi, an 8-year-old girl born with Down syndrome: “When her mother first took her to my class, she rarely talked and could barely control her behavior. Nhi is now able to read, write and behave politely toward her elders.”     

He also told stories about 16-year-old Tran ThiThao, who is studying at the fifth grade level: “This girl is smart and industrious, but her family cannot afford to send her to school on the mainland after she finishes my class.”         

Once when he saw one of his students hungrily looking at her peers eating noodles, Phuc asked the shop owner to serve even the children who came without money. Since then their meals have become part of his monthly expenses.      

Before seeking further education on the mainland, local youth learned basic knowledge from Phuc inside a small makeshift shelter without electric lighting. The ramshackle classroom lies near the forest and is infested with termites. Phuc does all the classroom maintenance.     

Pointing at an aluminum bookcase in the corner of the classroom, Phuc said it might be an average item on land, but it is extremely valuable here.     

“We are lucky to get pens, clothes and books from various localities,” he added.     

When asked if he feels sad not being able to celebrate Vietnamese Teacher’s Day, Phuc smiled and replied that he hasn’t been teaching to earn gratitude, but for the children’s future.

Hon Chuoi lies 17 nautical miles to the west of Song Doc Seaport in the southernmost province of Ca Mau.

VNA