Love for the job and love for students is the biggest motivation
Teacher Ha Thi Hien is from Quang Huy commune, Phu Yen district, Son La province. Graduated from the Faculty of Primary Education, Ha Tay Pedagogical College (old), in September 2011, she went to teach at Ta Thang village school - the farthest school of Hong Thu Primary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities.
"At that time, Ta Thang village had no electricity, sometimes no phone signal. Every time I want to call home, I have to run around to check the signal. The teachers proactively collected rainwater for use, and when it was not raining, they had to bring water from the rented room to class" - Ms. Hien recounted.
At Ta Thang school for 1 year, from the 2012 - 2015 school year, Ms. Hien was assigned to teach at Xa Chai village school. In the 2015-2018 school year, she was assigned to teach at Trung Xung A village. "These schools and villages do not have electricity and water, the phone signal is unstable, and the roads are difficult to travel. My female teacher and I have not yet married and have stayed in the village, said Ms. Hien.
Since the 2019 school year, Ms. Hien has been assigned by the school to teach at a central school.
Attached to the school, students, the land at the head of the Fatherland, Ms. Hien gradually admired and loved. Determined to start a business in a place that "detains her soul", she built a family and decided to live in Lai Chau. Ms. Hien's husband is an officer of the Lai Chau Provincial Cultural Center, and the whole family is currently living in the apartment complex of her husband's office. Despite the hardships, her small family is always warm and happy, and now has 2 more beautiful boys.
Teaching in a mountainous area, the school is more than 40km from home, every day Ms. Hien goes early in the morning and returns to her children when it is dark.
Responsibility to bring children to the highlands
Talking to reporters, Ms. Hien mentioned many difficulties of village teachers, but she also mentioned more about the difficulties of the people in the highlands and the affection and responsibility of teachers attached to this land.
For those who have not experienced it, imagine the story of a school without electricity or water as a terrible thing, but for teachers of Hong Thu Primary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities, this is no longer strange.
When asked about the warm memories under the roof of a mountainous school, Ms. Hien could not hide her emotions: "Our teachers love our students like their children, when seeing their clothes, they change them, when their faces are dirty, they wash them, taking turns cutting their hair for them. They never have the concept of March 8 or October 20, but November 20 is a big missed one. Every year, they pick wild flowers, ginger flowers, dance flowers, mustard flowers... in bunches and give them to teachers. Everyone who receives a special gift is choked up because of emotion and love".
loving her job and being attached to the school, Ms. Hien always feels the warmth from the Union. During Tet, teachers often receive gifts from the District Union. Notably, on the occasion of the Lunar New Year 2025, she is the only teacher at Hong Thu Primary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities to receive a special gift: a piece of ao dai and 1 million VND from the Vietnam Education Trade Union. "The gift is an honor, pride and a way to show sharing, I am very happy" - Ms. Hien shared.
Mr. Doan Khac Trieu, Principal of Hong Thu Primary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities, said that the school has 38 teachers (female accounting for 60%) and 545 students. In recent years, the school has received full support policies from the Party and the State, and the attention of the Trade Union organization.
I really appreciate the affection of the union for accompanying and supporting the teachers, said Mr. Trieu.
