32 years of teaching in the jungle
At 4:00 a.m., from Tam Ky City (Quang Nam), we carried our backpacks up the mountain to Ong Phung's roof, Tra Don Commune, Nam Tra My District - where there is a school isolated in the middle of the mountains and forests, with no electricity, no internet, no phone signal, and no clean water.
Teacher Than Thi Hoa (55 years old, from Bac Tra My), in charge of Ong Phung school, said: “In 1992, when I first graduated and transferred to work in the mountains, at first I was very scared. It took me a whole day to get from the main school to the satellite school.
The school is far away in the middle of the forest and no one lives there. After teaching during the day, in the evening, I have to sleep at someone's house, I don't dare stay at the school.
As a lowland native who came to the mountains to teach, Ms. Hoa only returned home twice a year, during Tet and summer vacation. The rest of the time, she was "missing" and unable to contact her family.
“Many times, seeing children trudging out of the forest, soaked, bitten by leeches until bleeding, but still determined to go to class, made me unable to bear to leave them behind,” Ms. Hoa confided.
After 32 years of living in the village, teacher Hoa has reached most of the remote schools in Tra Don commune. Many generations of students from that time have now become colleagues, continuing to spread knowledge in the villages - a boundless joy for her.
“When I was little, when I saw teachers from the lowlands coming here to teach, I dreamed of becoming a teacher.
Now, looking at the children with bare feet, dirty clothes, lacking food and drink, and having no clothes, I see myself in the past, which gives me more motivation to try harder" - teacher Pham Thi Kim (24 years old, Xo Dang ethnic group) at Tak Ran school, Tra Cang commune, Nam Tra My district shared.
“4 in 1” teacher
According to Mr. Vo Dang Thuan - Head of the Department of Education and Training of Nam Tra My district, although educational conditions in mountainous areas have received much attention and improvement, there are still teachers in schools deep in the mountains who teach first and second graders, take care of kindergarten children, act as "doctors" when children are sick, and act as "foster brothers" who add a slice of meat to meals...
In particular, there are children who are too young and have to stay at school for a whole week, and teachers are like parents taking care of every meal and sleep day and night... Teachers jokingly call them "4 in 1" teachers.
Currently, the percentage of ethnic minority students in Quang Nam from poor households is more than 50%. Due to language barriers, outside of regular class hours, some teachers have to go to their homes to tutor them, sometimes teaching both day and night. At noon, they do not sleep, but cook for them (from socialized sources) so they can stay at school to study.
Despite their dedication, many teachers have not been on the payroll for many years, such as the two Co female contract teachers at Ong Phung school, who started with a salary of nearly 3 million VND/month, have been in the village for more than 5 years, and now have a salary of less than 6 million VND/month.
Ms. Huynh Thi Thanh Ha (25 years old, Co ethnic, Mr. Phung school) said that the school is far away, the transportation conditions are difficult, so the teachers only come home once a week. To stay in the profession, teachers have to eat makeshift food to make ends meet.
“Being away from family and children is a hardship that cannot be described, but this is the path I have chosen, I cannot complain, I have to try my best” - Ms. Ha confided.
