As a front island, Tran Island, known as the "Truong Sa" of the Northeast region of the Fatherland, belongs to Co To Special Zone, Quang Ninh Province.
In the 2025-2026 school year, Tran Island Inter-level School has 8 students, including 7 primary school students (grade 1,3,4,5) and 1 preschool child.
To prepare for the new school year, the 3 teachers in charge have traveled the waves by boat to the island many days ago, bringing books, school supplies and excitement before the opening day.
This school year, Ms. Pham Thi Hoa and Ms. Le Thi Mai Linh - two volunteer teachers on the island - brought their son, one in grade 3 and one in grade 5, to study with friends on the island. This not only helps students make more friends, but also shows the attachment of teachers to the career of sowing words at the beginning of the wave.
"I took my child to the island to study so that he could be close to his mother, convenient to pair up, and at the same time help him experience life in the sea and islands, help him practice independence, share difficulties and love the land of the Fatherland more" - Ms. Linh said.
When she and her colleagues went to Tran Island to teach in the 2025-2026 school year, teacher Pham Thi Hoa was very moved to receive help and clearly felt the solidarity and attachment of the army and people on the island.
"As soon as we set foot on the island, we received the attention and enthusiastic help of the people, the Village Chief and the armed forces. From supporting the transportation of belongings, arranging accommodation, to joining hands to clean up schools, all make us feel close and feel secure in teaching" - Ms. Hoa shared.
Seeds of knowledge in the open
Besides the two teachers Pham Thi Hoa and Le Thi Mai Linh, Ms. Mai Thi Loan - a preschool teacher, who has been attached to the school since the previous school year - continued to volunteer to stay on Tran Island for another school year.
The class has only one teacher, one student, the conditions are still lacking, the travel is difficult, but seeing the students studying carefully, hoping to get to class every day, I find all the hard work worth it Ms. Loan confided.
The school on Tran Island is not large, with only a few classrooms, the number of students is small, but each student here carries the expectations of the family and the trust of the island.
"This school year, my daughter started her first grade right on the island. The family was very excited because the school was complete, clean, and had the attention of teachers and soldiers. The people of Tran Island have full faith in the teachers. We hope that our children will study well, be fruitful, grow up to be built, and preserve their homeland's sea and islands, said Ms. Hoang Thi Quang, a resident of Tran Island.
The opening ceremony of the 2025-2026 school year on Tran Island will take place tomorrow morning, September 5, at a small school in the middle of the ocean. In recent days, teachers have been busy arranging tables and chairs, hanging banners, cleaning every corner of classrooms, tables and chairs, toys for children and decorating boards, bustlingly welcoming the new school year.
"We hope to bring you a joyful, meaningful and safe opening day" - Ms. Le Thi Bich Ngoc - Vice Principal of Thanh Lan Kindergarten, in charge of preparing for the opening of Tran Island School - said.
Despite many difficult conditions and difficult transportation, teachers and students of Tran Island Inter-level School are ready for a new school year with high expectations. In the midst of the coast, the Tran Island school still has a bright spot in knowledge.
