Memories of the "4 no" school
Born and raised in Dong Thap province, Mr. Nguyen Quoc Phu has been rooted in Phu Quoc island for the past 32 years.
In 1992, visiting Phu Quoc with his father, seeing that there were many shortages here, especially in education, Mr. Phu was very concerned. Encouraged by his father, from 1993, Mr. Phu decided to volunteer to go to the island to teach at the separate location of Ham Ninh Primary and Secondary School (now separated into Bai Bon Primary and Secondary School, Ham Ninh commune) until now.
Mr. Phu said that at first, there was only one classroom on the beach, divided into two rooms to teach grades 1 to 5. The school gate was made of wood, and there was no road at that time, so the only way to get there was by sea. At that time, a relative let him stay and look after the garden, and he walked about 12km along the coastal road to school twice a day.
“In 2008, the school split into another location. At the first Trade Union Congress for the 2008-2010 term, I was elected as the Chairman of the Trade Union. From this location to the Board of Directors (now Ham Ninh School), we walked for about 5 hours. Once, after finishing the meeting at 5pm, we walked back to our school at 10pm,” said Mr. Phu.
Mr. Phu recalls that every time there was a meeting in Duong Dong center, he had to travel a distance of more than 30km, which was extremely difficult. The first leg was to take a boat down to Rach Ham, which took about 2 hours, and from there, there was a car that took the muddy red dirt road full of potholes to Duong Dong, which took about 3 more hours.
Mr. Phu shared: At that time, we had 4 things we didn't have: no electricity (no electricity for daily use), no road (we had to go by coastal trail, boat, no road), no school (the school at that time was just a simple room without any facilities), no station (there was no medical station, a few years later, a doctor came to serve).
“There were times when I felt discouraged because of the many difficulties and hardships, but I was passionate about contributing and helping to convey knowledge to students on the island, so I continued to stay. At that time, there was only a boat every week, food was provided by the mainland, and many teachers had moved away,” Mr. Phu shared.
Wholeheartedly help students in difficulty
Ms. Luu Thi Tan - Vice Principal of Bai Bon Primary and Secondary School - said that the school was about 35km away from the center in the past, and when it was first established, it lacked facilities. One room was divided into two, and classes 1, 2, and 3 were combined into one class, and classes 4 and 5 were combined into one class.
"With the attention of local authorities, the facilities are now relatively complete, the school has just been completed, and is a national standard school," Ms. Tan informed.
Talking about Mr. Phu, Ms. Tan confided: “Young teachers learn from him the passion for teaching, the enthusiasm for students, the dedication to the job. During the difficult times, many teachers left, but he still stayed in the school and in the classroom until today, which is extremely precious.”
As the Chairman of the Union, he always helps and encourages union members with difficult circumstances, and together with the school organizes many movements for teachers to participate in and help their colleagues. Not only does he devote himself to teaching and carefully preparing for lessons to make them more lively, but he also follows his students closely and learns about their circumstances. He helps them with books, clothes and school supplies to go to school and constantly encourages them to be more confident in their studies.
Up to now, Phu Quoc City has grown and changed a lot. The roads from the city center to remote areas on the island are being improved day by day, and schools are being invested in and built. Teacher Phu is still moved when remembering the image of a remote school, more than 30km from the city center, with countless difficulties.
Mr. Phu confided: “I had 22 springs in my hometown, now 32 springs on the island. Every day teaching and imparting knowledge to students is a joy, I feel like it is spring. I hope the young generation will try to study hard, acquire knowledge at school and in society to improve themselves to contribute and serve the country.”
