In the past more than ten years, the compassion class in Tuyen Binh commune, Vinh Hung district, Long An province runs regularly from 6p.m. to 8p.m. Most of the students of the class are children of Vietnamese parents who have moved from Cambodia back to Vietnam to resettle. They do not have personal papers, houses, and stable jobs, and most children do not know how to read and write.
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Senior Captain Nguyen Dinh Thong and Private First Class Nguyen Vu Luan are teaching people and students in Tuyen Binh commune. |
Learning about their situations, Tuyen Binh Border Post advised the provincial Border Guard Command and local party committee and authorities to open the class with border guard troops as teachers. Since the class was established, the border post has worked with the Education and Training Office of Vinh Hung district and Tuyen Binh Primary and Secondary School to run it. “Teachers” have made the most use of time to help local children keep up with the regular academic program.
Students are divided into two classes based on their academic levels. The first class is for pupils in grade 1, while the second one is for those from grades 2 to 5. Four officers and soldiers are in charge of teaching 31 students.
According to Senior Captain Nguyen Dinh Thong, Head of Mass Mobilization Team of Tuyen Binh Border Post, apart from teaching the Vietnamese language and math, the border guards have equipped students with life skills. The officer said that witnessing local children and people reading and writing every day makes him really happy. “We say to ourselves to try harder to teach local children and people,” said Captain Thong.
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Colonel Hoang Van Giao talking with students of a literacy class in Sam Quang hamlet, Muong Leo commune, Sop Cop district, Son La province |
A similar class is held in Sam Quang hamlet, Muong Leo commune, Sop Cop district. The literacy class now has 31 students who are H’mong ethnic minority people, aged from 15 to 45. According to Political Commissar of Muong Leo Border Post Colonel Hoang Van Giap, the class opens in the evening from 7p.m. to 9p.m. with Major Ho A Thanh, an officer of the border post, as teacher.
Major Thanh said that being entrusted by the unit’s Party Committee and Chain-of-Command, he is doing his utmost to teach the H’mong people how to read, write, and do simple mathematical calculations to serve their daily activities and trading.
Colonel Giap said that the literacy class in Sam Quang hamlet is the result of a coordination program between the Son La provincial Department of Education and Training, the People’s Committee of Sop Cop district and the provincial Border Guard Command. He added that at present, there are many literacy classes being organized in the district to increase the literacy rate among ethnic minority people in border areas.
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At present, units of the Vietnam Border Guard Command have cooperated with the education sector and local party committees and authorities to maintain 30 literacy and compassion classes with around 700 students who are ethnic minority people and those living in border areas and on islands. Around 100 troops are assigned to manage and support the teaching. Border guard units have mobilized more than 6,000 students dropping out of school to come back to their schools. In addition, units have worked with local schools to organize games and visits to historical relic sites to raise children’s Vietnamese speaking skill.
Notably, the border guard force’s program, titled “Paving the way to school for children – Border posts' adopted children,” has benefited more than 3,000 needy students. Border posts have adopted and provided regular care for around 400 students. The total cost for the activities is VND 100 billion.
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Translated by Tran Hoai