Teacher and barber, lice removal for students

Quang Nam Because their parents are busy, many students do not get haircuts, are itchy and have lice, so teachers at Nam Tra My mountainous boarding school have helped them.

On the last day of April, during recess, Ms. A Lang Thi Diep, a teacher at Tra Tap Primary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities, Nam Tra My district, called three students out to the hallway to get a haircut.

The 26-year-old female teacher skillfully pulled each stroke of the scissors and clippers, completing the task in nearly half an hour. Then she removed the cloth covering and used a sponge to wipe the hair off the student’s neck and shirt. The student ran to the faucet to wash his face and hands, then went back to class to study.

Ms. A Lang Thi Diep uses hair clippers to cut a student's hair during recess. Photo: Dac Thanh — Ms. A Lang Thi Diep uses hair clippers to cut a student's hair during recess. Photo: *Dac Thanh*

Ms. Diep is from Tay Giang district and has been working at Tra Tap Primary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities since 2023. She is the least senior among the seven female teachers at the main school.

As soon as she started teaching, Ms. Diep noticed that many students felt uncomfortable with their long hair in the hot weather. Diep recalled her childhood, when life in the ethnic minority area was difficult, her parents often went to the fields and returned home late at night. She often had her hair cut by her teachers.

So, Ms. Diep spent 250,000 VND to buy clippers, scissors and a piece of cloth with the intention of cutting her student’s hair. Every time she went to get her hair cut, the young teacher carefully observed the barber to imitate.

"At first, many students refused, afraid that I would cut their hair badly. I had to buy candy to entice them," Ms. Diep said. Gradually, students took the initiative to ask her, and now the entire class of 32 students has her in charge of cutting their hair.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Ba cuts hair for a female student. Photo: Dac Thanh — Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Ba cuts hair for a female student. Photo: *Dac Thanh*

Cutting hair for students is also a familiar job for teacher Nguyen Thi Thu Ba, a colleague of Ms. Diep. Ms. Ba has lived in the mountainous district of Nam Tra My for more than 14 years and has been cutting hair for students for about 10 years.

"I used to cut my hair with scissors, but now I have clippers so it's faster," said the 35-year-old female teacher.

Before cutting, Ms. Ba will look around to see what style looks good. She also asks the students' preferences to accommodate them if possible. For the boys, she uses clippers to quickly iron their hair, then uses scissors to trim it neatly. For the girls, the female teacher mainly clips the back and cuts the bangs. Many students have lice on their heads, so she often parts their hair to find and catch them. Therefore, the haircut will take longer.

"I only cut simple hair. My skills are not as good as those of the barbers at the salon, but I am very satisfied because the students have neat hair," she said.

Nguyen Thi Diem Chau, a 5th grader, enjoys having her teacher cut her hair whenever it is long. "The teacher cuts hair beautifully and cutely. Many of her friends also like it," she shared.

According to the two teachers, parents agreed to cut students’ hair. Many mothers even asked Ms. Ba to help them.

A teacher in the highlands cuts hair for students — Teacher cuts hair and removes lice for students. Video : *Dac Thanh*

Nam Tra My is a mountainous district in Quang Nam province with complex terrain, mostly hills and steep slopes. More than 97% of the population here are ethnic minorities, mostly Ca Dong and Xe Dang.

Tra Tap Primary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities is located about 5 km from the district center. Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hung, Vice Principal, said the school has one main campus and 10 satellite campuses, with nearly 460 students. Of these, more than 330 are boarding students, most of whom are from poor households.

Therefore, for many years, the teachers in the school, in addition to teaching, also take care of the children’s meals and sleep. Besides Ms. Ba and Ms. Diep, the other teachers in the school are also skilled at cutting students’ hair.

Dac Thanh

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