Retired teacher does special things for poor students at abandoned school for 10 years

With love and affection for the teaching profession, the free classes of the retired teacher couple have helped many poor students in rural areas in Quang Nam to make progress.

In Dien Phuong ward (Dien Ban town, Quang Nam), ask the couple of teachers Nguyen Van Lai (63 years old) and Ms. Vo Thi Yen (59 years old), everyone from old to young knows and loves them. Although retired, but with love for the profession, for the past 2 years, Mr. Lai and his wife have opened free classes, adding the spirit of learning to many young generations in this poor rural area.

Mr. Lai used to teach Literature at Ly Tu Trong Secondary School, while Ms. Yen was a teacher at Nguyen Van Cu Primary School. In early 2023, Mr. Lai and his wife both left the podium after nearly 40 years in the classroom. “I retired but missed my job. Seeing many students in the village in difficult circumstances and weak academic performance, I thought I needed to do something. After discussing, my wife and I decided to open a free tutoring class to help the children catch up with the knowledge at school,” Mr. Lai confided. The abandoned kindergarten was "transformed" into a charity classroom by a teacher and his wife. Fortunately, this idea was enthusiastically supported by the leaders of Dien Phuong ward and the villagers. So the kindergarten, which had been abandoned for more than 10 years, was quickly cleaned up and repaired by the villagers and benefactors to prepare for welcoming students to class. In October 2023, the charity classroom officially opened with 90 students, divided into 5 classes (1, 2, 3, 8, 9). The students of the class are all children in difficult circumstances, orphans... in the locality. The free class has been going on for 2 years now. The children are very excited to attend Ms. Yen's class. "My wife teaches grades 1, 2, and 3, and I teach Literature for grades 8 and 9. The class opens 6 times a week, from 9am to 10pm, depending on the school schedule," Mr. Lai said. Since this class was established, the children here have made remarkable progress. Not only are they learning to read and write, they are also taught good and right things. Mr. Lai and his wife also regularly use their pension to buy rewards to encourage their students. Many children were taught by Ms. Yen wholeheartedly. Seeing the meaningful work, many friends and former students of Mr. Lai and Ms. Yen also took turns donating TVs, water purifiers and many school supplies, making the classroom more and more convenient. “Any student who comes to class without a pen or notebook will be given one for free. I love them like my own children and grandchildren. My husband and I are old so we don’t need much money, seeing the children progress every day is enough to satisfy us,” Ms. Yen confided. In the classroom, there are shelves with books, small boards, pens, etc. for students to use for free. This year, especially, accompanying Mr. Lai and his wife are Mr. Bui Nguyen Xuan Tuan (27 years old), a teacher at Ly Tu Trong Secondary School, and Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Thao (31 years old), a teacher at Dinh Chau Secondary School. "Mr. Tuan tutors Math for grades 8 and 9, and Ms. Thao is in charge of teaching grade 2," Mr. Lai shared. Although she is a contract teacher, her husband is a worker, and her 3-year-old child is sent to her grandparents to be taken care of, because she loves the poor children here, Ms. Thao volunteered to teach 2 sessions a week. Ms. Thao enthusiastically teaches her students. “No matter how busy I am, I still try to arrange to come to class on time. Because the students here are already at a disadvantage, if I don’t help them, I’m afraid they won’t be able to keep up with their friends, it’s so pitiful,” Ms. Thao confided. Despite teaching without pay, the teachers are very enthusiastic. Regardless of rain or shine, they still come to class on time and have never missed a class. Because of their dedication to poor students, Mr. Lai, Ms. Yen, Mr. Tuan, and Ms. Thao are very loved by the students. Mai Phuong Linh, 14 years old, lost her father at the age of 1. Her mother worked as a factory worker to support her education, so her family was very poor. “This is the second year I have studied in this charity class. The teachers teach in a very easy-to-understand way, thanks to which my Math and Literature have improved significantly. I also receive books and notebooks regularly. I am very grateful to Mr. Lai and Ms. Yen,” said Phuong Linh, a student in the class. Mrs. Duong Thi Hong (70 years old) was happy because although she had not been in class for long, her grandson already wrote straight and clearly. Sharing about his future plans, Mr. Lai hopes that there will be more teachers of English, Physics, Chemistry, etc. to join the class. Continuing her husband's words, Ms. Yen said firmly: "We will maintain the class until we no longer have the strength to do so!"

Vietnamnet.vn

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/thay-giao-ve-huu-lam-dieu-dac-biet-cho-tro-ngheo-o-ngoi-truong-bo-hoang-2333029.html