Nguyễn Trọng Nam with his students at an afterschool club in Si Ma Cai Township Secondary School, Lào Cai Province. Photo qdnd.vn

LÀO CAI — Nguyễn Trọng Nam might not be native to Lào Cai Province, but since arriving there a decade ago, he has put his heart and soul into helping the students there.

Nam is a teacher who has always tried to overcome difficulties and improve education in mountainous areas.

He grew up in Phú Thọ Province and after graduating from the Hà Nội National University of Education in 2013, he was assigned to teach in remote areas of Si Ma Cai District.

"In the first days in Si Ma Cai, I felt a little scared because I saw very few people walking around and the houses were empty," Nam told Quân Đội Nhân Dân (The People's Army) newspaper.

Ten years ago, it was so hard to reach the farthest village from Sán Chải commune. Teachers had to drive hours on dangerous and slippery roads to reach school.

Driven by his desire to provide an education to students, Nam did what he must to adapt and overcome the difficulties he was facing.

"I always think about the future of students. It's my motivation. I want to help them acquire knowledge to serve their life."

At first, his wife and children moved to Lào Cai with him, but when his child become sick they had to go back to Phú Thọ Province.

"I try to arrange my work to visit my family once a month."

Many teachers have been sent to work in Si Ma Cai District's schools, but many leave after seeing the poor facilities and low wages.

Nam said he wants to help many local students go to school but sometimes doesn't know how to help them.

Cư Thị Hàng, a 7th grader, had to drop out of school because she had to stay home to take care of her younger siblings.

"I tried to persuade Hàng to go to school, but I didn't know how to help her better. She must stay at home to take care of her siblings because her parents work away from home. Sometimes I call other students to help Hàng grow maize."

"Many families are so poor that their children do not have enough food and can not attend school."

In Si Ma Cai District, some children realise that education is their path out of poverty so they study hard, but this number is very small.

Most students are not motivated to learn. They don't know what to do after finishing school.

With little information and the notion that parents don't want their children to work far away from their families, most students marry after finishing studying.

Local authorities have offered scholarships, prioritising disadvantaged students to encourage them to go to school more regularly.

"However, keeping them in school is not simple," Nam said.

Besides going to students' homes, attending village meetings to learn about the student's situation, and talking with families, Nam asked the villagers to add compulsory schooling to the village regulations.

Parents will be fined if they fail to send their children to school.

"As a result, parents are more interested in their children's education. Students are also less absent from school," he said.

The number of students dropping out of school has decreased significantly.

To improve the quality of education, Nam and other teachers organised small contests after school to encourage students to learn more about history and geography, and join clubs.

"My family is very happy with my child's study results, especially in maths. My child is also more confident in communication, and he is always keen on learning new things and exploring the world," said Vũ Như Ngọc, father of an 8th grader. — VNS