Captain Trần Đại Lượng at a class at Rehab School No 2. Photo giaoducthoidai.vn

NINH BÌNH – For eleven years, teacher Trần Đại Lượng has been providing vocational training to troubled students at a rehabilitation school, helping many of them change their lives.

Every day at 7am, students in the welding vocational class at Rehab School No 2 see teacher and Captain Trần Đại Lượng, in his police uniform, holding a cutting or welding machine as he instructs his students.

The school is located in Mai Sơn Commune, Yên Mô District, Ninh Bình Province belonging to Department 10 of the Ministry of Public Security.

To date, Captain Lượng has directly taught twelve vocational classes.

Lượng told giaoducthoidai.vn: “I was born and raised in a poor area of Kim Sơn District of Ninh Bình Province. Due to my parents’ work, I had to move frequently during my childhood.

“In my third year at Lilama 1 College, my mother passed away from a serious illness. Before she closed her eyes, she earnestly advised me to study hard to pursue a teaching career,” Lượng recalled.

To fulfil his mother's last wish, after graduating and working in various places, he returned to his home province in 2013 and joined Rehabilitation School No 2, where he was assigned to the Vocational Planning and Training team, a role he has held to this day.

“When students come here, they often feel scared and distant from their teachers, which worried me,” Lượng said.

To bridge the emotional gap, Lượng used breaks to talk to his students.

“Along with sharing my own story, I listened to their situations – why they ended up here. Understanding this helped me grasp their thoughts and develop methods to bring us closer together,” he said.

The small workshop where Lượng teaches welding is always in full operation.

Broken doors and roofs of the school provide students with practical experience opportunities.

Over the past 11 years, Lượng has helped nearly 300 students earn welding certificates and re-enter society.

Among them, one student remains unforgettable to him.

Lượng and his students. Photo giaoducthoidai.vn

This was Nghĩa, who joined the school in September 2016 due to a public disturbance.

Nghĩa came across as sullen and uncommunicative, he refused to attend vocational training, claiming he already knew the work.

At that time, Nghĩa was assigned to the school’s 'Red Star Team', tasked with encouraging students to maintain order and follow rules.

During this period, Lượng talked with Nghĩa to help him understand that vocational training was an opportunity to reintegrate into society after leaving the school.

Half a year later, Nghĩa realised the importance of learning and voluntarily applied to join Lượng’s class, where he brought creative ideas to his work.

“Nghĩa graduated with a distinction in his certificate. Recognising his potential, I invited him to stay on as class monitor for the next three courses, passing on everything I knew to him,” Lượng said.

After graduating, Nghĩa was led astray by friends and got involved in a local altercation. He recalled feeling frightened and called Lượng for advice on how to resolve the situation.

“Following that incident, Nghĩa resolved to open a workshop and often asked me to refer students with similar backgrounds to work with him,” Lượng said, adding that every holiday, Nghĩa returns to visit him and they chat warmly.

Reflecting on his years at the school, Nghĩa always remembers his teacher.

“Teacher Lượng taught me how to live and behave. Although he was young, he was extremely empathetic and dedicated to his students. Without his guidance, I don’t know where my life would have gone,” Nghĩa said.

Nghĩa is just one of hundreds of welding students who now earn an honest living and have sent letters and made calls to thank teacher Lượng for his training.

Captain Trần Đại Lượng is one of 60 educators honoured in the 2024 'Sharing with Teachers' programme, co-organised by the Central Committee of the Việt Nam Youth Federation and the Ministry of Education and Training. VNS