30 years standing on the podium of a special class

Rain or shine, Monday or Sunday, in the small house next to the river in area 2, Lai Hieu ward, Nga Bay city, Hau Giang, there is always the sound of children reading and the sound of an old teacher meticulously practicing writing and math with her students.

Teacher Nguyen Thi Do, 80 years old this year, has spent 30 years opening charity classes, teaching literacy and ethics to disadvantaged students who cannot read or write well.

The classroom is simple, with only two rows of old desks, but this place has helped hundreds of students overcome illiteracy. The youngest student in Mrs. Do's class is only 6 years old, the oldest is 15 years old.

She said that she used to teach, but after 1975 she stopped teaching and went to the new economic zone. At the age of 50, she returned to her hometown and started opening free classes for students in the neighborhood.

"My wish is that you must be literate, not good at it, but must be a good person. Having knowledge and understanding will not be inferior to anyone.

I have taught many generations, some of them went to university, graduated and went to work, some of them worked for a living, but all of them are very obedient, often calling to check on me. Seeing them grow up makes me love my job even more and it is also the motivation for me to persevere until today," Ms. Do happily said.

Mrs. Do's class is most crowded during the summer, with an average of over 100 students per day, divided into two sessions, morning and afternoon. On weekdays, there are about 20 students in class. Due to the different ages, Mrs. Do will teach according to each student's level. "Pure white" students who cannot read or write, or have been held back for many years, only need to attend Mrs. Do's class for about a month to be able to read and write fluently.

Before entering the classroom, Mrs. Do lined up each student to take attendance, then evaluated and commented on their homework. Students who wrote well and beautifully would be praised by the teacher in front of the whole class, and students who were still weak would be encouraged to try harder.

"I used to teach from grade 1 to grade 12, but because the high school program has been renewed, I don't know the curriculum, so now I only teach from grade 1, grade 2 and review for students for the 10th grade entrance exam," said Ms. Do.

As well as being a teacher, Mrs. Do is also a godmother to the lives of less fortunate children.

"As long as I'm healthy, I will continue to teach."

Mrs. Do has 9 children, all of whom have stable jobs and are well-educated. At the age of 80, she is living with her two children.

Even though she is at an old age and her eyesight is getting worse, Mrs. Do still tries to hold the chalk to write the most beautiful and neat lines on the board to start the lesson.

For the old teacher, as long as she is healthy and clear-minded, she is very happy, because she can help many generations of students to no longer be illiterate.

"There are too many teachers, so whenever I'm tired, I lie down and rest for a bit, then continue teaching. That's it, I feel sad when the kids aren't around. That's all there is to old age," Mrs. Do said with a smile.

Mr. Pham Van Manh (living in area 6, Lai Hieu ward) shared that both of his children attend Ms. Do's charity class. He works for hire, in the morning he drives his son to class and picks him up at noon. Thanks to her dedicated teaching, in just over a month, his son can read, write, and do math faster.

"Many people here know Ms. Do very well. She teaches without taking money. If anyone wants to support her, she only accepts books and gives them to students in difficult circumstances. Her kindness and love for her students makes everyone appreciate and respect her," Mr. Manh expressed.