Let's write the story of the dreams of underprivileged students from 'village schools'.

Driven by a desire to access engaging and lively lectures and to review and reinforce their knowledge repeatedly, students are eager to make the most of their study time. In many schools in Tuyen Quang, students receive free math instruction from their teachers on the Khan Academy platform. For Le Anh Thu, a student at Tu Quan Secondary School, reinforcing her knowledge with online video lectures and exercises has helped her understand the material more thoroughly. “Thanks to this learning method, I achieved a 9.8 overall grade in Math last school year.”

Thu is one of the few students who has a phone for studying at home. Most of her classmates study online during the last period on Saturdays or stay at school for extra lessons during the week. The computer lab doesn't have many computers, so 2-3 students will study together and discuss assignments.

Visiting Nhữ Khê Primary School in Yên Sơn district – a relatively disadvantaged area. “Nhữ Khê School has 70% ethnic minority students, and one branch is inhabited by migrants, so there are many difficulties. For each class, teachers check the students' progress and notice that students review less at home because their parents work night shifts and don't have learning equipment. Therefore, teachers take advantage of free periods at the end of the afternoon to lend them learning devices,” said Ms. Đinh Thị Tuyết Loan, the school principal.

To facilitate student learning, teachers at Nhữ Khê school regularly lend their personal computers to students or allow them to study in the school's computer lab. Each day, students can borrow computers for 20-30 minutes during free periods or at the end of the afternoon class. At 4 PM, when the school bell rings, the students eagerly head to the computer lab to access the Khan Academy platform to work on assignments and discuss challenging math problems.

Not only do they receive guidance and support from teachers, but many students from disadvantaged backgrounds also receive a lot of help from their peers to study effectively together. Fortunately, Tran Trieu Doanh and Quan Trieu Vy (students from Nhu Khe Primary School) have computers for studying, and they often invite their friends to their homes to study in groups and complete assignments given by their teachers through the Khan platform.

Every day, the teachers are helping to nurture the dreams of their students.

Dreams are kindled through each lesson with teachers and friends.

Sharing with us, Mr. Nguyen Van Hien - Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training of Tuyen Quang province - said that the use of Khan Academy in teaching and learning has received high approval from teachers, students, and parents. Besides learning Math, students also have access to subjects in English or life skills, thereby enhancing their self-learning abilities. This is a core competency that students need to acquire to be able to learn throughout their lives and succeed.

Sharing the same view, Ms. Nguyen Thi Minh Huong, a teacher at Nhu Khe Primary School, believes that online learning is becoming an inevitable trend. When each student is given the opportunity by teachers and families to participate in online learning for just 20-30 minutes each day, it will improve their computer skills and allow them to learn new knowledge. Therefore, the school and teachers will strive to create the best possible conditions for students to learn.

Thanks to access to new and innovative knowledge, many students at Dam Hong High School in Chiem Hoa district have shown great enthusiasm for learning through the platform. Anh Quan shared: “Since starting online learning through Khan Academy, I've become more proactive in my studies. Every day I spend 30 minutes to an hour reviewing the material on Khan. I usually research the lessons on Khan beforehand, so I understand them faster when the teacher lectures in class. Most importantly, my greatest joy is not only learning new math methods to apply to my lessons in class, but also using that knowledge to teach my younger brother and help my classmates.”

Due to limited learning equipment, students still have to share computers with their friends and teachers. However, with each passing day and each lesson, they gain new knowledge in Mathematics, English, Natural Sciences , and skills such as Programming and Internet Safety. This is considered a starting point to equip them with the foundation for developing critical thinking and essential skills in the digital age, as shared by Mr. Luc Anh Tung, Vice Principal of Dam Hong High School: “The lessons help students discover new knowledge, create enthusiasm for learning, and learn together to progress.”

Perhaps because of the many difficulties they face, when asked about their dreams, the students of these "village schools" are still quite reserved. Some dream of becoming police officers, some dream of attending a military academy to ease their parents' financial burden, and some dream of becoming math teachers to return to their hometowns to teach. Each student carries a dream and aspiration, but we believe that with the help and support of their teachers, along with their efforts in self-study anytime, anywhere, and learning together, they will achieve their dreams and become useful members of society.