For teachers, Vietnamese Teachers' Day, November 20, is not only a time of joy and gratitude, but also of silent care for students who are still in difficulty, such as "exchanging" flowers for books, milk, health insurance cards for students...

Exchange flowers for health insurance card

Ms. Tran Thi Minh Nga - Principal of Hai Ba Trung Primary School (Son Tra, Da Nang) said that by early November, from mobilized sources, the school had "taken care" of 13 health insurance cards for students in difficult circumstances but were not exempted or reduced when paying health insurance because their families were not poor or near-poor households. "From the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year, homeroom teachers of each class reviewed and compiled a list of students with truly difficult family circumstances who could not participate in health insurance so that the school could provide support."

Every year, Hai Ba Trung Primary School mobilizes from many sources to give health insurance cards to these students. Ms. Minh Nga said that first, the school's teaching council shares with its students. Then, they call on philanthropists, donors, and businesses to support and join hands. From many sources of support like this, Hai Ba Trung Primary School always has 100% of students participating in health insurance.

However, in the 2023-2024 school year, due to the difficult economic situation, the number of students unable to participate in health insurance has reached nearly 50 students. "The school has extended the deadline for paying for health insurance cards for students in grades 2-5 in mid-December. However, many parents still delay with homeroom teachers even though they are reminded that the payment deadline is approaching," Ms. Nga shared.

Therefore, Hai Ba Trung Primary School sent an open letter, expressing the wish that parents, agencies, businesses... instead of giving flowers and gifts to the school on November 20th like previous years, they would change the form by giving health insurance cards to disadvantaged students. The school's letter was widely sent to parents of Hai Ba Trung Primary School through the homeroom teacher channel. Just on the first day after distributing the Open Letter, the school received a lot of support from parents, businesses... and converted nearly 15 cards.

In the 2024-2025 school year, Hai Ba Trung Primary School continued to ask to "exchange" flowers for health insurance cards for students right before the opening ceremony and until November 20. "There was a precedent from the previous school year, so we received a lot of support from members of the parent-teacher association in classes and partner units and businesses," Ms. Tran Thi Minh Nga informed.

A year ago, also on the occasion of Vietnam Teachers' Day, an open letter by Mr. Dinh Phu Cuong - Principal of Nguyen Van Luong Secondary School (District 6, Ho Chi Minh City), calling on philanthropists and parents to give health insurance cards to disadvantaged students of the school instead of flowers and cakes, attracted widespread attention from the community and was highly appreciated. Initially, the school only requested 89 insurance cards for 89 poor students. However, the school received 200 insurance cards from the support of parents, organizations and businesses.

Priority is given to the comprehensive development of the game.

Most recently, Mr. Le Hong Thai - Principal of Phan Van Tri Primary School (District 1, Ho Chi Minh City) wrote an open letter with the wish to receive notebooks, milk, and sports equipment for the school to reward the students instead of receiving congratulatory flowers.

This November, Phan Van Tri Primary School organized many activities for students such as storytelling illustrated books, sports competitions, painting, conical hat decoration, piggy bank decoration... The competitions were enthusiastically participated by students, teachers and parents.

However, according to Mr. Thai, the school's budget can only stop at awarding certificates to students. Meanwhile, every year, on Vietnamese Teachers' Day, November 20, the school receives many congratulatory flower baskets. These flowers are only used for a few days and then thrown away, which is a waste. Therefore, the school wants to "convert" flowers and gifts on November 20 into milk, notebooks, and sports equipment for the school to reward students. This conversion is both meaningful in educating about thrift and encouraging students, contributing to building a happy school.

“The school hopes to receive support and sharing from philanthropists, businesses and organizations to bring practical gifts - directly supporting students in training their mind - body - beauty; encouraging students to confidently participate in useful playgrounds. All your contributions, big or small, are a source of motivation for us and our students in the journey of developing knowledge and personality”, quoted from the open letter of Mr. Le Hong Thai.

With the worries of parents, many teachers who teach in remote schools are also the ones who connect resources, taking care of students from coats to rain boots, lunches with meat, even stocking instant noodles for breakfast, enough energy to study all day. In 20 remote schools in mountainous areas including Tak To, Rang Chuoi, Trang Ta Puong, Cu Dong, Ho Le, Ong Thuong, Ong Thai, Long Rieu... of Quang Tri, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, teachers still organize lunches from the support fund of the Friends Love Each Other Club (Da Nang).

Meals with meat and fish not only help improve their physical condition, but also give them more motivation to go to school, stick with their studies, and escape poverty.

In early November, when Nam Tra My (Quang Nam) entered the cold rainy season, Ms. Tra Thi Thu - a teacher at Rang Chuoi school, Tra Tap Primary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities, connected with benefactors to get more blankets, pillows, and foam to cover the floor for students to take naps.

Taking care of the students from sandals, raincoats..., Ms. Thu also received unique gifts from them. The fruits were picked from the fields, sometimes there were wild vegetables, wild flowers that the students picked on the way to school, some students even gave the teacher a pot of orchids. "The way the students gave gifts was very special, the gifts were put into the teacher's hands, the students just smiled instead of saying their wishes. That's all, but the teacher felt the warmth of the students", Ms. Thu shared.