The teacher's footprints are printed all over the border.

April 17 marked the last day that teacher Tran Truc (born in 1964, from Hoa Vang district, Da Nang city) finished working at A Nong Primary School, Tay Giang district, Quang Nam to retire.

The farewell party was organized by teachers and officials of the Department of Education and Training of Tay Giang district, to pay tribute to the teacher who had been with Co Tu students in the border area for 40 years.

"I am both emotional and nervous as I enter the last day of my long journey in my educational career. Time passes so quickly, but every moment along the way is always a beautiful, precious and deeply engraved memory in my heart," Mr. Truc shared.

Teacher Truc at A Nong Primary School (Photo: Quoc Ky).

In 1985, after graduating from a teacher training college, young teacher Tran Truc volunteered to teach in the border area of ​​Hien district of Quang Nam - Da Nang province (old). From here, his footprints were imprinted all over the border of the mountainous region of western Quang Nam.

Mr. Truc said that with 13 years of teaching and working as a manager in P'rao town and Ta Lu commune (Hien district, now Dong Giang district, Quang Nam), it was a difficult journey, starting a family, having children, and building a thatched house to live in.

"A teacher's salary at that time was not enough to buy an ang (a measuring tool, an ang is usually equivalent to 10kg) of rice, so I had to work hard to support my family. Every Friday afternoon, I would come home from teaching to have a quick bite, then go get some goods and go to A Tieng and Lang communes to sell. I would come home on Sunday afternoon to prepare lessons for the next day's teaching. The road from P'rao town to A Tieng and Lang communes had to cross many rivers and streams," said teacher Truc.

The day of departure, the province has not been separated, the day of return, the province is merged

In 1997, after Quang Nam province and Da Nang city were separated, Quang Nam was now a poor province, Mr. Truc was assigned to be the Principal of Lang Commune Primary School, Tay Giang District.

The school had no desks and chairs, students had to sit on the brick floor, and textbooks were scarce. The whole school had 13 male teachers and one female teacher, and the teachers' lives were miserable. With the determination of the young team, through the 1998-1999 school year, everything gradually stabilized.

After 6 years in Lang commune, Mr. Truc was assigned to be the principal of Ly Tu Trong commune's boarding secondary school. At that time, the school had 200 students. Due to difficult living conditions and limited support, many students studied for a few months and then dropped out.

Two years later, Mr. Truc became the Principal of A Vuong Primary School, then A Vuong Primary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities for 7 years.

In the 2013-2014 school year, Mr. Truc returned to the District Department of Education and Training, in charge of ethnic education.

In the 2014-2019 school year, he was the Principal of Tr'hy Primary Boarding School. From 2019 to present, Mr. Truc has been the Principal of A Nong Primary School.

Teacher Truc (right) received flowers from the leaders of the Department of Education and Training at the farewell ceremony (Photo: Quoc Ky).

"Looking back on the 40-year journey, from a classroom teacher to a management officer, despite the hardships and sometimes discouragement, I feel proud to have contributed a small part to the education career here, to the growth of many generations of students. The successes and progress of the students are the greatest joy and reward I have," Mr. Truc shared.

Mr. Truc expressed his gratitude and appreciation to his wife for always understanding and supporting them in life, taking care of them, and raising their two sons to be good students and successful.

Mr. Nguyen Quoc Ky, Head of the Department of Education and Training of Tay Giang district, affirmed that with his love for the profession and responsibility for future generations, putting aside personal feelings, he chose the border area with remote villages as the place to spread knowledge.

"His contributions cannot be measured by achievements, certificates of merit or years of service. His great achievements are hundreds of Co Tu ethnic students who have escaped illiteracy, and generations of adults who have returned from border schools to build their homeland and villages. That is the love of the people here, who consider him as a son of the village," Mr. Ky shared.

When the young teacher first started his career, Quang Nam - Da Nang was one province. And 40 years later, when he retired to return to his family, Quang Nam and Da Nang were preparing to "reunite" according to the policy of reorganizing administrative units at all levels and building a 2-level local government model of the Central Government.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/ngay-tro-ve-dac-biet-cua-thay-giao-40-nam-bam-ban-20250418172353806.htm