In Gratitude 2024 - Hope: Touching Stories of Teacher-Student Relationships

In celebration of Vietnam's  Vietnam Teachers' Day on November 20, the Ministry of Education and Training, the Vietnam Education Union, and Vietnam Television  jointly    produced the program In Gratitude 2024. The event took place on the evening of November 17 at Vietnam Television's outdoor studio and was broadcast live on VTV1. This year’s program chose the theme "Hope" to honor teachers as the ones who plant the "green seeds" of knowledge, sow  hope and faith, open  new horizons of understanding, and  build character to enable future generations of students to succeed in life.

The program was attended by  Comrade Nguyen Kim Son, a member of the Party Central Committee and Minister of Education and Training. Also in attendance were leaders  from central and local government agencies, media organizations, and more than 400 teachers representing over 1 million educators and education administrators nationwide.

The delegates and 400 teachers attend the program.

The Confidence for National Education

Speaking at the program, Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son stated that for many years, the Words of Gratitude program has been organized and broadcast on the occasion of Vietnam Teachers' Day, November 20, as a gift and a message of gratitude to educators across the country.

On behalf of the leadership of the Ministry of Education and Training, the Minister expresses great pride in the educators and extended congratulations to all teachers, staff, and employees in the education sector on the momentousoccasion of November 20.

"From the depth of my thoughts, from the breadth of my feelings, and the bottom of my heart, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the teachers. Thank you to the teachers who have chosen the noble profession of teaching, who love people and their work with all their heart. Thank you to the teachers who continue to live with joy, strength and optimism, despite the many challenges that remain. The challenges of a developing country, the challenges of innovation, and the challenges of the digital age, artificial intelligence, and many other non-traditional factors,"said the Minister.

Those 'soul engineers' bringing the 'hope' class to the highlands

The teachers who teach the students in the special class are all qualified  and experienced educators from Phong Du Thuong Primary School, a boarding school for ethnic minorities in Van Yen District, Yên Bái Province. These teachers travel tens of kilometers to their  classrooms. However, they all put aside their matters to bring knowledge to the ethnic minority communities.

Teachers Nguyen Quang Tho and Nguyen Thi Dung from Phong Du Thuong Primary School, a boarding school for ethnic minorities in Van Yen District, Yen Bai Province, come to share their story with the program.

It can be said that thanks to the literacy classes taught by the teachers at Phong Du Thuong Primary School for Ethnic Minorities, the Hmong people in Khe Tau now have a better life. According to the report from the Department of Continuing Education, Ministry of Education and Training, thanks to such literacy classes, the literacy mission has exceeded the target by 1.6% and surpassed the goal by 6.2% compared to the 2025 target set by the Project for Building a Learning Society for the 2021-2030 period.

Unforgettable Memories of the Teachers

In the memory of teacher Ha Ngoc Dao, a former student of the Southern Students’ School in the North and now the former Director of the Department of Education and Training in Dak Lak Province, the  difficult times with his teacher still move him deeply. He recalled: "The people from the South weren't used to the cold, so we were all very uncomfortable. The cold made us afraid of water, which led to skin diseases like scabies and ringworm... I can never forget teachers Pham Quang Di and Quach Thu Ba. Teacher Ba was only about 5 years older than us at the time. He took us to the Red River to bathe or made us baths with wild privet leaves and washed our clothes. We are forever grateful to the teachers who treated us as their children, for us and the South, helping us grow up, mature, and do meaningful work for society.

Teacher Ha Ngoc Dao is deeply moved when recalling the memories with teachers PHam Quang Di and Quach Thu Ba.

Teacher Nguyen Quoc Thai (second from the left) and Teacher Ha Ngoc Dao (second from the right) recall the early years when students from the South came to the North to study.

The conversation with educator Ho Ngoc Dao joined by  teacher Nguyen Quoc Thai, a former teacher at the Southern Students' School in the North. Teacher Thái began his career in education at the age of 18, and his first students were children from the South, far from their families, who came to the North to study.

Teacher Nguyen Quoc Thai recalled: "The people from the South trusted us and sent their children to the North. Some were teenagers, but many were younger children as well. Far from their families, with no one to look after or guide them, these children relied entirely on their teachers. So how could we not dedicate ourselves wholeheartedly to their care  and teaching?".

The beloved 0 VND baguettes of teacher Nguyen Van Tung

Teacher Vu Van Tung from Dinh Nup Primary and Secondary School in Po To Commune, La Pa District, Gia Lai Province, wakes up very early at 4:30 AM to collect bread and give it to the students before school starts. He treats his students like his own children and is always makes   sure they have enough to eat when they come to school.

Every day, he prepares 200 baguettes to fill the students' stomachs so they can concentrate on their studies. He even goes to the fields to pick up the students, hoping to impart knowledge and help them learn to read and write. Teacher Tung shared that there are many challenges to teaching the students here. The school is located in a particularly disadvantaged area, and  90% of the students are Bahnar people.

According to Teacher Tung, in particularly disadvantaged areas, only education can give the students hope and change their lives.

Memories of the teachers of Professor Dr. Tran Danh Cuong.

27 years ago, in the French Republic, Dr. Tran Danh Cuong, who was then a young professor, had the fortunate opportunity to meet Professor Collé, a specialist in prenatal ultrasound diagnosis. The knowledge he gained and the close, fatherly bond between teacher and student helped shape him into a leading obstetrician and gynecologist, saving many Vietnamese patients in the years that followed.

It was the kindness of the foreign professor more than a decade ago that helped shape Professor Dr. Tran Danh Cuong, who remains steadfast in his work as an educator and doctor, dedicated to helping others and serving society.

Besides Professor Collé, another teacher who had a  great influence  on the path of Professor Dr. Tran Danh Cuong was the late Professor - Outstanding Educator Duong Thi Cuong, the daughter of the late Professor Duong Quang Ham. She devoted all her efforts and intellect to the revolution, science, and the training of doctors at the University of Medicine.

With more than 30 years of service, Professor Dr. Tran Danh Cuong is a teacher beloved by many generations of undergraduate and graduate students. (image)

For 8 consecutive years, Professor Dr. Tran Danh Cuong has been voted the "Most Popular Lecturer" by the students of  Hanoi University of Medicine.

Teacher Tran Danh Cuong receives a gift and reminisces about the touching memories with his students on stage during the program.

The efforts of teachers to renew and innovate in the field of education

Ms. Dang Thi Linh, an English teacher at Marie Curie School, is the one who offers free English lessons to students at Giang Chu Phin Primary School and Pa Vi Primary School in Meo Vac District, Ha Giang Province.

Ms. Dang Thi Linh shared about the free English teaching project and her feelings when  she directly accompanied  the students in Meo Va: "This is a very meaningful project in my career as an educator. It brings me great happiness to see  the noticeable changes in the students during their learning process. At first, they were very shy, but over time, they became more confident, interacting with me and eagerly participating in activities organized by the teachers. When I visit the school and meet the children in person, I am deeply moved. When they knew I was coming, they prepared bright bouquets of wild flowers and wrote heartfelt letters to give to  me..."

Ms. Dang Thi Linh shares her feelings about teaching online to the children in the highlands.

The 2024-2025 school year marks the fourth year of Vietnam’s implementation of the 2018 General Education Program, which is expected to be a breakthrough in fundamentally transforming  Vietnamese education, shifting from content-based education to competency-based education.

As a teacher who has developed many creative solutions for teaching according to the new curriculum, especially in integrated subjects, Mr. Nguyen Van Khuyen shared: "In the process of teaching, I have a set of 'key' words that I, along with many other teachers, apply: change, creativity, and effort. The new program not only changes the content but also the teaching methods and evaluation. Teachers need to apply flexible teaching methods and evaluations, focusing on students' progress, which in turn stimulates creativity, thinking, and self-learning. Taking the curriculum as the core, with textbooks as reference materials, requires teachers to strive to improve both the breadth and depth of their professional knowledge".

The Inspirational Story of Vu Hoang Thao Ly

The story of Vu Hoang Thao Ly, a 12th-grade student from Huu Lung High School, who won first place in the "Teachers Through My Eyes" contest in 2023 with the piece "The Journey to Find Happiness," brought many emotions to viewers. From a student who struggled with being overweight, shy, and hesitant, and resorted to extreme weight loss methods, she gradually gained confidence with the support and guidance of her teacher Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy.

Outstanding Artistic Performances

In addition to the reports and touching stories about teachers, the artistic performances were also a highlight of the "In Gratitude 2024" program.

Medley: Di hoc xa and Bai hoc dau tien performed by singer Hai Yen.

A unique Xam singing performance, Gieo chu vung cao, by Ha Myo featuring rapper Endy.

The talented HuyR also joins the program.

Singer Hoang Bach brings an energetic vibe with his song Nguoi gieo mam xanh.

Songs full of school-day memories are performed by the students themselves.