(VOVworld) - Song Tu Tay is a large island in the north of Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago, which belongs to Khanh Hoa province. On the island, there is a class of seven students at 5 different levels. This predicament forces teachers to be flexible and resourceful in educating their students, the future generation of the island.

The only classroom on Song Tu Tay island is located at the headquarters of the Communal People's Committee island, shaded by tropical trees. The sole class is surprisingly diverse: seven students at 5 different levels from the first to the fifth grade. The teachers are full-time communal officials. Teacher Doan Quoc Thai came to the island in 2008 as a young volunteer. He remembers his first day in the class: "During my first year on the island, I taught first graders. I never thought that teaching was so difficult. It was very difficult for me to teach them reading. But by the end of the first semester, all my efforts were rewarded. One day I walked into the class as usual and a student told me he could read all the letters thanks to me. I was deeply touched and overjoyed because I had done something for him. "

Inside the 20 m2 room, the teachers have to teach 7 to 10 subjects to five different grades every day. This requires them to work harder and prepare more carefully for the lesson. Since 2009, teacher Lan has had to take care of a nursery class: "The class has few pupils. We divide the class into different levels and shifts to teach them better. Since 2009, I have voluntarily taught the nursery class. At first it was really difficult, but gradually everything got better because I understood the children better. Also, I received help from Khanh Hoa Province’s Department of Education and Training”

According to teacher Doan Quoc Thai, though the teaching facilities on the island are poor, the small number of pupils makes the relation between teachers and students closer and helps the students learn better. Teacher Thai says: "Though students on the island don’t have as many educational resources as their friends on the mainland, they receive more attention from their teachers. Here, we teach them computer science and English. Yet, without tools and textbooks, learning is less effective. "

In the coming school year, students on the island will have an opportunity to learn English. Nguyen Van Tung, a teacher of English, is also a doctor who graduated from Hanoi Medical University. Monk Thich Thanh Thanh in Song Tu Tay pagoda is another teacher of English. Thanh says:“We teach the students English so that they can continue their study at a higher level on the mainland. I teach them using everyday conversations in English so that they can practice in their daily lives. I use all the means available including songs and candy wrappers. They are all very motivated. They often come to see me in the pagoda to practice English. "

Some day, a real primary school will be built, but in the meantime, this class will continue to educate the children of the island and give them a future. In time, they will take over from their parents the defense of national sovereignty.

Phong Phuong