For 14 years now, the home of teacher Nguyen Thi Huynh Nga, in Ward 8, Vinh Long City, has been not only a place for teaching reading, writing and character, but also a warm home full of love for children with disabilities in the area.
Ms. Nga teaches her pupils to sing
We visited Ms. Nga’s special class on the full moon of the eighth lunar month. It is called a classroom, but in fact it is just a lean-to beside the house, with more than 20 pupils, the oldest nearly 30 and the youngest 8. Originally a teacher at Chu Van An Primary School, Ms. Nga had the idea of opening a charity class when, while working in the universal education section, she saw many poor children in the ward having to collect rubbish, sell lottery tickets and even wander the streets to earn a meal each day, never having known a single letter. There were also children with intellectual disabilities, physical impairments or congenital illnesses and poor health who could not go to school. No sooner thought than done, Ms. Nga went to the school board of Chu Van An Primary School, explained her wish to open a class and borrow a classroom to teach in, and the board supported her. When she opened the charity class, she had to visit each home to persuade the children to come to class. “Many families, no matter how many times I tried to persuade them, absolutely refused to let their children come to class, saying that letters do not make money, and refused outright” – Ms. Nga recalled. Knowing that the children were poor and their parents would not let them come to class, every time she went to persuade them, Ms. Nga always brought a few kilos of rice, cakes and sweets to encourage the children to go to school. With her enthusiasm, families gradually agreed to send their children to class. Because the class is made up of children of different ages and levels, Ms. Nga worked out her own special way of teaching. The class started with only a few children, and then the numbers kept changing, because as soon as one child was persuaded to come, another would drop out. But a few weeks later, many parents were delighted to see their children able to read and write. Word spread, and more and more parents brought their children to study and introduced other families in difficult circumstances to Ms. Nga’s class. In 1999, after retiring, she decided to move the class to her own home and has kept it going ever since. For 14 years, Ms. Nga has patiently and persistently corrected each pronunciation and each stroke of writing, and looked after meals for hundreds of deaf children, children with intellectual disabilities and children with cerebral palsy in Ward 8 and neighbouring wards. The class now has 26 pupils, two-thirds of whom have disabilities, so teaching is very hard. Each lesson has to be taught about five times, and from time to time she goes back over it, because the children’s ability to absorb lessons is very poor. Children with intellectual disabilities or cerebral palsy are tutored individually, and such pupils require a teacher with patience and perseverance. Ms. Nga said: All the children’s parents want is for their children to be able to communicate, understand and do ordinary things in the family. At home, if the children can tell household objects apart, get along with others and speak politely, their parents are happy. Ms. Nga said that the pupils here are disadvantaged not only in their physical impairments and cognitive ability, but also in their family circumstances, which are very sad. Most of the pupils in the class come from poor families. Some are orphaned, some have fathers who are drug addicts and have to live with their grandparents and earn their own living… Take the case of Minh Anh (8 years old), orphaned and living with HIV, who now lives with her frail grandmother and has to earn a living every day by selling lottery tickets or begging. Poor and ill herself, even though she is of school age she still cannot go to school like her peers. Once, Ms. Nga happened to meet her selling lottery tickets, learned of her circumstances and encouraged her to come to class and play with her friends. Then there is Nguyen Hoang Du, who has had congenital heart disease, cerebral palsy and muteness since birth. Seeing their child’s illness, his family did not send him to class but looked after him at home. Hearing that there was a class for children with disabilities, Du’s mother hurriedly brought him so he could study and play with friends. After a year of study, Du is no longer shy and timid; he sits diligently listening to his teacher. Although Du cannot speak, Ms. Nga always understands and helps him in everything he does. After being tutored and taught by Ms. Nga for a while, all the children in the class have improved in every way. Many can now write, do maths problems and draw pictures, and many children with cerebral palsy can now read, write, sing and behave politely. Like other schools across the country, each school year the class holds an opening ceremony, a closing ceremony and holidays such as the Mid-Autumn Festival and Tet, when Ms. Nga and her friends buy cakes, sweets and gifts and create a playground for the children… This place is not just a classroom, but has become a warm home full of love. Thanks to Ms. Nga’s efforts, two of her pupils are now in grade 8, three in grade 9 and one in grade 12. On 1 June, ten pupils in the class took part in a drawing competition for people with disabilities organised by Vinh Long City and won one third prize and one consolation prize.
NGAN KIEU – http://www.nhandan.org.vn