Opening Bell Rings on Remote Island: Passion for Education in Vietnam's Far-Flung Outpost

On September 5th, as millions of students across the country began the new academic year 2026-2027, a particularly special opening ceremony took place on Dao Tran island, amidst the vast northeastern sea and sky. There was no schoolyard with students neatly lined up and the resounding drumbeat of a large school. At the Dao Tran island inter-level school, there was only one teacher and three students, yet it was filled with flags, flowers, laughter, and the joy of the first day of school. The three students, belonging to grades 1, 2, and 5, with three different ages and learning programs, shared the same school amidst the vast ocean. On the first day of the academic year, the children were excited to come to school, chattering happily, and preparing for the opening ceremony with their teacher. The opening ceremony for the new academic year on Dao Tran island was very simple but complete and solemn. The national flag fluttered in the sea breeze, flowers were vibrant, and the three students, in their new clothes, eagerly attended the ceremony. Joining the teacher and students in celebration was Comrade Nguyen Danh Ha, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the Special Administrative Region's People's Committee, who attended and presented flowers to congratulate the school. Cadres and soldiers of the armed forces working on the island were also present, presenting gifts to encourage the children as they entered the new academic year. From early morning, teacher Tran Van Luyen of Thanh Lan Primary and Secondary School went down to the students' homes to pick them up. This year, he volunteered to take on the task of teaching at the Dao Tran island school. Behind this decision was some concern, as his wife was seven months pregnant, and his two young children were also of school age. However, encouragement from his family helped him set off with peace of mind. With over 10 years of teaching experience, this was the first time Mr. Luyen took on a special combined class, with each student belonging to a different grade level. Mr. Tran Van Luyen shared: "Teaching combined classes has its own peculiarities, but for me, even with just one student, it is still a classroom, a future that needs attention and nurturing. I want to impart knowledge and help the children gain the tools to confidently step into the future, so that the distance between the island and the mainland does not become a distance in learning opportunities." Ms. Hoang Thị Quang, mother of Vu Khanh Ngoc, a 2nd-grade student, emotionally shared: "The family is very happy. Although the school only has 3 students, the opening ceremony was still carefully and meticulously prepared by all levels and sectors. I thank the teacher for staying with the class and the school, allowing us parents to confidently entrust our children to school, so that we parents can confidently work and produce, maintaining the peace of the sea and the island," Ms. Quang shared. The opening drum has sounded, marking the beginning of a new academic year with lessons and dreams for the three young students. The classroom has only one teacher and three students, but the attention given to literacy on the remote island has never been less. From the teacher's dedication, the family's companionship, to the community's sharing, all contribute to enabling the children at the forefront of the waves to learn, grow, and confidently look towards a bright future. Amidst the vastness of the northeastern sea and sky, the drum announcing a new academic year spreads with each breaking wave, as if to affirm an unchanging truth: where there are students, there is a classroom, and where there are dreams, letters continue to be passed down the flowing stream.