"Viet Bac Highland High School must consider learning as the top priority"

(Dan Tri) - Attending the opening ceremony of Viet Bac Ethnic High School, Minister Dao Ngoc Dung advised students to consider studying as their top priority, because that is the luggage that helps them go far.

On the morning of September 5, Minister Dao Ngoc Dung led a delegation from the Ministry of Ethnic Minorities and Religions to work in Thai Nguyen province. The Minister's first activity was to attend the opening ceremony of the 2025-2026 school year at Viet Bac High School.

Minister Dao Ngoc Dung, local and school leaders and all students of Viet Bac Mountainous High School attended the flag-raising ceremony at the opening ceremony of the 2025-2026 school year.

At the opening ceremony of Viet Bac High School, Minister Dao Ngoc Dung emphasized that since the country gained independence, ethnic minorities have always been an inseparable part, present in all regions of the country.

According to the Minister, ethnic minorities not only fulfill their duties like all other citizens, but also shoulder a noble mission - to be the "fence" of the nation, the force that protects and defends the border.

"Therefore, over the years, the Party and State have always paid special attention and issued a series of preferential policies for ethnic minorities. To date, there have been 138 policies to care for, improve the lives and create development conditions for ethnic minorities," the Minister summarized.

Minister Dao Ngoc Dung shared that after two terms as Commander of the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, since March this year, he has been assigned the important responsibility of leading the field of Ethnicity and Religion. Although he has just taken on the task, in the past three months, he has always felt proud to have many opportunities to meet with students of the Viet Bac High School for Ethnic Minorities at major events of the country and the Ministry.

"I was born in the lowlands but have been attached to the mountains for many years. When I was 9 years old, I lived in Chanh village, Van Chan district, old Yen Bai province (now Lao Cai province). Therefore, I understand the lives of ethnic minorities, especially the difficulties, determination and desire to study of students in the highlands.

Not every school in the lowlands has the spacious facilities like Viet Bac Mountainous High School, nor can one hear clear voices and colorful traditional costumes like here. In particular, few schools have the honor of having Uncle Ho visit them three times. That is a special pride," the Minister emphasized.

Entering the new school year, the commander of the Ethnic and Religious Affairs sector hopes that students will always strive and study hard, because according to him, "only by studying can one become a good person".

He emphasized that learning is not only about cultural knowledge, but also about the responsibility of preserving the identity, voice and language of one's people.

"You need to consider studying as your top priority. Besides studying culture, you must focus on applying information technology and improving foreign languages. This is also the school's responsibility, because only when you are good at technology and proficient in foreign languages, will you have a solid foundation to go further and make more progress," the Minister advised.

In early 1957, the Party Committee and the Administrative Committee of the Viet Bac Autonomous Region decided to establish the Viet Bac Autonomous Region's Highland Children's School and the Workers' and Peasants' Cultural Supplementary School. The establishment of the Highland Children's School and the Workers' and Peasants' Cultural Supplementary School in the center of the Viet Bac Autonomous Region demonstrated the special attention of the Party, the Government and President Ho Chi Minh to the people of the ethnic groups in the Viet Bac region.

From the first school years with many difficulties and shortages of a small school, deeply imbued with Uncle Ho's teachings when he visited the school, generations of teachers, staff and students of the school have persevered day and night, tried and strived to build the Viet Bac Highland High School to the position and prestige it has today.

The 2024-2025 school year ended with many brilliant achievements of teachers and students of Viet Bac Ethnic High School in the system of Ethnic Boarding Schools and Ethnic University Preparatory Schools nationwide. Not only in education and training, the school also excels in preserving and promoting the cultural identity of ethnic groups, is a place to spread traditional values, and is a trusted address for ethnic minority students.

In the 2024-2025 school year, the school has 18 National Excellent Students, 2 Gold Medals in International Scientific Research; 2 promising topics won the National Science and Technology Research Competition; The number and quality of provincial excellent student exams led the non-specialized group with 344 awards... In particular, last school year, the school continued to lead in the number of students admitted to the Party, the largest in the country with 39 Party members.

On the occasion of the new school year, Minister Dao Ngoc Dung presented gifts to Viet Bac High School in the Highlands.

Previously, the Minister of Ethnic Minorities and Religions worked with school leaders to listen to the thoughts and aspirations, as well as answer the concerns and worries of teachers and students before the new school year.

Meeting with the Minister, the school leaders shared that the school's facilities have seriously degraded and are difficult to meet the implementation of the general education program, especially the implementation of teaching 2 sessions/day and organizing summer activities for children and students.

The school hopes that the leaders of the Ministry of Ethnic Minorities and Religions will pay attention and direct the construction and repair of school facilities to be carried out according to plan, ensuring the service of teaching programs and other educational activities.

Sharing the school's concerns, Minister Dao Ngoc Dung directed the Ministry's Construction Investment Project Management Board to urgently complete bidding documents and coordinate with relevant units to soon start building and repairing the school's infrastructure.

"This must be prioritized so that students can soon study in a spacious, clean and beautiful school," the Minister emphasized.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/xa-hoi/truong-pho-thong-vung-cao-viet-bac-phai-coi-viec-hoc-la-nhiem-vu-hang-dau-20250905095525990.htm