Police officer runs class to eradicate illiteracy among local villagers

Lieutenant Lê Tuấn Thành, in his literacy class where he teaches 40 local ethnic people for free in H’Ra Commune, Mang Yang District, in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai. — VNA/VNS Photo

GIA LAI — After finishing his daily work as a police officer, Lieutenant Lê Tuấn Thành, 28, of H’Ra Commune, Mang Yang District, in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai, often immediately prepares the lesson for his literacy class, which he teaches for free to 40 local ethnic people.

Thành said the class had been running for nearly two months, twice a week, at a small classroom of H’Ra Primary School, with the aim to eradicate illiteracy among local people in Kret Krot Village.

Initially, the class only had 20 people, now there are about 40 people, including children and women aged 40-50.

At first, he had to ask the village head to mobilise the villagers to join the class.

Thành said he also gave small gifts such as candy to diligent students to encourage them to go to the class more often.

The commune has about 180 households, mostly Ba Na minority people, who are illiterate.

That was one of the reasons why people here face many difficulties and disadvantages in life.

In each class, he not only teaches literacy, but also integrates dissemination and legal education combined with persuading people to change their mindset and working methods for economic development, hunger eradication and poverty reduction in the commune.

Sen, a 45-year-old woman, one of the outstanding students of the class, said: “Previously, due to difficult circumstances, I was not able to go to school.”

Because she was illiterate, she encountered much difficulty when she had to conduct administrative procedures.

Lieutenant Lê Tuấn Thành shows his students how to read in his class. — VNA/VNS Photo

So, she immediately signed up to join when hearing about Thành’s class.

“Now, I can write my name and do simple calculations,” she added.

“I am grateful for Thành very much,” she said. 

Mah, 29, a woman of the village, said that thanks to joining the class, she could fill out information in the health records for her children whenever she took them to the hospital.

Thành said the class was not only a passion and desire to spread knowledge to minority people, but also a bridge between community police and the people.

Kưh, a teacher at the primary school who voluntarily supports Thành in teaching literacy for the local people, said because there were people of all ages in the class, he and Thành had to constantly employ a variety of teaching methods so that all people could absorb the lessons better.

Dung, deputy chairman of the People’s Committee of the Commune, said the local administration appreciated Thành’s class.

Thanks to the class, local people could learn knowledge and access the State’s legal documents and regulations to gradually eliminate outdated customs.

The commune would support and create the most favourable conditions for the class to be operated better in the coming time, he said.

Thành was sent from the Province’s Police Department to be in charge of two villages of Kret Krot and Bok Ayơl since June 2023. He always worked hard, not being afraid of difficulties or challenges to support local people, said Major Nguyễn Hữu Ánh, head of the commune’s Police Office.

Thành was honoured among the 20 young people living-beautifully in 2023 by the Central Việt Nam Youth Union. — VNS