Despite difficult circumstances, many poor students in Da Nang strive to improve their performance and achieve academic success. In their efforts to give poor school pupils extra strength to continue their studies for a brighter future, authorities at all levels have paid special attention to granting scholarships to help them overcome on their path to knowledge to become dutiful children, and achieve academic success.

Representatives of Hai Chau District’s Hoa Cuong Bac Ward Chapter of the Da Nang Study Encouragment Association awarding scholarships to poor students to prepare for their new school year. Photo: C.A

Cao Lam, a ninth-grader of the Pham Van Dong Junior High School in Hoa Vang District, grew up without a father figure as his mother and father separated when he was just a kid. He is currently living with his mother in a rented room in Hoa Phong Commune. During 4 years of studying in the Pham Van Dong Junior High School, Lam has achieved excellent grades. In addition, he won second prize in Physics in the district-level contest for excellent students in grade 8, won first prize in Physics in the city-level contest for excellent students in grade 9, and received scholarship from the Do Thuc Tinh Talent Promotion Award which was granted by Hoa Vang District People's Committee in the 2023-2024 accademic year.

“I feel very happy and I am honored to receive care and encouragement from my school and authorities at all levels over the past four years. That is a meaningful spiritual gift for me to study harder to achieve academic success. Currently, my goal is to pass high school entrance exam so that I can be enrolled in the Physics class at the Le Quy Don Senior High School for the Gifted," Lam said.

Nguyen Doan Thuc Ni, a twelfth-grader of the Nguyen Khuyen Junior and Senior High School is another example of overcoming difficult to excel in studies. Ni's family is living in Hoa Xuan Ward, Cam Le District, and is living in poverty. Her father passed away when she was just a kid, leaving her mother alone to cover her children's education. Not disappointing her mother, over the past years, Ni has tried to achieve excellent grades during 3 years of senior high school, won the Encouragement Award in Chemistry at the city- level contest for excellent students. With her great efforts, she was honored with the ‘Da Nang Banking Industry Study Encouragement" Scholarship Program last March by the Municipal Study Encouragement Association.

Ni confided: "My mother does not afraid to face difficulties to take good care of me as much as possible. This is the biggest motivation for me to be determined to study hard for a brighter future. Besides, the share and care of authorities at all level has helped me firmly believe that no one is left behind. The recent scholarship grant from the Municipal Study Encouragement Association was not only a meaningful spiritual gift for me but also a significant amount of money to help me pay partly tuition fees for my final year of senior high school. I will focus on studying hard to pass university entrance exam with the best possible results."

Besides their own determination, many poor students in the city have overcome adversity thanks to the support of study encouragement and talent promotion programs which have been implemented effectively by the Study Encouragement Associations at all levels.

Mr. Nguyen Minh Hung, the Chairman of the Municipal Study Encouragement Association, said that in 2023, the Association mobilized resources to award scholarships for poor school pupils and university students through long-term and short-term scholarship programs. They include the programs ‘Each organization, each individual attaches to a study encouragement address, ‘the Da Nang Banking Industry Study Encouragement Scholarship, and the Huynh Thuc Khang Talent Promotion Award of IMEXPHARM Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company.

A combined total of nearly VND 40 billion were raised to award scholarships in 2023 with 144,391 grants and the average per person of VND 32,502. The National Study Encouragement Association has set a target of the average per person of VND 32,000- VND35,000 by 2026 for Da Nang.

In the first quarter of 2024, the study encouragement associations of 7 districts raised more than VND 3.2 billion from individuals and organizations to award 5,181 scholarships. In particular, the city-level association raised VND 300 million to award 150 scholarships while its member organizations and schools mobilized 490 million VND to give 972 grants.

District-level associations have also launched talent promotion and study encouragement awards. They include the Le Van Hien Talent Promotion Award of Ngu Hanh Son District, Nguyen Chon Study Encouragement Award of Lien Chieu District, and the Do Thuc Tinh Talent Promotion Award of Hoa Vang District.

According to Mr. Le Van Hoang, the Head of the Hoa Vang District’s Education and Training Office, the Do Thuc Tinh Talent Promotion Award was established in the 2021-2022 school year but has encouraged the learning spirit of school pupils, and improve the quality of education throughout the district. Notably, all 11 junior high schools in the district sent their students to attend the city-level contest for excellent students in the 2023-2024 school year. In the end, all of the local contestants won prizes at this event. The number of winning prizes of local students is higher than in last year, of which, 18 were first prizes, an increase of 10 prizes compared to last year.

Reported by NGOC HA – Translating by H.L