Proud of tradition

Điện Biên provincial Ethnic Boarding High School originated as the Mường Lay Dormitory Area, established in October 1956 at Đồi Cao, Mường Lay town, former Lai Châu province. At its inception amid post-war hardships, the school had only two teachers, two service staff, and 29 first-grade pupils. Across its journey of development, driven by the demands of historical periods, the school underwent six renamings and seven relocations - from Mường Lay, Pa Ham, and Mường Xo to Noong Hẹt, Tuần Giáo, and beyond.

Looking back on that journey, Meritorious Teacher Đào Hoài Nam, former Rector of the school, recalled the period he assumed leadership in early 2004, coinciding with the administrative split of Lai Châu province into Điện Biên and Lai Châu provinces. He shared: “That was a deeply challenging phase for local education in general and the provincial ethnic boarding school in particular. Entering a new era, we were confronted with innumerable trials and hardships. For me personally, those were years of wholehearted dedication and entrusted responsibility.”

From rudimentary classrooms lacking basic facilities, through the persistent endeavors of generations of staff, teachers, and pupils across eras, the school progressively affirmed its pivotal role in cultivating human resources for the locality, particularly ethnic minority youths.

According to the school’s review, 200 alumni currently hold leadership and management positions from the provincial to grassroots tiers; over 100 comrades serve as Party secretaries, People’s Committee chairpersons, and division heads at the commune level across both Điện Biên and Lai Châu provinces; over 50 alumni serve as directors and deputy directors of provincial departments, boards, and sectors; and more than 1,000 cadres, civil servants, public employees, educators, physicians, engineers, and armed forces officers who graduated from the school are working directly in exceptionally disadvantaged areas of the province.

This contingent forms an ethnic minority intelligentsia endowed with academic competence, political mettle, and a spirit of service, playing a vital role in socio-economic development, hunger eradication, poverty reduction, new rural construction, national defense, security preservation, and consolidating great national unity.

Nguyễn Văn Đoạt, Member of the Executive Board of the provincial Party Committee and Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, stated: “The 70-year journey of Điện Biên provincial Ethnic Boarding High School is a vivid testament to the effectiveness of a sound policy carrying strategic vision from the Party and State. From an arduous beginning, the school has continuously ascended to become a symbol of knowledge, willpower, and aspirations to excel among ethnic peoples in Điện Biên province.”

Steadfastly advancing toward the future

Inheriting the heritage of preceding generations, Điện Biên provincial Ethnic Boarding High School continuously enhances faculty quality, renovates pedagogical methodologies, and prioritizes comprehensive education for students. Currently, the school comprises 98 educators, staff, and employees, including 28 master’s degree holders and 51 bachelor’s degree holders. With an enrollment of 1,050 students across 30 classes representing 19 brotherly ethnic groups, the school fosters a learning environment rich in cultural diversity. Notably, 29 students belong to extremely small ethnic minority groups, including the Cống, Si La, and Mảng.

To elevate instructional quality, teachers actively research, innovate methodologies, and apply technology in classroom instruction. During the 2021-2026 period, the school recorded seven initiatives recognized for provincial-level scope and efficacy, alongside 96 initiatives accredited at the sectoral tier. Annually, more than 1,000 teaching periods integrating information technology are conducted across the school.

Dedication from educators and proactive methodological innovation are reflected in students’ academic and moral training results. Annually, the proportion of students attaining “Good” and “Fair” conduct and training ratings exceeds 98%; the high school graduation rate reaches 100%; and over 80% of students gain admission into universities and academies on their first preference. In the 2021-2026 period in particular, the school’s students earned 1,252 provincial-level academic excellence awards, ranking second province-wide. These outcomes affirm educational quality while laying a solid groundwork for generations of students to pursue further studies, hone character, and mature.

Vũ Trung Hoàn, Rector of the school, shared: “To achieve breakthroughs in the era of digital technology and artificial intelligence, the school identifies elevating faculty competence and driving digital transformation as breakthrough solutions. By 2030, the school strives to have over 60% of teachers holding master’s degrees or higher; 100% of cadres and teachers trained to master technology and apply artificial intelligence (AI) in teaching; synchronized digital school records and electronic dossiers; combined with the effective operation of smart classrooms and modern STEM laboratories.”

In parallel with advancing educational quality, the school places special emphasis on preserving and promoting ethnic cultural identities through curriculum instruction, extracurricular activities, and the Club of Việt Namese Ethnic Cultures. Political education and Party member recruitment among students are also prioritized, helping foster a younger generation endowed with mettle, responsibility, and readiness to contribute to homeland development. Alongside classroom instruction, the school cares attentively for boarding students’ daily welfare and accommodation, providing an orderly learning and living environment that helps students study with peace of mind, adapt to life away from home, and grow independent.

Carrying forward the 70-year tradition of building and maturing, with a proactive stance, high sense of responsibility, and resolve to innovate, the collective of cadres, teachers, and students of Điện Biên provincial Ethnic Boarding High School continues to strive to elevate educational standards, safeguard the values nurtured by earlier generations, and build a steadfastly developing institution that contributes to human resource cultivation for Điện Biên.