50 years of national reunification: A school combining education from the North and South

Quang Tri Town High School is located on the heroic land of the Ancient Citadel, near the 17th parallel, and has gone through a proud 50-year journey of construction and development. From the early difficult days, the school was built on the ruins of war, and has now become a spacious, majestic school, a bright spot in high-qualityeducation in the province.

Although it is not a specialized school, Quang Tri Town High School has many students who have won national and international awards and has brought the Road to Olympia television show to Quang Tri three times.

PHOTO: HSA

These achievements are thanks to the contributions of many generations of teachers and students of the school, promoting the tradition of diligence and studiousness of Quang Tri people, the care and investment of the State and society, and the combination of educational experiences of the North and South.

The predecessor of Quang Tri Town High School was Trieu Phong High School, established by the Quang Tri Provincial Revolutionary People's Committee on August 16, 1975. The school is located in Beng area, Trieu Thanh commune, Trieu Phong district.

The first year the school had 3 classes, 115 students, including many former students of Nguyen Hoang High School before 1975, the largest high school in Quang Tri province in the 1950s.

The school's initial teaching staff included Mr. Lam Thi (in charge of the school) and 7 teachers: Tran Khanh Thuc, Hoang Quoc Hoi , Le Quang Nam, Le Bieu, Hoang Van Thu, Nguyen Quang Kha and Nguyen Duc Khoi. In 1976, Mr. Phan Cung was appointed principal, and in 1979 the school was renamed "High School No. 1 Trieu Hai" and moved to a 2-storey school, built on the campus of the old Nguyen Hoang School. In 1989, the school was named "Quang Tri Town High School" until now.

Dedicated teachers

From the first teachers, the school has been supplemented with many teachers, who are children of Quang Tri returning from the North and the South. They are teachers Nguyen Phuc Liem, Hoang Minh Long (Principal), Cao Xuan Thi, Pham Thi Huong Xuan, Thai Thi Sao Mai... along with teachers, who are professors of Nguyen Hoang School such as Do Tu Nhon, Ho Thi Tu, Nguyen Van Quang, Hoang Mai, Tran Van Sung, Nguyen Van Giup and Le Thanh Tri.

Teachers from the North returned with socialist education experience, with the principles: learning goes hand in hand with practice, theory is linked to reality, school is linked to family and society, labor contributes to student education. Teachers of Nguyen Hoang High School bring to the school humanistic education experience, in-depth learning, creating a foundation, focusing on comprehensive development of individual capacity.

STEM Festival 2024 at Quang Tri Town High School. From 1975 to present, the school has had over 2,380 students winning provincial-level excellent student awards, with 1,535 awards in the 2010-2025 period alone.

Photo: HSA

During the period 1975 - 1980, the school taught according to the 12-year general education program of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of South Vietnam, different from the 10-year program in the North. Teachers at Nguyen Hoang School used their experience in teaching the 12-year program to work with the professional team to research the program and textbooks to teach students.

The school's teaching staff is always dedicated to students and their homeland. Four teachers have been awarded the title of Excellent Teacher by the State, namely Mr. Hoang Minh Long, Mr. Le Bieu, Ms. Pham Thi Huong Xuan and Mr. Nguyen Tien Dung. Currently, the total number of staff, teachers and employees is 81 people, 100% of teachers are qualified and above standard, including 18 masters, 62 university and 1 college, creating a united and close-knit group, contributing to the quality of education.

A harmonious "symphony" of teaching and learning

Coming from difficult days when the homeland had just gone through a fierce war, teachers were given the responsibility of reviving the education career in the homeland, where every inch of land was soaked with the blood and bones of countless soldiers and compatriots.

Thanks to good management, high sense of responsibility of cadres, teachers and employees; thanks to applying educational experience of the North and South, together with the self-study and improvement efforts of students, a "harmonious symphony of teaching and learning" has been created. From there, the school's glorious achievements have been woven: training quality is always maintained, graduation rate reaches from 99% to 100%; ranked by the Ministry of Education and Training in the top 100 - 200 quality high schools nationwide; high university and college admission rate, reaching 80 - 90%; always at the top of provincial excellent student competitions; is a non-specialized school but has many students winning national and international prizes and 3 times brought the road to Olympia television bridge to Quang Tri. This is a strength, a unique feature, when the school focuses on promoting the maximum ability and strengths of each student.

Physics teacher Le Cong Long (middle), the instructor, along with two students Cao Trung Quan (right) and Le Minh Hieu (left) have a topic for the 2025 ISEF international competition held from May 10 to 16, 2025 in Columbus, Ohio, USA with the topic "Autonomous wheelchair to support people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in moving and communicating"

Photo: NVCC

Journey to the future: Responsibility "to those who sacrificed for their homeland"

Visiting the school in the early days of 2025, towards the 50th anniversary of the school's founding, we noticed a new determination, a new belief shining through the eyes, smiles and steps of teachers and students: that is the pride of the heroic tradition of the homeland. That is also the responsibility "to those who sacrificed for their homeland", knowing respect and promote the educational traditions of the school and homeland.

This is the foundation and motivation for the school to ensure comprehensive educational quality according to qualities, abilities and individuals, contributing to training human resources and nurturing talents for the homeland and country.

50 years of pride

From 1975 to present, the school has had over 2,380 students winning provincial-level excellent student awards, with 1,535 awards in the 2010-2025 period alone.

Regarding national excellent students, the school won over 124 awards, 79 in the period 2010 - 2025. Notably, student Pham Huy of the school won third prize in the international science and technology competition in the US in 2017 and Tran Vinh Khanh won the bronze medal in Asia - Pacific Informatics in 2023 and in 2025, a student participated in the International Science and Technology Research Competition in the US (5.2025) with the project: "Autonomous wheelchair to support people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in moving and communicating".

Tran Vinh Khanh, student of Quang Tri Town High School, the first non-specialized student in Vietnam to win the Asia-Pacific Informatics Bronze Medal (APhO 2023)

Photo: NVCC

The school always focuses on comprehensive development, self-study, self-research, and pursuing students' passions, and encourages them to participate in the Road to Olympia competition. As a result, 3 students won prizes in this competition, including Van Viet Duc, winner in 2015; Le Thanh Tan Nhat, runner-up in 2018, and Van Ngoc Tuan Kiet, third prize in 2020.

In 50 years, the school has had over 25,000 graduates. Many successful students, such as Professor Dr. Tran Thi Ly, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Giang Thach (Australian University), Major General - Dr. Nguyen Van Ky, Colonel - Dr. Tran Vinh Quang; Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Duan, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Duy Hung, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Xuan Huy, Dr. Pham The Kien, poet Vo Van Luyen, journalist Nguyen Hoan and many young businessmen and scientists at home and abroad.

With these achievements, the school has been awarded many noble prizes by the State and all levels. The President awarded the Third Class Labor Medal in 1999, Second Class in 2005 and First Class in 2010; In 2024, the school was honored to receive the Third Class Independence Medal.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/50-nam-dat-nuoc-thong-nhat-ngoi-truong-ket-hop-giao-duc-2-mien-nam-bac-185250412231732989.htm