THE HISTORY OF DAM DOI HIGH SCHOOL

HDSP — *Pedagogical Council of Dam Doi High School*

Dam Doi is a remote district located in the southeast of Ca Mau Province. During the two resistances to the French colonialism and the American imperialism, Dam Doi was a land which was suffering a lot from pain and loss. It was a revolutionary base area of which the residents held a deep patriotism. After 1975, like other southern areas, the problem of literacy triggered a desire for “learning” among those people here. In accordance with the guidance of the Communist Party and public expectation, on September 9^th, 1980, the People's Committee of Minh Hai Province (now Ca Mau - Bac Lieu) issued Decision No. 180/CTUB to officially establish Ngoc Hien High School, then renamed it Dam Doi High School.
The development of Dam Doi High School can be divided into 4 periods:
1. From 1980 to 1990: Founding and developing through difficulties and challenges
In the early years of establishment, the school encountered many difficulties: the lack of teachers, poor facilities with only 4 simple classrooms made of local trees. After the fire in 1983, the school was burned down and had to temporarily borrow the facilities from a seafood factory. During this period, the residents’ lives in general, and those of teachers in particular were facing many difficulties. This was the period when there were years of mass quality and low graduation rate, but some bright sides were highlighted. In the school year 1985-1986, the school won 1 prize of Literature in the Contest for the Gifted at the national level. It could be said that this was a tough period of establishment and development, but the school still maintained the teaching-learning discipline, which showed great efforts of the teachers at the first phase.
2. From 1990 to 2000: Consolidating and overcoming difficulties to rise up
This was the stage of stepping into stability and development. Mr. Nguyen Ai became the principal in 1987, replacing Mr. Nguyen Tat Thang. He took steps to "reform", which brought about many positive meanings. With the support of the Department of Education Leader, of the Party Committees and local authorities, the process of "renovation" made many positive changes. The order and discipline in teaching and learning were gradually re-established. The teaching staff was stable in ideology, solidarity, love for teaching career and high sense of responsibility. Key school positions were assigned to the teachers who had "heart and vision". Therefore, the school discipline was set up, and the "good teaching, good learning" emulation was promoted effectively.
In the school year 1990-1991, 2 students from the school won 2 prizes in the Contest for the Gifted at the national level. Since then, the number of gifted students in the provincial and national contests was uneven but gradually increased. Mass quality, graduation rate and university admission rate stabilized and developed. The school's achievements in this period were recognized with the title of 8 consecutive years as an Advanced School, awarded the Emulation Flag and Certificate of Merit by the Provincial People's Committee.
3. From 2000 to 2012: Carrying on the innovation to affirm, develop and reach out
Since the school year 2000-2001, the quality of Dam Doi High School has always achieved high and sustainable outcomes: graduation rate was from 90% or more (100% in some years), gifted students in the provincial and national contests achieved high results. The school had around 150 students who entered the university annually following Aspiration 1. If calculating Aspiration 2 and 3, the number was from 300 to 400 students.
During this period, the school was awarded the Third-class Labor Medal in 2006 and the Second-class Labor Medal in 2010.
Especially in 2012, Dam Doi High School was the first high school to be recognized as the school of national standards in Ca Mau Province.

4. From 2012 up to now: Inheriting and developing traditional values, and forming new merits
Since the school year 2012-2013, our school has kept promoting the traditional values of many generations of teachers and the previous generations of students who have made enormous efforts to create such a "brand" in the education industry of Dam Doi District.
The graduation rate in many consecutive years is 100%, and the percentage of students passing the university admissions is always over 80%.
The results of Contests for the Gifted at the provincial level are always ranked second in Ca Mau Province (behind Phan Ngoc Hien High School for the Gifted).
In the school year 2021-2022, particularly, despite the complicated situation of the Covid-19 pandemic, with all of the teachers’ efforts, Dam Doi High School continued to maintain and promote the tradition of “good teaching, good learning” emulation to achieve new outcomes and merits.
- Results of Contest for the Gifted at the provincial level: Dam Doi High School had 75 students win 5 first prizes, 29 second prizes, 21 third prizes and 20 consolation prizes. Among those, 55 students winning the third prize or higher participated in the selection round for the National Contest in October 2022.
- Results of Contest for the Gifted at the national level: 5 students were selected for the national contest team, and 1 student won the second prize in Physics. Over the past 42 years of establishment, it was the very first time the school had had a student selected for the International and Regional Olympiad. Surprisingly, Tran Nguyen Bao was the only candidate to study at a non-specialized school competing at this Olympiad.

- Results of the Science and Engineering Fair at the provincial level: 5 prizes were awarded out of 6 projects, including 1 first prize, 1 second prize, 2 third prizes, and 1 consolation prize. One project was selected for the national level.
- 100% of 12^th grade students passed the national high school graduation exam in 2022, which showed that they had completed their studying tasks with flying colors.
+ The average score and the average rate were >= 5, with 9 out of 9 subjects passing the provincial criteria, and 7 out of 9 subjects passing national rate.
+ Scores of subject combinations for the university admission: 71% of students gained 20 points or more for the 3-subject combinations. 35% of students got 24 points or more. 89.7% of students passed the first round of university entrance exam. Especially, out of 10 students from Ca Mau Province admitted to the Vietnam People’s Police University, 4 students were from Dam Doi High School. Out of 5 students from Ca Mau Province admitted to the Vietnam People’s Security University, 2 students were from Dam Doi High School. Among 107 students admitted to Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy, the school had 23 students (particularly in the field of Medicine, out of 67 students in Ca Mau were 16 students from Dam Doi High School).

Over the past four stages of development, a number of students from Dam Doi High School have grown up and become good citizens. Many students are key officials in the locality, departments of Ca Mau Province and the neighboring provinces. Some have become doctors, engineers, teachers, and experts in other careers who are actively contributing to the industrialization and modernization of the country. Some of them have completed their Master’s or Doctorate degrees. Among the pedagogical team of Dam Doi High School today, more than 72 teachers are the school alumni, who used to be good and excellent students while they were studying at this school.

In the development process, we always remember the merits of generations of teachers who have been devoted to creating the school reputation. We will permanently remember and appreciate our teachers: Mr. Nguyen Son Truong, Mr. Nguyen Tat Thang, Mrs. Ly Phuong Dung, Mr. Nguyen Dinh Lap, Mr. Duong Quoc Trung, Mr. Ho Si Son, Mr. Ngo Huu Phuc, Mr. Le Duc Thuc, Mr. Nguyen Van Ninh, Mr. Dao Anh Quan, Mr. Thi Van Tri, Mr. Phan Manh Thong, Mr. Dang Van Luu, Mr. Phan Xuan Hoang, Mr. Nguyen Van Hung, Mrs. Dang Tra My, Mr. Le Van Hue, Mr. Vo Van Hieu, Mr. Nguyen Thi Hien, Mr. Trinh Hung, Mr. Tran Huu Su, Mr. Ngo Thai Ha, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Kim Lien, Mr. Chau Van Tuy, Mr. Vo Thanh Hung, Mr. Do Thanh Hong, Mr. Thi Minh Duong, Mr. Tran Chi Phong, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Tuyet Hoa, and many other teachers.

Fighting against difficulties for over forty years, the school has always received timely and responsible cares of the District Party Committee, the People's Council, the People's Committee of Dam Doi District, the Department of Education and Training of Ca Mau Province, the Parents' Association, and social organizations. In particular, thanks to the “good teaching, good learning” emulation of the primary schools and secondary schools in Dam Doi District, Dam Doi High School are lucky to educate many good students from these schools. Specifically, Dam Doi District always ranks the 2^nd, behind Ca Mau City, for the results of the contest for secondary school gifted students at provincial level. In addition, Dam Doi High School students are studious. The parents are interested in their children's learning, and cooperate well with the school. That is an enormous encouragement to help the school overcome difficulties and challenges to build up what it is today. The school will certainly receive more support from these great sources in the upcoming development process to reach high, reach out and to create new values.

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