Thủ Đức Demonstration High School: A Modern Educational Policy and Teaching Method of the Republic of Vietnam

(Thủ Đức Demonstration High School, 1965 – 1975, Republic of Vietnam.)

Vinh-The Lam

For many years, in their conversation about the pre-1975 education in South Vietnam, especially when referring to high schools, the overseas Vietnamese people only mentioned the big ones such as Petrus Ký, Gia Long High schools in Sài Gòn, or Nguyễn Đình Chiểu, Lê Ngọc Hân High Schools in Mỷ Tho, or Phan Thanh Giản, Đoàn Thị Điểm High Schools in Cần Thơ, or Quốc Học, Đồng Khánh High Schools in Huế.   They almost never mentioned Thủ Đức Demonstration High School (TDDHS), directly under the jurisdiction of the Faculty of Pedagogy, University of Sài Gòn (FPUSG), although this school was opened in 1965, and thus had existed for ten years, and, in fact, had made important contributions to the Republic of Vietnam’s (RVN) educational system.  The author of this article, having worked at this school for five years (1966-1971), both as Teacher of Social Studies (i.e., History & Geography) and Librarian, is trying to introduce the main features of this school, which caused it to become the symbol of the real modern educational policy and teaching method of the RVN. 

ESTABLISHMENT OF TDDHS

The foundation of the educational system of the independent Vietnam was firmly laid in 1945 under the first Vietnamese Government of Prime Minister Trần Trọng Kim by Minister of Education Hoàng Xuân Hãn.  Vietnamese was used in teaching but the whole system, “hệ thống tổ chức, tổ chức thi cử, và chương trình học vẫn giữ được những nét chính của chương trình Pháp.” [1] (translation: organization structure, examination system, and instructional program were following the main characteristics of the French program).  Under the First Republic, there was a national conference on education in 1958 called “Hội Thảo Giáo Dục Toàn Quốc.” [2] (translation: National Educational Seminar).  It was this national education seminar that created the Vietnamese educational philosophy with the three following principles: Dân tộc, Nhân bản, và Khai phóng (translation: National, Humanistic, and Open).  The second national educational seminar, organized in 1964, re-confirmed these three principles, with a minor change: the third principle was changed from Khai phóng (Open) to Khoa học (Scientific).[3] It was exactly during this period of time that we witnessed the appearance of several published articles discussing “a new educational system” for the RVN.  The FPUSG has taken a further step, not just involving in the discussion of that issue, but implementing a concrete educational project: establishing the TDDHS.  In the Dự Án Đại Cương (translation: General Project), submitted to the academic council of the FPUSG, Professor Dương Thiệu Tống, the first Principal of the TDDHS, has stated:

“Chương trình ấy chỉ có thể thực hiện không phải bằng những cuộc bàn cải về lý thuyết mà phải là kết quả của các cuộc nghiên cứu và thí nghiệm.” [4]

(translation: Such a program can only be achieved not by theoretical discussions but by the results of research and experimentation.) 

It was pretty obvious that the TDDHS would be the place for that research and experimentation program.  And, in fact, the TDDHS, seen from any angle, from its educational philosophy, its evaluation system (examinations), to its physical facilities, its instructional staff, its method of teaching and learning, represented everything totally new, never-existing in Vietnam in general, and in the RVN in particular, resulting from a research and experimentation program for a “new education” in the RVN.

The RVN’s Ministry of Culture and Education officially approved the establishment of the TDDHS by the following two decrees:

“Trường Trung-học Kiểu-Mẫu Thủ-Đức trực thuộc Đại-Học Sư-Phạm Saigon là một Trường Trung-Học Đệ-Nhị-Cấp thiết lập do Nghị-định số 945-GD/PC/NĐ sửa đổi bởi nghị dịnh số 840/GD/PC/NĐ, ngày 12-6-1965 của Bộ Văn-Hóa Giáo-Dục.” [5]

(translation: The Thủ Đức Demonstration High School, under jurisdiction of the Faculty of Pedagogy, University of Sài Gòn, is a Senior High School established by Decree No. 945-GD/PC/NĐ modified by Decree No. 840/GD/PC/NĐ, dated June 12, 1965, issued by the Ministry of Culture and Education.)

EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY OF TDDHS

Based on the evaluations by the educators during the twenty years since our country became independent (1945-1965), and the two national educational seminars of 1958 and 1964, resulting in the three main basic principles (National, Humanistic, and Open, later changing to Scientific), Professor Dương Thiệu Tống, having made the two following obvervations: [6]

• Học đường tách rời với xã hội, kiến thức tách rời với thực tế (translation: schools separated from society, knowledge separated from reality)
• Thiếu sự hướng dẫn do đó trẻ không được phát triển theo đúng khả năng (transation: Lack of guidance, children cannot develop themselves according to their capacities)

recommended the following educational philosophy for the TDDHS:

“Phương pháp giáo dục mới ở các nước tân tiến hiện nay dựa trên nguyên tắc của Khoa Tâm Lý giáo dục.  Trẻ khác nhau về khả năng (ability), hứng thú (interests) và phải được phát triển toàn diện (full development).  Dựa trên nguyên tắc ấy học đường và phương pháp giáo dục phải làm sao đặt trọng tâm vào việc tìm hiểu hướng dẫn và phát triển khả năng và sở thích của trẻ.  Do đó, bên cạnh lối giáo dục phổ thông, phải có giáo dục hướng nghiệp để chuẩn bị cho thanh thiêu niên có sẳn năng khiếu và hứng thú có thể lựa chọn nghề nghiệp thích hợp sau này; như vậy tránh được sự lãng phí về nhân lực như đã nói ở trên và tạo nên sự quân bình về các ngành hoạt động Văn Hóa, Mỹ Thuật, Kinh tế vv…. trong xã hội Việt Nam tương lai.” [7]

(translation: The new instructional method in developed countries is currently based on Educational Psychology.  Children are different by their abilities and interests, and should be helped to have full development.  Based on this principle, schools and instructional methods should be focused on understanding and helping children develop their abilities and interests.  Therefore, beside the general education, there should also be career-oriented education in order to help children improve their skills and interests so that they would be able to choose appropriate professions in the future; and, thus, we could avoid the above-mentioned waste of human resources and create a balance for Cultural, Artistic, Economic … activities in the future Vietnamese society.) 

INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM OF TDDHS

The instructional program implemented at the TDDHS was totally based on the educational philosophy just mentioned.  More specifically, its instructional program was a comprehensive one, comprising two distinct parts:

• General education: including all disciplines being taught in high schools all over the country, such as, Philosophy (only for Grade 12), Vietnamese language, Foreign Languages (English and French), History-Geography (under new name of Social Studies), Mathematics, Physics-Chemistry, Biology, and Arts-Music-Physical Education (only for the first-cycle classes)
• Career-oriented education: including Agriculture, Industrial Arts, Business, and Home Economics

The career-oriented education had the following objectives: [8] 

• Providing solution for the contemporary educational system having the following weaknesses: “totally theoretical, rote learning, impractical, not helping youth get ready for life” by equipping students with “needed basic skills … to complement the theoretical knowledge.”

• Meeting the needs of Vietnamese economy, getting rid of the obsolete concept of “sĩ, nông, công, thương” (translation: scholars, farmers, artisans, merchants), training middle-level technicians for all trades.

• Meeting “the technical challenges of the twentieth century … the century of mechanical civilization.”

• Helping students “to suppress the contempt for manual labour work, to understand clearly the importance and value of all trades,” and also “to learn how to organize work, to understand team spirit, and to maintain good working relationships with team members.”

• Career-oriented education was not aimed at producing specialists; its objective was only to provide students with all the needed knowledge and information so that it would be easier for them to choose the right professions in the future.

Based on these objectives, the importance of the main disciplines in the career-oriented education, Industrial Arts, Home Economics, and Business, was clearly defined with their contents being designed as follows:

Industrial Arts: (from now on, referred to as IA) 

• Importance: [9]

• IA helping students know how to use, repair, and even make machines and tools

• IA helping students grasp the importance and value of machines and tools for in-house use, and know how to fix them, avoiding waste

• IA helping students obtain a solid base to attend technical schools or higher educational institutions in engineering after their completion of secondary education

• IA also helping students develop their creativity, sharpen their initiatives, and grasp team work technique

• Specific contents: [10] 

•  Technical drawing: including all kinds of drawings

• Mechanical drawing 

• Geometrical drawing

• Architectural drawing

• Decorative drawing

• Metalworking drawing

• Light industries:

• Wood: characteristics of wood, house wooden things and furniture

• Electricity: domestic electricity, home appliances, radio, TV 

• Printing: movable type assembling, newspaper printing, film processing, zincography

• Arts and crafts: crystals, ceramics, tanning, plastics

• Heavy industries:

• Metalworking: hot (foundry, metallurgy …), and cold

• Energy and mechanics: natural energy (wind, water, coal …), engines (combustion engines, Honda scooter repair…)

• Instructional program distribution:

• Grades 6 + 7: introduction to IA, general principles, role of the consumer, basic knowledge of production and materials (focus on technical drawing)

• Grades 8 + 9: basics on hand tools, skills needed in machine shops

• Grade 10: focus on heavy industries

• Grades 11 + 12: principles of self-production; selection of a career in technical colleges; national resources; shop organization and manpower

Home Economics: (from now on, referred to as HE)

• Importance: [11] HE provided girl students with women’s basic knowledge in the following areas:
  • Foods
  • Nutrition
  • Fabrics and sewing
  • Child care
  • Health care for self, children and elders in family
  • House care and decoration
  • Marriage preparations; relationships between individuals, family, and community
• Program distribution for grades [12]
  • Grade 6:
    • Self care: health and clothes
    • Sewing and Fabrics I
    • Food and Nutrition I
    • Responsibilities in family
  • Grade 7:
    • Self improvement
    • Care of appearance
    • Sewing and Fabrics II
    • Food and Nutrition II
    • Utilization of money, time, and energy
  • Grade 8:
    • Sewing and Fabrics III
    • Laundry
    • Care of sick and older people
    • Food and Nutrition III
    • Self and family
  • Grade 9:
    • Fine art in daily life
    • House and household things
    • Child care
    • Professions and the female sex
  • Grade 10:
    • Family budget
    • Family expenses
    • Family management
    • Sewing
  • Grade 11:
    • Preparations for conjugal life
    • Child care
    • Child food
  • Grade 12:
    • Youth in community life
    • Household issues in family life and community life
    • Family food

Business Education: [13] (from now on, referred to as BE)

• For thousands of years, Vietnamese people believed in the social class system of “Sĩ, Nông, Công,Thương” (translation: Scholars, Farmers, Workers, Merchants) leading to the current situation of the economy in general and business in particular being under the total control of foreigners
• To get rid of that situation, BE should be included in the general secondary education program, classed at the same rank with other disciplines such as literature, science, and mathematics; students should be provided with the needed knowledge to understand practical economic problems that are useful in the daily life
• BE would help students understand the importance of business in the wealth of the nation
• BE would also help student become good citizens having basic useful business skills such as typing, accounting, shorthand, sales, etc.

In addition to the above-mentioned general and career-oriented instructional programs, the TDDHS also had a number of extra-curricular departments, which were very active and made good contributions to the effective learning of the students.  The first one was the Guidance and Counselling Department headed by Mr. Phạm Văn Quảng with the assistance of Ms. Dương Thủy Ngân and Ms. Mai Thị Thanh.  This Department provided students with assistance in my areas such as: studying (e.g. selection of elective courses), career orientation, psychological and/or family problems, etc.  It also worked hand in hand with the other two extra-curriculum departments: the Moral Education Guidance Department (with Mr. Nguyễn Nhã as Head, and Ms. Huỳnh Thị Bạch Tuyết, Ms. Dương Thị Kim Sơn, and Mr. Pham Văn Quảng as members), and the Student Activities Department (headed by Mr. Trần Ngọc Ban). TDDHS reserved every Thursday afternoon for these student activities, which also included Boy and Girl Scout activities under Scout Chiefs Dương Văn Hóa, Huỳnh Văn Nhì and Dương Thị Kim Sơn.

EVALUATION SYSTEM OF TDDHS

The TDDHS was the first high school in the RVN that completely switched from the number-grading system (from 0 to 20) to the letter-grading system (A, B, C, D, and L) as follows: [14]

• A: Excellent
• B: Good
• C: Satisfactory
• D: Pass
• L:  Fail

The weekly or monthly assignments and final examinations were “soạn chủ yếu dưới dạng trắc nghiệm với nhiều kiểu khác nhau: điền khuyết, chọn lựa, trả lời vắn tắt.” [15] (translation: mostly prepared in the form of different types of multiple choice tests: fill-up, selection, short answers).

“Học sinh được chọn vào trường trên căn bản thi tuyển tự do và cạnh tranh. Trường Trung Học Kiểu Mẫu Thủ Đức đi tiên phong trong việc dùng đề thi trắc nghiệm trong việc khảo thí.   Muốn lên lớp 12, học sinh phải đậu bằng Hoàn Tất Mỹ Mãn Lớp 11.  Muốn tốt nghiệp lớp 12, học sinh phải đậu kỳ thi Chứng Chỉ Thành Chung Trung Học Tổng Hợp (sau này đổi tên thành Tú Tài Tổng Hợp).  Vì lý do thử nghiệm của chương trình giáo dục tổng hợp, hai kỳ thi trên được tổ chức trong trường theo đúng tinh thần các nghị định của Bộ Giáo Dục, có thêm phần thi vấn đáp nhiều môn học.  Cách chấm điểm của các kỳ thi này có phần khó hơn lối chấm điểm trong các kỳ thi Tú Tài phổ thông bên ngoài.   Hai bằng này được coi là tương đương và hưởng cùng quyền lợi như văn bằng Tú Tài I và Tú Tài II.” [16]

(translation: Students were selected through a free and competitive entrance examination.  The Thủ Đức Demonstration High School was the first one to apply an examination system using multiple choice tests.  In order to be accepted to Grade 12, students must pass the certificate of Hoàn Tất Mỹ Mãn Lớp 11 (Successful Completion of Grade 11).  In order to graduate from Grade 12, students must pass the examination for Chứng Chỉ Thành Chung Trung Học Tổng Hợp (Certificate of Completion of Comprehensive Secondary Education).  These two examinations, having both written and oral parts, were organized at the school, following exactly the spirit of the two decrees of the Ministry of Education establishing the school to experiment the comprehensive secondary education.  The grading system applied in these two examinations was more rigid than the one applied in the two regular nation-wide Baccalaureate examinations.  The two certificates were officially considered as equivalent to the Baccalaureate I and Baccalaureate II Diplomas.)

PHYSICAL FACILITIES OF TDDHS

 

“Trường Trung học Kiểu Mẫu Thủ đức được xây dựng trong Khu Trung Tâm Đại Học Thủ Đức, cách đường Xa lộ Biên Hòa khoảng 1.000 m và cách trung tâm Sàigòn khoảng 16 km, thuộc xã Linh Xuân Thôn, Quận Thủ Đức, tỉnh Gia Định (nay là Q.Thủ Đức, Tp.HCM).  Diện tích xây cất khu trường là 5.107 m2 (kể cả khu trường mới của Đại học Sư phạm Sàigòn) trên khuôn viên khoảng 5 ha.  Kinh phí xây dựng là 40 triệu đồng cho xây cất cả khu (tài khóa 1963), 6 triệu đồng cho trang bị bàn ghế cho các lớp học và văn phòng, trang bị sơ khởi cho các Phòng Thí Nghiêm. (tài khóa 1964).” [17]

(translation: The Thủ Đức Demonstration High School was built in the Thủ Đúc University Center, about 1000 m off the Biên Hòa Highway, and about 16 km from Saigon downtown, within Linh Xuân Thôn village, District of Thủ Đức, Province of Gia Định (currently District of Thủ Đúc, Hồ Chí Minh City).  The built area was 5,107 square meters (including the part for the new location of the Faculty of Pedagofy, University of Sài Gòn) on a 5-hectare campus.  The total cost was 40 million Dong for its construction (Fiscal Year 1963), plus 6 million Dong for furniture in classrooms, offices, and preliminary laboratory equipment (Fiscal Year 1964).) 

In 1965, when the construction was just completed, the TDDHS was the high school with the most massive and the most impressive physical facilities in the RVN.

This massive and impressive school was designed by Mr. Ngô Viết Thụ, the most famous architect of the RVN, who had obtained the prestigious Prix de Rome award in 1955, and who also later designed the newly rebuilt Independence Palace (Dinh Độc Lập), official residence of the President of the RVN under the Second Republic.  The construction of the school began on May 26, 1963 and was completed on March 30, 1964.

Aerial photo of TDDHS taken in 1965 when its construction was just completed

Note: 1) Building A (new location of FPUSG)

2) Auditorium, and Buildings B, C, and D all belonging to the TDDHS

Later, in 1971, the TDDHS received a grant from USAID (Unitec States Agency for International Development) to build a new and very large club – cafeteria capable of seating around 600 students:

Club – cafeteria of TDDHS added in 1971

With such physical facitities, the TDDHS had the capability of having classrooms appropriately equipped for specific subjects taught according to the comprehensive education program implemented: 

• Classrooms for IA: with machines needed for each of the subjects like Technical Drawing, Woodworking, Electricity, Printing, etc. 

• Classrooms for HE: with machines needed for each subject like Sewing and Fabrics, Foods and Nurition, etc.  

• Classrooms for BE: with typewriters, calculators, etc.

 

• Laboratories for Physics-Chemistry and Biology with needed laboratory equipment, microscopes, etc.

• Classrooms for Social Studies (History-Geography): with needed maps, globes, projectors, etc.  

     

• Classrooms for elective courses like Music and Fine Art:

• Experimental garden for Agriculture: the piece of open land beside Building C was used as experimental garden for Agriculture

Another outstanding feature among the physical facilities of the TDDHS, which even the large high schools like Petrus Ký, Gia Long, Chu Văn An, and Trưng Vương did not have, was its Library.  

What was called “library” at these large high schools was, in reality, just a book storage room, completely without any library functions, only used to store textbooks that were loaned to the students at the beginning of the school year, and returned at the end of the year.  The person responsible for the “library” was just some administrative employee, a clerk, or a “giám thị = surveillant,” without any library training.  (This situation was only improved beginning in 1968 when a unit of USAID, the Library Development Authority, began to organize basic library training courses for teacher-librarians).  The TDDHS Library, on the contrary, was a real library with all library functions and with a professionally-trained librarian.  Its first librarian was Mr. Nguyễn Ứng Long, who graduated from the FPUSG, Section English in 1961, then went to study in the U.S., obtained a Master of Library Science (M.L.S.) from George Peabody College, Nashville, Tennessee.  Later, in 1970, Mr. Long left TDDHS and served as Director of National Library and Archives.  His successor was Mr. Lâm Vĩnh Thế (author of this article), who also graduated from FPUSG, Section History-Geography in 1963, and was sent by Principal Phạm Văn Quảng to attend the 3-week basic library training course offered in Sài Gòn by the USAID’s Library Development Authority.   Later, in 1971, Mr. Thế received a scholarship from USAID, went to study in the U.S., and obtained a M.L.S. from Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York.  Upton his return from the U.S., Mr. Thế was elected President of the Vietnamese Library Association (VLA), and appointed Head, Library Science Department, Faculty of Literature and the Humanities, Vạn Hạnh University.   During the time of his study in the U.S., Mr. Thế was replaced by Mr. Nguyễn Ngọc Hoàng, who graduated at the top of his class from FPUSG, Section History-Geography in 1970.  Later, Mr. Hoàng took the Library Development Authority’s basic library training course, and also graduated from the FPUSG’s one-year intermediate library training program (1971-72).  Mr. Thế has written an article on the TDDHS Library published in the Thư viện tập san (Library journal), official organ of the VLA: [18]

Introductory part of online document “The Library of the Thủ Đức Demonstration High School” accessible in full-text in Webpage “Tuyển tập Vĩnh Nhơn Lâm Vĩnh Thế”

TEACHING STAFF OF TDDHS

The TDDHS used to have an extremely strong and competent teaching staff, which included a large majority of senior-high-school teachers professionally trained by the FPUSG covering all subjects in the secondary education program.  A number of these teachers would be granted scholarships to go to study in the U.S., and later obtained Master of Education degrees from accredited U.S. graduate programs.

The TDDHS, from the time it was opened (1965) until it was closed down for good after the event of April 30, 1975, has been under the management of five successive Pricipals:

• Mr. Dương Thiệu Tống: 1965-1966
• Ms. Nguyễn Thị Nguyệt: 1966-1968
• Mr. Phạm Văn Quảng: 1968-1972
• Mr. Dương Văn Hóa: 1972-1974
• Mr. Huỳnh Văn Nhì: 1974-1975 

When it was opened for the first school year in 1965, its teaching staff included 21 teachers for all subjects as follows: [19]  

(translation: The Thủ Đức Demonstration High School (TDDHS) began its first school year in 1965 as a high school with the most massive physical facilities in the country, and with a teaching staff of 21 teachers for all required subjects.  Among this teaching staff, there were a number of teachers having graduated from American universities such as: Mr Dương Thiệu Tống (Principal), Mr. Phạm Văn Quảng (Guidance and Counselling), Mr. Nguyễn Ứng Long (Library), Mr, Trần Cẩm Hồng (Industrial Arts), Ms. Dương Thị Kim Sơn and Ms. Huỳnh Thị Bạch Tuyết (Home Economics), Mr. Nguyễn Huy Du (Surveillant Général).  Beside there were some other teachers, who have graduated from the Faculty of Pedagogy, University of Sài Gòn (FPUSG): Mr. Mguyễn Văn Tâm and Ms. Trương Thị Lệ Khanh (Biology; for Ms. Lệ Khanh, the author of this article is not certain if she graduated from Sài Gòn, or from Huế), Mr. Trịnh Tiến Đạt (Physics-Chemistry), Mr. Huỳnh Hữu Thế (Mathematics), Ms. Dương Thủy Ngân (French Language), Mr. Phan Hồng Lạc and Mr. Phạm Văn Đang (Vietnamese Language), Mr. Nguyễn Hữu Phước and Mr. Trần Ngọc Ban (Social Studies).  It is noteworthy to mention that teachers graduating from the Faculty of Pedagogy were all senior-high-school teachers, i.e. only teaching senior grades 10 to 12, but here at the TDDHS they all accepted to teach just junior grades, in this case only Grades 6 and 7.  In addition to these teachers, TDDHS included the following teachers: Mr. Nguyễn Văn Trường (Mathematics; he had a Master of Mathematics from France; before joining the teaching staff of TDDHS, Mr, Trường had served as Minister of Education in the Trần Văn Hương Cabinet; later, Mr. Trường would serve again as Minister of Education in General Nguyễn Cao Kỳ’s War Cabinet), Ms. Nguyễn Thị Nguyệt (French Language, coming back from France), Mr. Đỗ Quang Giao (Agriculture), Mrs. Bùi Kim Nhiệm (Business Education), Mr. Lan Đài (Music), and Ms. Hoàng Hương Trang (Fine Art).) 

Introductory part of “Chung một giấc mơ,” (We had a dream), printed in “Nhìn về trường xưa: đặc san 2006, Trung Học Kiểu Mẫu Thủ Đức” (Looking back to our old school: special collection 2006, Thủ Đức Demonstration High School)

(Note: Mr. Lan Đài (Music), real name Nguyễn Kim Đài, composer of famous songs Chiều Thương Nhớ (An Afternoon of Remembrance, lyrics by Hoàng Hương Trang), Tà Áo Tím (The Robe Flap in Violet), etc. ; Ms. Hoàng Hương Trang (Fine Art), real name Hoàng Thị Diệm Phương, a graduate from Trường Cao Đẳng Mỹ Thuật Gia Định (Gia Định College of Fine Arts)) 

Later, as the number of students kept growing, the needs for more teachers also increased, the TDDHS’s teaching staff was strengthened with a large number of new teachers, who were mostly senior-high-school teachers with several years of teaching experience selected from high schools all over the country:

• Philosophy Department: Teachers Mai Ngọc Đĩnh, and Nguyễn Hữu Hiệp
• Vietnamese Language Department: Teachers Nghiêm Minh Châu, Võ Thị Cưu, Phan Thị Bích Hà, Nguyễn Văn Hiệp, Trần Thái Hồng, Dương Đức Khoáng, Nguyễn Thị Tống Sơn, Mai Thị Thanh, Nguyễn Chí Thành, Nguyễn Thị Kim Thơ, Trương Thị Lệ Thủy, Phạm Xuân Tích, Vũ Xuân Tràng, and Đinh Đắc Vỹ
• French Language Department: Teachers Phan Thị Bạch Điểu, Nguyễn Ngọc Hà, Dương Văn Hóa, Lưu Thị Diệu Lệ, Nguyễn Thị Ánh Nguyệt, Đỗ Duy Nội, Lê Tấn Phước, Cao Thu Thủy, and Nguyễn Bá Việt
• English Language Department: Teachers Cao Lương Chung, Hồ Đình Đóa, Ngô Tôn Huấn, Nguyễn Hữu Khoáng, Nghiêm Văn Minh, Lưu Thị Kỳ Nam, Nguyễn Thị Tuyết Nga, Hoàng Mạnh Ninh, Hà Xuân Phong, Lê Văn Ruệ, Đặng Đức Thanh, Lê Công Văn, and Lê Thành Việt
• Social Studies (History-Geography) Department: Teachers Nguyễn Thái An, Trần Thế Đức, Nguyễn Ngọc Hoàng, Nguyễn Nhã, Bùi Văn Nhự, Nguyễn Xuân Phép, Nguyễn Mạnh Quang, Nguyễn Nhựt Tấn, Lâm Vĩnh Thế, Nguyễn Ngọc Trác, and Trần Anh Tuấn
• Mathematics Department: Teachers Nguyễn Hữu Hệ, Nguyễn Nhất Lang, Nguyễn Phú Liễm, Trần Quang Nghĩa, Trần Hữu Nghiệp, Tống Văn Nhàn, Huỳnh Văn Nhì, Đoàn Tấn Phụng, Trần Ngọc Quang, Dương Hồng Quân, Thái Xuân Quế, Trương Văn Thành, Trần Đức Thưởng, and Trần Ngọc Tiến
• Physics-Chemistry Department: Teachers Trần Vân Anh, Trịnh Hồng Hải, Bùi Quang Hân, Hà Thị Vinh Hoa, Trương Thiệu Hùng, Mai Nho Lâm, Trịnh Đình Loạt, Trần Thị Thiền, Võ Ngọc Tư, and Nguyễn Duy Ứng
• Biology Department: Teachers Châu Ngọc Tốt, Đặng Minh Trí, Trần Thị Tuyết, Hoàng Thị Như Ý
• Business Education Department: Teachers Nguyễn Thành Danh, Nguyễn Văn Dũng, Phan Thị Hiếu, Phan Thanh Hoài, Trần Thị Hương, Nguyễn Kim Hồng, Hoàng Ngọc Khiêm, Võ Phước Long, and Võ Thị Nguyệt  
• Home Economics Department: Teachers Liên Tú Anh, Bùi Thị Ngọc Ân, Nguyễn Thị Bảy, Phạm Thị Minh Dung, Hồ Thị Mỹ Quang, Phan Thị Thúy Nương, Lại Thị Sáu, Đặng Thị Bích Thủy, and Phạm Ánh Tuyết
• Industrial Arts Department: Teachers Lê Văn Hớn, Lâm Hoàng Minh, Nguyễn Văn Nam, Hà Văn Tịnh, and Bùi Khắc Trụ
• Music Department: Teacher Trương Văn Khuê (Bắc Sơn), Lê Hoàng Long, Trần Thanh Nghị, and Cao Thanh Tùng
• Fine Art Department: Teachers Nguyễn Dzoãn Đức, and Đặng Bích Thủy
• Physical Education Department: Teachers Huỳnh Thị Liêng, Phan Hữu Thành, Hoàng Như Tùng, and Lê Thị Bạch Tuyết

TEACHING AND LEARNING METHOD OF TDDHS

Teacher-student Ratio 

First of all, let’s take a look at the number of students.  Right from the beginning, the TDDHS has decided to limit the number of students for each class at 35, totally different with the average number of 50 in other high schools all over the country.  Each year, the school took in 4 more classes of Grade 6, i.e., taking only 140 more students / year.  The first school year of 1965-1966 was an exception because the school took in 8 classes, 4 for Grade 6 and 4 for Grade 7, for a total of 280 students.  Therefore, in the school year of 1970-1971, which was the first school year that TDDHS had classes for every grade from Grade 6 to Grade 12, the school, theoretically, had the highest total number of 980 students.  The teacher-student ratio was then 1/8 (120/980), which was undeniably the best for the experiment of the comprehensive education program being implemented at TDDHS.   This teacher-student ratio plus the very active Guidance Counselling Department, provided all students with all kinds of support they needed in their study, and in their psychological and/orb family problem solving.  We could say that the teachers knew every single student very well, something impossible in other high schools in the country.  

Teaching and Learning by “Exposé” Method

The basic teaching and learning method applied at the TDDHS was the “exposé” method.  Following the principle of avoiding the most important mistake of the old educational system, i.e. the rote-learning, the teachers of the TDDHS have implemented, for almost all subjects, the “exposé” method, carried out with the following steps: 

• Students were divided into small teams, each team having from 4 to 6 students and electing their team leaders
• Each team would be given a topic selected from the program of the subject
• The subject teacher would give some guidance on the topic and the needed textbook
• The team would take care of its own distribution of responsibilities in various tasks, such as information search and retrieval (not limited to the school library), writing the presentation, doing the presentation, prepring answers to potential questions from classmates
• The teacher would not intervene during the team’s presentation
• After the session was completed, the teacher would wrap up by pointing out the strengths and weaknesses of the team, and, give a grade for the presentation   

With this exposé method, the teachers of TDDHS have really helped their students, through their own information searching and retrieval, their utilization of information they were able to obtain, to self-create the knowledge for themselves, not by the unwanted cramming imposed by teachers, and, therefore, the knowledge they obtained would be their own and they would never forget it.  Through their preparations for the exposé, the students were able to learn the value of team work, and to grasp the technique of work organization and responsibility distribution.  Through their presentation and their answering the questions asked by their classmates, the students would be able to suppress their shyness, worry, anxiety in front of a crowd, and thus, improving their capability in public speaking.  The author of this article was, more than once, so proud witnessing by his own eyes the fluent presentations by the students’ representatives, who expressed their thanks while presenting commemorative gifts to the managers of agencies, factories, corporations at the end of the observational field trips. 

Observational Field Trips

In addition to the utilization of the exposé method in teaching, the teachers of the TDDHS also created more opportunities for their students to learn through many observational field trips that were organized very frequently throughout the school year.    

“Du khảo mang nhiều hình thức khác nhau tùy theo bộ môn học tập.   Danh từ “du

khảo” tự nó đã cho thấy phương pháp học tập này bao gồm hai đặc tính căn bản là

“du” và “khảo.”  Đặc tính “du” cho thấy nơi chốn thực hiện phương pháp này không

phải là tại trong khuôn viên của nhà trường mà phải đi ra ngoài.  Đặc tính “khảo” cho

thấy nội dung của phương pháp học tập là trực tiếp quan sát, tìm hiểu đối tượng học

tập.  Đặc tính thứ nhứt là một điều kiện vật chất, đòi hỏi nhà trường phải cung cấp 

phương tiện cho Thầy Trò tham gia “du khảo” có thể đi và về giữa nhà trường và địa

điểm đến để thực hiện chuyến du khảo.  Trường KMTĐ là trường trung học duy nhất tại

Miền Nam trong thời gian đó có dư thừa khả năng này với giàn xe buýt vàng 15 chiếc

dùng để đưa đón học sinh.  Các Thầy Cô chỉ cần lên kế hoạch và thông báo trước cho

nhà trường thì sẽ có xe để đưa học sinh đi du khảo.  Do đó điều kiện này thật ra không

đòi hỏi nhiều công sức đối với các Thầy Cô.  Đặc tính thứ nhì, “khảo” là một điều kiện

tinh thần, thật ra mới chính là chuyện quan trọng cho bất cứ chuyến du khảo nào.  Các

Thầy Cô phải có kế hoạch thật chi tiết cho các chuyến du khảo.  Một mặt phải lo việc

chuẩn bị địa điểm du khảo, bao gồm việc liên lạc, tiếp xúc, xác định chương trình, ngày

giờ, nhân sự, mua sắm quà lưu niệm, vv.  Mặt khác phải chuẩn bị cho học sinh về mọi

mặt để các em có thể tiếp thu tối đa kiến thức và kinh nghiệm trong chuyến du khảo.

Trong một số trường hợp, sau các chuyến du khảo, các học sinh phải viết tường trình,

cho biết rõ các điều mà các em đã học hỏi được.” [20]

(translation: There were many different forms of du khảo (observational field trips) according to the subject taught.  The term du khảo showed clearly that this instructional method comprised two basic features: du meaning travel, and khảo meaning observation.  The first feature, du, showed that the place to apply this instructional method could not be used within the school but required teachers and students to travel out of the school.  The second feature, khảo, showed that the nature of this instructional method was to make direct observation in order to understand the object of the learning.  The first one was a physical requirement, a demand that the school had to provide the means for the teachers and students to make the trip, i.e., to be able to travel to the chosen destination and to come back to the school.  The TDDHS was the unique high school in South Vietnam during that period of time that had a pool of 15 yellow school buses, and, thus, did not have any difficulty to fulfill that requirement.  The teachers only needed to submit a plan for the trip to the school management and they will have a needed bus for the trip.  That condition, therefore, did not require a lot of efforts from the teachers.  The second feature, khảo, a mental requirement, was really much more important forb the trip.  The teachers must have a very detailed plan.  On the one hand, they must work quite hard on the destination: selection of the place (a government agency, a business enterprise, an industrial plant, etc), making arrangements with people responsible at the destination (contacting, negotiating for a visit program, buying gifts, etc.  On the other hand, the teachers had to prepare the students so that they would be able to learn and gain experience as much as possible during the trip.  In a number of cases, after the trip, the students had to write reports telling clearly what they have learned from the trip.)   

The school yellow buses and the drivers of TDDHS

Observational field trip at VIMYTEX factory organized by Teachers 

Nguyễn Văn Tâm and Lâm Vĩnh Thế for IA students

ACHIEVEMENTS OF TDDHS

Success of Experimental Comprehensive Secondary Education Program

Summer 1971, TDDHS completed the experimentation of the comprehensive secondary education by successfully organizing the two following examinations for:

• Certificate of Successful Completion of Grade 11, officially recognized by the Ministry of Education as equivalent to the Baccalaureate I Diploma 
• Certificate of Completion of Comprehensive Secondary Education, officially recognized by the Ministry of Education as equivalent to the Baccalaureate II Diploma 

The first Grade 12 of TDDHS of school year 1970-1971 presented 125 candidates for the examination for the Certificate of Completion of Comprehensive Secondary Education and a total of 105 students (or 84%) have passed with the following ranking: [21, 22]

•   2 students obtaining Excellent ranking
• 25 students obtaining Good ranking
• 10 students obtaining Satisfactory ranking
• 68 students obtaining Pass ranking 

With such good results, the TDDHS was evaluated as completely successful in its experimentation of the Comprehensive Secondary Education Program, resulting in the Ministry of Education’s decision to “ra nghị định số 2346-GD/TTHBDGD/HV/NĐ ngày 10-12-1971 ban hành chương-trình trung-học tổng-hợp đệ nhất cấp; và nghị định số 5770 GD/TTH/HV/NĐ ngày 22-6-72 ban hành chương trình trung học tổng hợp bậc đệ nhị cấp.” [23] (translation: issue decree no. 2346-GD/TTHBDGS/HV/NĐ of December 10, 1971 promulgating the Comprehensive Secondary Education Program of First-Cycle; and decree no. 5770 GD/TTH/HV/NĐ of June 22, 1972 promulgating the Comprehensive Secondary Education Program for Second-Cycle).  These two newly promulgated programs for high schools all over the country included a great part of the general education program of the TDDHS and almost 100% of the career-oriented education program (including the Moral Education Guidance program) of the TDDHS.  

At the beginning of the school year 1971-1972, the Ministry of Education established two big new comprehensive high schools in Sài Gòn: the Sương Nguyệt Ánh Comprehensive High School with Ms. Đặng Kim Chi, former teacher of Gia Long High School, as Principal, and the Nguyễn An Ninh Comprehensive High School, with Mr. Nguyễn Trung Quân, former Principal of Phan Thanh Giản High School in Cần Thơ, as Principal.[24]  

In the following years, several additional comprehensive high schools were created all over the country, increasing the total number of these schools to 18 (excluding the 3 demonstration schools in Huế, Thủ Đức, and Cần Thơ): 

• Comprehensive High School Sương Nguyệt Ánh, Sài Gòn
• Comprehensive High School Nguyễn An Ninh, Sài Gòn
• Comprehensive High School Lương Văn Can, District 8, Sài Gòn
• Comprehensive High School Quốc Gia Nghĩa Tử (school reserved for children of fallen soldiers), Sài Gòn
• Comprehensive High School Mạc Đĩnh Chi, Sài Gòn
• Comprehensive High School Lý Thường Kiệt, Hóc Môn, Gia Định
• Comprehensive High School Nguyễn Đình Chiểu, Mỹ Tho
• Comprehensive High School Gia Hội, Huế
• Comprehensive High School Trần Quốc Tuấn, Quảng Ngải
• Comprehensive High School Dỉ An, Biên Hòa
• Comprehensive High School Phan Thanh Giản, Cần Thơ
• Comprehensive High School Thoại Ngọc Hầu, An Giang (Long Xuyên)
• Comprehensive High School Nguyễn Huệ, Phú Yên (Tuy Hòa)
• Comprehensive High School Nguyễn Trung Trực, Kiên Giang (Rạch Giá)
• Comprehensive High School Chưởng Binh Lễ, An Giang (Long Xuyên)
• Comprehensive High School Kiến Hòa (Bến Tre)
• Comprehensive High School Sa Đéc (Đồng Tháp)
• Comprehensive High School Ban Mê Thuột (Darlac)

The FPUSG had to open a new branch called Ngành Huấn Luyện Giáo Sư Trung Học Đệ Nhất Cấp Cấp Tốc (Branch of Fast-Track Training of Junior High School Teachers) and Mr. Phan Thanh Hoài, Head, Business Education Department of TDDHS, was appointed Director.  This Branch was able to complete only two training sessions: [25]

• Session 1 (1970-1973): only for Business Education
• Session 2 (1971-1974): for all 3 sections: Business Education, Industrial Arts, and Home Economics

A total of 26 TDDHS students, graduates of the first class of 1971, have passed the entrance examination, attended Session 2, and successfully completed the program as follows:  

• Business Education: only one student,  Nguyễn Đình Đạt
• Indutrial Arts: a total of 12 students, Đoàn Văn Dũng, Lê Thành Đạt, Lê Đình Huy, Nguyễn Ngọc Lễ, Nguyễn Huy Lục, Phạm Quang Ngọc, Lê Ngọc Sơn, Phạm Chí Thành, Lê Thành Trọng, Nguyễn Xuân Tuấn, Trần Quang Tuấn, và Nguyễn Hữu Xương
• Home Economics: a total of 13 students, Phạm Thị Vân Anh, Trần Thị Thủy Anh, Bùi Thị Ngọc Ân, Nguyễn Ngọc Minh Ẩn, Nguyễn Thị Kim Cúc, Phạm Thị Minh Dung, Trương Thị Hồng, Phạm Thị Ngọc Hương, Đào Thị Bích Loan, Đặng Thị Bích Thủy, Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Trinh, Trần Thị Khuê Trinh, và Phạm Ánh Tuyết  

The FPUSG has also organized in 1973 one 3-week training session in Guidance and Counselling for 20 teachers, Heads, Student Activities Departments of the newly-created comprehensive high schools.  The teaching staff of this in-service training session included the following people with intensive experience in Guidance and Counselling:

• Professor Phạm Văn Quảng (M.S.), former Principal and Head, Guidance and Counselling Department of TDDHS, Professor of guidance and Counselling, FPUSG 
• Dr. Huỳnh Văn Quảng (Ph.D), Chairman, Graduate Studies, Professor of Guidance and Counselling, FPUSG
• Dr. Bill Raines (Ph.D.), Guidance and Counselling Advisor, Advisory Delegation of Education from Ohio University, U.S.

This in-service training session also included a one-week training in student activities by Mr. Trần Đại Lộc (visiting professor at FPUSG), part of which was an observational field trip to Đà Lạt.   

After their completion of this in-service training session, these 20 teachers came back to their schools and served in the Guidance and Counselling Departments.  

Regarding Home Economics, the FPUSG has also organized three 4-week summer in-service training sessions for teachers of “nữ công gia chánh” (women’s family duties) of public high schools from all over the country.  The objective of these sessions was to train these teachers on the new discipline of Home Economics, which would be taught at the soon-to-be-created comprehensive high schools.  

The management team for these sessions included:

• Director: Professor Trần Văn Tấn, Dean, FPUSG, for the first session only; Ms. DươngThị Kim Sơn, Head, Economics Department of TDDHS, for the remaining sessions
• Teachers: Ms. Dương Thị Kim Sơn and Ms. Huỳnh Thị Bạch Tuyết, Home Economics Department of TDDHSBan Kinh Tế Gia Đình của THKMTĐ
• Sessions:
  • Session 1: Summer 1967 with 70 participants
  • Session 2: Summer 1969 with 70 participants
  • Session 3: Summer 1974 with 60 participants  

Because of these development needs, the FPUSG has transferred a number of TDDHS teachers, mostly department heads, to FPUSG, making them permanent members of its faculty staff to take important responsibilities as follows:

• Organize, and teach in the Branch of Fast-Track Training of Junior High School Teachers in Business Education, Industrial Arts and Home Economics 
• Regarding Home Economics: organize and teach Elective Courses for students (both male and female) of FPUSG

Success of TDDHS Students

Before its dissolution at the end of 1975, and being replaced by the Trung Học Thực Hành (High School for Practice Teaching; this school was created by the Communists after the fateful day of April 30, 1975, and did not have anything to do with the Comprehensive Education Program of the RVN), the TDDHS already had 4 classes, which graduated with the Thành Chung Trung Học Tổng Hợp (Certificate of Completion of Comprehensive Secondary Education; later changed to Tú Tài Tổng Hợp (Comprehensive Baccalaureate Diploma): these were Class of 1971, Class of 1972, Class of 1973, and Class of 1974.  

It is very unfortunate that the document Lược sử Trường Trung Học Kiểu Mẫu Thủ Đức (1965-1975) (Brief history of the Thủ Đức Demonstration High School (1965-1975)), which was prepared very carefully by Mr. Huỳnh Văn Nhì, the last TDDHS Principal, does not provide any statistical information for Class of 1972, as we can see in the following table: [26]

Statistics on the achievements of Class of 1972 (1965-1972) is extremely important in the evaluation of the experimental comprehensive secondary education program carried out at the TDDHS because it was the first class of TDDHS that had studied for the full 7 years (from Grade 6 to Grade 12) of this program.  The Class of 1971 (1965-1971), although having graduated as the first class, had studied only 6 years because it started as Grade 7 in 1965.

Luckily, the author of this article was successful in getting in touch with Trần Nam Bình, of Class of 1972, currently living in Australia.  Bình has sent an email providing a lot of data relating to the achievements of his class.  According to these data, extracted from the Kỷ Yếu Khóa 2 (Memory Book of Class 2), statistics have shown that there were 91 (79 + 12 = 91) students, out of a total of 106 or 85.6%, who have passed the examination for the Certificate of Completion of Comprehensive Secondary Education, as we can see in the following table: [27]

(Note: This table has a minor mistake: In the second column “Số Ghi tên”, the number 28 for Section B is wrong, the right number should be 38)

Besides, out of these 91 students, who have passed the examination for the Certificate of Completion of Comprehensive Secondary Education in 1972, there was a total of 10 of them who have received scholarships to go to study abroad as follows: 

• 8 receiving Colombo Plan scholarships to go to study in Australia; they were: Trần Nam Bình, Trương Quang Chuẩn, Nguyễn Vũ Dũng, Nguyễn Huy Hiển, Nguyễn Thị Phượng, Dương Hồng Thành, Lý Đạt Thông, và Nguyễn Mạnh Trình
• 1 receiving national scholarship to go to study in West Germany: Lê Thị Kim Thu
• 1 receiving national scholarship to go to study in Italy: Mai Văn San

In his email, Bình noted that: “Tỷ lệ tám người trên tổng số học sinh THKMTĐ tốt nghiệp TCTHTH là cao nhất trong tất cả các trường có học sinh xin được học bổng Colombo Plan năm 1972.”  (translation: The percentage of 8 persons out of the total number (91) of TDDHS graduates was the highest, compared to other high schools with students applying for Colombo Plan scholarships).  Another noteworthy point is that among these 8 students with Colombo Plan scholarships, 4 will graduate with a Ph.D. from Australian universities as follows:

• Trần Nam Bình (Economics, University of New South Wales)
• Nguyễn Vũ Dũng (Chemical Engineering, University of New South Wales)
• Nguyễn Huy Hiển (Food Technology, University of New South Wales)
• Dương Hồng Thành (Fuel Technology, University of Newcastle)

The two students receiving national scholarships to go to study in Europe, Lê Thi Kim Thu (in West Germany) and Mai Văn San (in Italy) have both graduated as medical doctors. 

Besides, many students graduating from this Class of 1972 have also passed a number of entrance examinations at the most prestigious universities of the RVN in Sài Gòn as follows:  

• Faculty of Pedagogy:
  • Section Mathematics: Trần Nam Bình
  • Section Physics-Chemistry: Trương Quang Chuẩn, Phạm Quang Hải, và Đặng Đình Long
  • Section English Language: Nguyễn Văn Hoàng, và Nguyễn Mạnh Trình
• Phú Thọ Polytechnical University:
  • Section Geodetic Engineering: Trần Nam Bình
• Faculty of Architecture: Ong Phát
• Faculty of Medicine: Tiêu Thị Ngọc Diệp, Nguyễn Thị Băng Khanh, Ngô Hải Nam, Nguyễn Văn Tạo, và Lý Hổng Vân
• Faculty of Dentistry: Lê Lan Phương
• Faculty of Pharmacy: Nguyễn Tài Chí (later also obtaining a Ph.D. in Pharmacy)
• College of Postal Services: Trần Nam Bình

End Result: During its 10-year existence (1965-1975), the TDDHS has produced 4 classes of graduates from the Comprehensive Secondary Education Program with 84.9% rate of success as we can see in the following statistical table: 

Year of Exam	Registered	Pass	Percentage
1971	125	105	84%
1972	106	91	85,8%
1973	104	83	79,8%
1974	129	115	89,1%
Total	464	394	84,9%

 

Among the factors contributing to the success of the TDDHS, one should not be ignored: the very positive and valuable contributions of the Parents and Teachers Association of the school in the following areas of activities:

• Recruiting drivers for the pool of school yellow buses 
• Financial support in the servicing of the buses (all of them very old and in need of frequent repairs)
• Funding all aspects of School Activities
• Financial support for equipment needed in students’ sport activities
• Providing prizes distributed at annual prize award ceremony 
• Organizing lunch for teachers and students
• Participating in the School Disciplinary Council

TDDHS Students Keeping Vietnamese Identity

Although having been educated in a totally new environment of the new educational system, the TDDHS students, after their graduation, with a large number of them living abroad, growing up, attending and graduating from universities, together with those still living in the country, succeeded in keeping their Vietnamese identity intact.   This is not a paradox but a result of that new education provided by the TDDHS because its teaching staff embraced a policy of looking forward to the future, collecting the best of developed countries but still remembering our nation’s past, history and culture.  The Memory Book of School Year 1970-1071 included the following statement:

“Hiện nay Trường Trung Học Kiểu Mẫu Thủ Đức đang kiểm nghiệm chương trình giáo dục tổng hợp.  Nhà trường đang cố gắng thu thập cái hay của các trào lưu giáo dục trên thế giới đồng thời cố gắng tạo một bản sắc riêng cho Việt Nam.” [28]

(translation: The Thủ Đức Demonstration High School is currently experimenting the comprehensive education program.  The school is trying to collect the best of the educational movements in the world and at the same time is also trying to create a distinct identity for Vietnam.)   

A totally new discipline was introduced into the educational program of the TDDHS:  Hướng Dẫn Đức Dục (Moral Education Guidance), replacing the Civic Education of the old program, with emphasis on school (Grade 6), family (Grade 7), country (Grade 8; topics of the Civic Education program were put back in here), and society (Grade 9),  together with other special topics such as traditional music, folk songs, national soul, national characteristics, national clothing, national folklore, etc.  The TDDHS also organized a whole series of extra-curricular activities focusing on these special topics, such as the camps of Moral Education Guidance, the camps called Going Back to Our Origin, etc.[29] 

The Department Head, Moral Education Guidance Department, Teacher Nguyễn Nhã, has made tremendous contributions in the contents of the program of this new discipline as well in the implementation of the program through the harmonious coordination with the Guidance and Counselling activities and the student activities, creating students’ interests, follow-ups, and enthusiasm in their study.  

This harmonious coordination was also very creative and clearly shown through completely new “co-curricular” activities as follows: 

• Club activities with different groups such as History-Geography, Literature-Fine Art, Science, Industrial Arts, Home Economics, Business Education, French Language, English Language, and Debate
• Camp activities with a series of camps for students such as Camp of Moral Education Guidance, camps to train Scout leaders for Grade 9, camps Going Back to Our Origin for Grade 12
• Activities expressing Vietnamese identity such as Raising the Tết Pole, Cooking the Rice Cakes at the occasion of our Lunar Calendar New Year
• New activities in school journalism: while in other high schools, the Spring Special Issues always put emphasis on literature, the TDDHS’ “Comprehensive Spring Special Issue,” produced by the students, has focused on information and research and included  interviews of celebrities and talented people like famous composers Phạm Duy, Lê Thương, and Dr. Nguyễn Sỹ Giác (the last doctoral laureate of our traditional Chinese-character national educational system), etc.

The concrete result was all of these activities was the fact that the school management has entrusted the students with the task of organizing the School Fifth Anniversary.  Students were made Heads of the Organizing Committee and of all sub-committees like Sub-committee for Exhibition, Sub-committee for Performing Arts, Sub-committee for Sport Competition, etc. and they succeeded beyond expectations and the celebration of the School Fifth Anniversary was a huge success.

The two most outstanding features in the TDDHS students’ success of keeping with Vietnamese identity were: The Spirit of Respect and Gratitude for Teachers, and the Bonding relationships with teachers and classmates.

At present, a quite large number of the TDDHS students are in the retirement year brackets, some even having their own grandchildren, but their respect and gratitude for their teachers remain the same, completely unchanged.  On a regular basis throughout the year, they organize birthday celebrations for teachers, visit and/or give comfort to teachers who are sick or are having difficulties, never doing these things just for formality on Teachers’ Day.   They always express their gratitude not only to the teachers but also to school employees, like secretaries, janitors, and bus drivers.  The author of this article is really moved by such specially expanded respect and gratitude expressed by the TDDHS students for the school employees, not just for their teachers. 

Visiting Teacher Nghiêm Văn Minh (English Language) in Bà Rịa on January 4, 2020

Visiting Teacher Nguyễn Thị Kim Thơ (Vietnamese Language, being sick) and Teacher Trần Ngọc Ban (Mrs. Thơ’s husband, Social Studies) in District 1, Sài Gòn, on January 6, 2020

Visiting Mr. Nguyễn Văn Hai (Driver of school bus) in District 2, Sài Gòn, on January 20, 2020

 The bonding relationships of the TDDHS students with their teachers and classmates are also very deep and steady.  In addition to the fact that the TDDHS students were influenced by what learned from the Moral Education Guidance since the junior classes, we have to take into consideration another objective factor: the special environment closely shared at school day in, day out by the TDDHS teachers and students, something totally non-existent at other high schools all over the country:     

“Tình thân giữa thầy trò KMTÐ có một khác biệt lớn so với tình thầy trò ở các trường trung học khác ở Việt Nam.  Thầy trò KMTÐ không những gần gủi nhau trong việc học và dạy mà còn trong nhiều mặt sinh hoạt khác không có tại các trường khác: chung đụng nhau suốt ngày tại trường; đón xe, đi xe chung với nhau; cùng học hỏi với nhau trong các chuyến du khảo; thảo luận, chia xẻ, góp ý với nhau về những vấn đề riêng tư trong các buổi hướng dẩn khải đạo, vv.   Có ai trong chúng ta mà không có những kỹ niệm về những buổi đón xe mà xe không đến, về những buổi chiều tan trường thầy trò chen chúc nhau trên xe vì phải dồn lộ trình, về những cuộc hát ví “Vân Tiên cõng mẹ chạy ra, chạy vô” ồn ào vui nhộn trên xe trong suốt lộ trình từ Thủ Ðức về Sài Gòn, về những Trại Hè Vũng Tàu, Trại Hè tại trường với trường kết nghĩa Trung Học Bến Lức, về những cuộc “lùng soát” của các giáo sư trong thời gian nhà trường áp dụng “chế độ ngủ trưa.”  Và chắc chắn nhiều người trong chúng ta cũng khó quên được những kỹ niệm đau buồn của trường như trong vụ tử nạn của em Nguyễn Văn Mai.  Và làm sao mà quên được hình ảnh cây nêu cao nghệu được thầy trò hợp sức dựng lên trước giảng đường mỗi năm vào dịp Tết.  Tất cả kết hợp lại một cách tuyệt vời để tạo nên tình cảm keo sơn trong lòng mỗi người chúng ta.   Với năm tháng, tình thân KMTÐ đã biến thành TÌNH NGHĨA KMTÐ. Tình nghĩa KMTÐ nầy thể hiện rõ nét qua bao nhiêu hoạt động tương trợ –không thể kể hết được– giữa những con người KMTÐ ở trong nước cũng như tại hải ngoại.” [30]

(translation: The close relationship between the TDDHS teachers and students was very different compared to the one between teachers and students at other high schools in Vietnam.  They were close not only in their teaching and studying activities but also in a whole series of other activities that did not exist at other schools: working together all day at school; waiting together for the bus, taking the bus together; learning together during the observational field trips; discussing, sharing ideas during Guidance and Counselling sessions, etc.  Among us, who does not have memories of days we waited for the bus and the bus did not come as expected, of those afternoons, after school, we were jammed in the bus because a few buses were broken down and two or three itineraries were combined into just one, of our joyful participation and competing in singing folk songs “Vân Tiên carrying his mother on his back, running in and running out” all along the trip from Thủ Đức back to Sài Gòn, of the Summer camp in Vũng Tàu, of the camp with our sister-school Bến Lức, of the “search and control” by the teachers during the “taking the siesta” regime imposed by school management.  And it is quite certain that we also could not forget the tragic accident involved little brother Nguyễn Văn Mai.  Also, how could we forget the tall Tết pole that we, teachers and students together, ried so hard to erect in front of the Great Auditorium every year just before Tết Holiday.  All of these memories have been harmoniously synthesized into some form of binding sentiment in each and everyone of us.  Over the years, this close relationship has become a bonding.  This TDDHS bonding has been shown through innumerable supporting activities between the TDDHS people inside and outside of Vietnam.)      

A Mutual Support Fund, suggested in January 2001 by Ms. Dương Thị Kim Sơn, Teacher of English Language, Moral Education Guidance, and Head, Home Economics Department, was enthusiastically supported by former TDDHS teachers and students overseas.   The Fund was used to provide financial support to teachers and students (both in Vietnam and abroad) in difficult situations.  The two groups of former TDDHS students inside and outside of Vietnam have always organized annual meetings.  They also made group visits to teachers and classmates at difficult times in families of crises, sickness, and death, etc.

TDDHS teachers and students at funeral of mother of Teacher Dương Thủy Ngân (French Language, and Guidance and Counselling) on May 25, 2009

TDDHS friends at funeral of mother of classmate Bùi Thị Xuân Minh (Class of 1971, on September 8, 2020

TDDHS friends visiting classmate Nguyễn Quang An (Class of 1972) during his recovery at home after spinal column (neck and back) surgery, on October 14, 2019

Today former TDDHS students, with a large number of them already in retirement, have created two websites that contain a lot of writings and photos of the school where they had many happy and sad memories during their young age.  

The Website of former TDDHS students in Vietnam is accessible at this URL:  

http://kyuckieumauthuduc.com/kieumau/

The Website of overseas former TDDHS students is accessible at this URL: 

http://kieumauthuduc.org

This Website, however, currently under repair and upgrading, is temporarily out of service.  

Conclusion

The TDDHS, although was much younger than the other large high schools in Sài Gòn and in other provinces, has made very important contributions to the RVN’s educational system.  The TDDHS was successful in its experimentation of a completely new educational program and teaching method, based on modern educational movements in the world but, at the same time, still keeping the valuable national cultural heritage.  From the success of the TDDHS, this new educational program and teaching method were officially implemented in almost 20 new comprehensive high schools all over the country.   Because of the fateful event of April 30, 1975, the TDDHS was able to produce only around 400 students graduating with the Certificates of Completion of Comprehensive Secondary Education (or Comprehensive Baccalaureate = Tú Tài Tổng Hợp).  The TDDHS teachers should be happy and proud, however, because their former students, having graduated or not, living in Vietnam or abroad, already have made or are currently making very positive contributions to society.  On top of that, these former TDDHS, inside and outside of Vietnam, still maintain high and beautiful cultural values of Vietnamese people: The Spirit of Respect and Gratitude for Teachers, and The Bonding Relationships with Classmates.  

NOTES:

1. Phạm Cao Dương, “Sự liên tục của lịch sử trong nền giáo dục của Miền Nam thời trước năm 1975,” (The continuity of the history of pre-1975 education of South Vietnam) in Giáo dục ở Miền Nam Tự Do trước 1975 (Education in South Vietnam before 1975).  Santa Ana, CA: Lê Văn Duyệt Foundation and Tập San Nghiên Cứu Văn Hóa Đồng Nai Cửu Long (Journal of Đồng Nai Cửu Long Cutural Research Studies), 2006, p. 130.   Mr. Phạm Cao Dương graduated from FPUSG, Section History-Geography, in 1961.  Later he went to study in France and obtained a Ph.D. in History (Doctorat d’État en Histoire) from Sorbonne University in Paris in 1974.
2. Nguyễn Hữu Phước, “Sơ lược lịch sử giáo dục Việt Nam (1954-1974): Dân tộc, Nhân bản, Khai phóng,” (Brief history of Vietnamese education (1954-1974) in the same document just cited above, p. 136.  Mr. Nguyễn Hữu Phước graduated from FPUSG, Section History-Geography, in 1963.  He taught Social Studies at TDDHS when the school was opened in 1965.  Later he went to study in the U.S. and obtained a Ph.D. in Education in 1973 from University of Southern California in Los Angeles.
3. Trần Văn Chánh, “Giáo dục miền Nam Việt Nam trên con đường xây dựng và phát triển,” (Education in South Vietnam on its building and developing path), online document accessible in full-text at this URL: https://sites.google.com/site/namkyluctinhorg/tac-gia-tac-pham/s-t-u-v/tran-van-chanh/giao-duc-mien-nam-viet-nam-1954-1975-tren-con-duong-xay-dung-va-phat-trien. The author stated very clearly as follows: “Đại hội Giáo dục Quốc gia lần II năm 1964 (gọi là Đại hội Giáo dục Toàn quốc 1964) tiếp tục tái xác nhận ba nguyên tắc định hướng căn bản nhưng sửa lại thành: nhân bản, dân tộc, khoa học.” (The Second National Educational Conference of 1964 continued to re-affirm the three basic principles but changed into: National – Humanistic – Scientific).
4. Trường Trung Học Kiểu Mẫu (thuộc Trường Đại-Học Sư-Phạm, SAIGON): Dự án Đại Cương để Đệ Trình Hội-đồng Khoa Đại-học Sư-Phạm.  (The Demonstration High School (under jurisdiction of the FPUSG: General Project submitted to Academic Council of the FPUSG).  Saigon: FPUSG, 1965. 14 pages.  Online document accessible in full-text at this URL: http://www.kieumauthuduc.org/images/KMTD_Docs/DuAnDaiCuong1965.pdf
5. Phạm Văn Quảng, “Việc chuẩn bị Chương Trình Trung Học Tổng Hợp,” (Preparations for the implementation of the Comprehensive High Schools Program), in the same document cited in Notes nos. 1 and 2, p. 182-183.  Mr. Phạm Văn Quảng graduated from FPUSG, Section English, in 1961, taught English at Petrus Ký High School, and went to study in the U.S., obtained a Bachelor’s Degree at George Peabody College, Tennessee, and Master of Education, Southern Illinois University.  He was Head of the Guidance and Counselling Department, and later Principal of the TDDHS. 
6. Trường Trung Học Kiểu Mẫu, op.cit,, p. 2.
7. Trường Trung Học Kiểu Mẫu, ibid.
8. Phạm Văn Quảng, “Đúc kết ý nghĩa của chương trình thực nghiệp trong hệ thống giáo dục và hướng dẫn,” (Summerizing meanings of the career-oriented educational program within the system of education and guidance), online document accessible in full-text at this URL:  http://kyuckieumauthuduc.com/kieumau/chuyen-xua/mon-hoc-huong-nghiep/114-y-ngha-ca-chng-trinh-thc-nghip.html
9. Trấn Cẩm Hồng, “Tầm quan trọng của môn Công Kỹ Nghệ,” (Importance of Industrial Arts), online document accessible in full-text at this URL: http://kyuckieumauthuduc.com/kieumau/chuyen-xua/mon-hoc-huong-nghiep/110-tm-quan-trng-ca-mon-hc-cong-k-ngh.html  Mr. Trần Cẩm Hồng obtained a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Arts from Ohio University and was Head, Industrial Arts Department of TDDHS.
10. Nguyễn Văn Nam, “Nội dung môn Công Kỹ Nghệ,“ (Contents of Industrial Arts), online document accessible in full-text at this URL: http://kyuckieumauthuduc.com/kieumau/chuyen-xua/mon-hoc-huong-nghiep/111-ni-dung-mon-cong-k-ngh.html  Mr. Nguyễn Văn Nam obtained a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Arts from Indiana University, Bloomington, U.S., and was Teacher of Industrial Arts of TDDHS. 
11. Dương Thị Kim Sơn, “Tầm quan trọng của môn Kinh Tế Gia Đình,” (Importance of Home Economics), online document accessible in full-text at this URL:  http://kyuckieumauthuduc.com/kieumau/chuyen-xua/mon-hoc-huong-nghiep/112-tm-quan-trng-ca-mon-kinh-t-gia-inh.html?showall=1  Ms. Dương Thị Kim Sơn graduated from FPUSG, Section English in 1961, went to study in the U.S., obtained a Bachelor of Science in Education (1963), and a Master of Science (1964) from Ohio University.  Later, she also went to study in the U.K, and graduated Post Graduate (1972-1973) from Queen Elizabeth College / University of London.  She was Teacher of English, Moral Guidance and Counselling, and  Head, Home Economics Department of TDDHS.
12. Huỳnh Thị Bạch Tuyết, “Phân phối chương trình Kinh Tế Gia Đình,” (Home Economics program distribution), in the same document cited in Note no. 11 above.  Ms. Huỳnh Thị Bạch Tuyết graduated from FPUSG, Section Biology in 1961, went to study in the U.S., obtained a Bachelor of Science in Education (1963), and a Master of Science (1964) from Ohio University.  Later, she also went to study in the U.K, and graduated Post Graduate (1972-1973) from Queen Elizabeth College / University of London.  She was Teacher of Home Economics of TDDHS.
13. Phan Thanh Hoài, “Giáo dục Doanh Thương trong chương trinh trung học phổ thông,” (Business Education in the general high school program), online document accessible in full-text at this URL: http://kyuckieumauthuduc.com/kieumau/chuyen-xua/mon-hoc-huong-nghiep/113-giao-dc-doanh-thng-trong-chng-trinh-ph-thong.html  Mr. Phan Thanh Hoài obtained a Master of Education from Kent State University, U.S., and was Head, Business Education Department of TDDHS.
14. Huỳnh Văn Nhì, “Lược sử Trường Trung Học Kiểu Mẫu Thủ Đức,” (Brief history of the Thủ Đức Demonstration High School), online document accessible in full-text at this URL:  http://kyuckieumauthuduc.com/kieumau/chuyen-xua/lich-su-cua-truong/thay-co-viet/209-lch-s-trng-chng-2-phn-1.html   Mr. Huỳnh Văn Nhì  graduated from FPUSG, Section Mathematics in 1964, was Teacher of Mathematics, Vice-Principal and also last Principal of TDDHS.  Please read details of the evaluation system of the TDDHS in Chapter 4 of this document under title Phương pháp đánh giá thành quả học tập của học sinh Trường Trung Học Kiểu Mẫu Thủ Đức (Method of evaluation of accomplishments of students of the Thủ Đức Demonstration High School).
15. Phanxipăng, “Nhớ trường Kiểu Mẫu,” (Remembering the Demonstration School), online document accessible in full-text at this URL:  https://www.rongmotamhon.net/static/chimvie3/55/phanxipn_155NhoTruongKieuMau.htm
16. Trường Trung Học Kiểu Mẫu Thủ Đức (The Thủ Đức Demonstration High School), online document accessible in full-text at this URL:  https://www.facebook.com/saigontoiyeu54/posts/979047485591835/  
17. Huỳnh Văn Nhì, op.cit., Chapter 1, p. 25.
18. Lâm Vĩnh Thế, “Thư viện Trường Trung Học Kiểu Mẫu Thủ Đức,” (The Library of the Thủ Đức Demonstration High School), [ublished in Thư viện tập san, New Series, no 10, 4th Trimester (1970), p. 25-31, online document accessible in full-text in the Webpage Tuyển tập Vĩnh Nhơn Lâm Vĩnh Thế (Selected works by Vĩnh Nhơn Lâm Vĩnh Thế) at this URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3Hpasd2o_vcdjMyMXNVa3VmSzQ/view   Mr. Lâm Vĩnh Thế graduated from FPUSG, Section History-Geography in 1963, went to study in the U.S., and obtained a Master of Library Science from Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York in 1973.  He was Teacher of Social Studies and Techer-Librarian of TDDHS.  
19. Lâm Vĩnh Thế, “Chung một giấc mơ,” (We had a dream), printed in Nhìn vể trường xưa: đặc san 2006, Trung Học Kiểu Mẫu Thủ Đức (Looking back to our old school: special collection 2006, Thủ Đức Demonstration High School), p. 76-77, online document accessible in full-text in Webpage Tuyển tập Vĩnh Nhơn Lâm Vĩnh Thế (Selected workd by Vĩnh Nhơn Lâm Vĩnh Thế) at this RUL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3Hpasd2o_vcdFFXNXliUTFuRkU/view
20. Lâm Vĩnh Thế, “Du Khảo: một nét đặc thù của chương trình giáo dục của Trường Trung Học Kiểu Mẫu Thủ Đức,” (Educational field trips: a special feature of the instructional program of the Thủ Đức Demonstration High School), online document accessible in full-text in Webpage Tuyển tập Vĩnh Nhơn Lâm Vĩnh Thế (Selected works by Vĩnh Nhơn Lâm Vĩnh Thế) at this URL:   https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3Hpasd2o_vcdTdURmliZlJNS2M/view]
21. Huỳnh Văn Nhì, op.cit., Chapter 4, p. 147.
22. Phạm Gia Vinh, email of October 24, 2020, at 10:31 PM; Vinh, former President, TDDHS Student Council, graduated with Good Ranking (1971), went to study in the U.S. and obtained a Bachelor’s  Degree in Engineering.  According to Vinh, the total number of students who have passed with Good Ranking in 1971 was 26, not 25 as noted in Mr. Huỳnh Văn Nhì’s document. 
23. Phạm Văn Quảng, op.cit., p. 185.
24. Nguyễn Trung Quân, “Đôi điều ghi nhớ về trường trung học tổng hợp ở Miền Nam Việt Nam,” (A Few notes on the comprehensive high schools in South Vietnam), in the same document already cited above in Note no. 1, p. 194-195.
25. Chương trình huấn luyện giáo sư Trung học Tổng hợp, (Training program of comprehensive high schools teachers), online document accessible in full-text at this URL: http://kyuckieumauthuduc.com/kieumau/chuyen-xua/lich-su-cua-truong/tu-lieu1/678-khoa-hun-luyn-giao-s-cac-mon-tng-hp-i-hc-s-phm-sai-gon.htmlHuỳnh Văn Nhì, op.cit., Chapter 4, p. 147.
26. Trần Nam Bình, email of October 24, 2020, at 12:46 PM, in Attachment.  Mr. Trần Nam Bình, Class of 1972 of TDDHS, graduated with Excellent ranking, went to study in Australia, obtained a Ph.D. in Economics from University of New South Wales, has been, since July-1991, Professor of Taxation at University of New South Wales.  Currently, Dr. Bình is also Professor of RMIT, and Visiting Professor of University of Agriculture and Tôn Đức Thắng University in Vietnam.
27. Nguyễn Nhã.  Chân dung người thầy thế kỷ XX (Portrait of the teacher of the XX century) / Hãn Nguyên Nguyễn Nhã.  Hồ Chí Minh City: Comprehensive Publishing House of Hồ Chí Minh City, 2017, p. 76.  Mr. Nguyễn Nhã graduated from FPUSG, Section History-Geography in 1965, was Teacher and Head, Social Studies Department and Moral Education Guidance Department of TDDHS.  In 2003, he was successful in the defense of his doctoral thesis in Histoy on “Quá trình xác lập chủ quyền của Việt Nam tại quần đảo Hoàng Sa và Trường Sa.” (Process of affirmation of Vietnam’s sovereignty over Paracel and Spratly Islands).  He was also the author of the Vietnamese-language book entitled “Những bằng chứng về chủ quyền của Việt Nam đối với hai quần đảo Hoàng Sa Trường Sa” (Evidence of Vietnam’s sovereignty over Paracel and Spratly Islands) published by Education Publishing House in Vietnam in 2014.  The book was later edited and translated into English by Mr. Lâm Vĩnh Thế and published by Routledge (UK) in 2019, under title: Vietnam, territoriality, and the South China Sea: Paracel and Spratly Islands.
28. Nguyễn Nhã, op.cit., p. 69-70.
29. Lâm Vĩnh Thế, “Tình nghĩa Kiểu Mẫu Thủ Đức,” (Bonding relationships of teachers and students of Thủ Đức Demonstration High School), online document accessible in full-text in Webpage Tuyển tập Vĩnh Nhơn Lâm Vĩnh Thế (Selected works by Vĩnh Nhơn Lâm Vĩnh Thế) at this URL:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3Hpasd2o_vcTGEyTFV1WENJZ3c/view