They are all excellent students who came in first at the university entrance exams. To the surprise of many, they are not from rich families that can offer perfect learning conditions for their children. Obtaining 30/30 scores and surpassing 5000 examinees to come in first at the entrance exam to ${bigcity_Hanoi:"Hanoi"} University of Foreign Trade, Tang Van Binh from Nghe An province commented that this is the most valuable gift he can offer to his beloved mother. Binh’s mother explained that his father died when Binh was just eight months old and she had to care for Binh and his sister alone.

She was a nursery school teacher and could not earn much money. She also cultivated four sao (one sao is equal to 360 square metres) of rice and bred fowl and pigs to earn more money. Though tired from her heavy work, she was always proud of her two children who were always rated as excellent students. Binh’s sister, Tang Thi Tuyet Trinh, is now a second-year student of Hanoi University of Social Sciences and Humanities, came in second at the entrance exam two years ago. Binh feels very happy that he passed the exam to a big university, but now he is worried. Binh knows that his mother must work hard to support Binh and his sister up. He is concerned that the burden on her will even be heavier when he leaves for the university.

“Previously, I studied at Phan Boi Chau Gifted School near my house, so I did not have to spend much money on travel. Things in Vinh are also not as expensive as in Hanoi, ” Binh remarked. Binh has more good news, however,. The University of Foreign Trade has decided to grant Binh a full scholarship and 10 million dong. Binh has also received a 10 million dong award from Nghe Tinh Petroleum Company. Nguyen Truong Thien Vu, an excellent student for 12 consecutive years at general school, who won first prize in four consecutive chemistry competitions at the city level, came first at the entrance exams to two universities. Vu earned a 26.5 score on the exam to Da Nang University of Education and 27 on the exam to the Biology Department at Hue University of Sciences. Vu’s father works at a gas shop and his mother sells drinks. As his parents must work every day to earn money, Vu has had to study on his own and also teach his younger brother. Sometimes, Vu also must assist his mother in selling drinks.

Though Vu can choose either institution, he has decided to study education. Explaining his decision, Vu revealed that he wants to become a teacher. Vu learned a lot from his teacher, Le Thanh Hai, who is now a postgraduate in Australia. Vu says he wants to become a teacher like Hai. Nguyen Huy, a former student of Hai Ba Trung High School in Hue, has become famous after he came first with a score of 27 on the exam to Da Nang University of Technology and also made a grade of 24 on the Hue Medical University exam. Only a few people realize, however, that Huy comes from a poor family. His father is a mason and cyclo driver, while his mother is a maid. Huy studied well because he believed that only through study would he be able to help his parents escape poverty At general school, Huy did not have money to buy books, so he used old or photocopied ones.

His clothes were handed-down by his cousin. Yet he always received the rating of excellent student. Three years ago, Huy’s sister, Thuy, also passed the exam to study at medical school. Thuy decided to study education instead to ease the burden on their parents. Tam, Huy’s mother, stated: “We are proud of our son. But we are so worried now because we still do not know where to get money for him to go to university.”