Lessons at the frontier: bringing patriotism to life for students

Amid rugged mountains along the nation’s frontier, special “Borderland Lessons” have been held right beside border markers, offering students a vivid and meaningful learning experience. Instead of traditional classrooms with blackboards and chalk, these lessons take place at sacred sovereignty landmarks, allowing students to learn firsthand about national borders and the long journey of safeguarding the country’s territory. Through this unique format, the program helps foster patriotism, national pride, and aspirations among the younger generation.

The Son Vi Border Guard Station coordinates with Son Vi Semi-Boarding Ethnic Minority Lower Secondary School to organize a Borderland Lesson.

“Borderland Lessons” are extracurricular activities organized by border guard units in coordination with schools, conducted directly at border markers. During these sessions, students visit the sites, listen to border guard officers share stories about their duties and daily life, as well as the quiet sacrifices made in protecting the frontier. The lessons help students gain a deeper understanding of the importance of national border sovereignty.

Stationed in the border commune of Son Vi, the Son Vi Border Guard Station has actively carried out legal education and public awareness campaigns among local people, with a particular focus on young people and students. Organizing “Borderland Lessons” has become an effective approach to helping students develop a solid awareness of territorial sovereignty, border lines, and national boundary markers.

Many students expressed pride and emotion after attending the lessons, saying they had gained a deeper appreciation of the hardships endured by border guard soldiers in safeguarding the country’s sacred borders. The firsthand experiences have strengthened their love for the homeland and inspired them to study and strive to become responsible citizens who contribute to national development.

Teachers have also highly valued the model, noting that it effectively connects classroom knowledge with real-life experience while enhancing the teaching of subjects such as History and Geography. The experiential learning format makes lessons more engaging, memorable, and emotionally impactful.

In 2025, all 12 border guard stations across the province coordinated with local schools to organize 50 “Borderland Lesson” programs, attracting nearly 10,000 teachers and students. These activities provided students with vivid insights into sovereignty, history, culture, and the life of border guard forces, fostering patriotism and civic responsibility beyond traditional classroom settings.

Although each session may conclude, the lessons on love for the homeland and the responsibility to protect national sovereignty remain deeply imprinted in students’ minds. More than an educational initiative, “Borderland Lessons” programs serve as a bridge connecting young people with the nation’s frontiers, nurturing patriotism and contributing to the strengthening of national defense and security.

My Ly