Oe 4

Mrs. Mickey Murray, of Port Arthur, On-
tario visited North Vietnam for three
weeks last May.

By MICKEY MURRAY

“Life is the greatest university—but
you have to prepare for life,” said Mr.
Quang Buu, Minister of Higher Edu-
cation of North Vietnam. Hunched for-
ward over the table, serious and soft-
spoken, he sat across from us in his
Hanoi office and for over an hour re-
lated in perfect English the educa-
tional structure and the wide program
in education which his country is, in
spite of wartime conditions, carrying
out.

Sipping hot green Chinese tea, we
listened fascinated by the report of
accomplishments in this small country
where a few short years ago illiteracy
was the order of the day.

It was nearing the end of our stay
in Vietnam, and we had already seen
much of the “preparing for life” of
which Mr. Quang Buu spoke. If edu-
cation is preparing for life, there was
no longer any doubt in my mind that
the North Vietnamese were. being
equipped to handle life fully and mag-
nificently.

The “preparation” in that country
could well begin with the infant and
mother being carried to saféty from
the semi-underground delivery room,
through an underground tunnel, by
those who had already travelled along
the “preparation road.” The infant
could well begin his education in love

being held snugly to his mother’s °

breast in an underground shelter or in

. his swinging wicker basket in per-
manent underground living quarters
or, sadly, being sheltered from bombs
by the dead body of one who loved
him.

He progresses to the creche where
his training in social habits and un-
selfishness are taught by loving attend-
ants who watch over him in thatch-
roofed buildings which must be sur-
rounded by high earthen banks against
fragmentation bombs, and by many
trenches and tunnels, for the fire and
destruction which comes from the sky
—set loose by those who have no re-
gard for the precious’ life of a little
Vietnamese babe, is a constant threat.
He is guarded well. His earthen-floor
creche with the play and rest plat-
forms carefully covered with newspa-
pers, is tucked away in safe places—
in mountains and jungle. Here I visit-

ed him, wept over him and left him in’

the hopeful safe keeping of his people.
I left him also with the vow to con-
tinue the struggle to help bring to
their senses those who-so shamelessly
rain indescribable destruction on this
beautiful land.

I saw him again in many kinder-
gartens—a manly little individual, un-
inhibited, a splendid dancer and sing-
er, proud of his work and the gifts
he gave us—drawings, a tiny woven
rush hat and fan, colorful designs
made of the,dyed round rush stems,
cut in small pieces of which the busy
little hands made raised “polka dot”
pictures. Mentally I embraced them
all and left them in the loving care of
their teachers, who in many instances
play the role of parents who are many
miles away doing necessary work in
dangerous areas.

‘Our next encounter was in an earth-
en bank encircled pit-in-the-ground
class room of a primary school. We
met several times in different areas.
These were indeed happy occasions.
Here already he was not only the good
student, the “wise nephew of Uncle
Ho,” but also the proud father of his
country. Had he not captioned his
painting of a barnyard scene, in which

“he had thoughtfully’ camouflaged’ the’
PACIFIC TRIBUNE—SEPTEMBER 20, 1968-—Page 4

‘backs of the water buffalo with green

branches, with the stirring words —
“To Tend the Animals is to Fight the
the Enemy.” In his semi-underground
class room, he sat with his feet dang-

. gling over open trenches to enable

him quickly to turn to underground
safety in the event of an air raid alert.
A child of war, mother earth is his
protector, his friend and ally as it is

for those who have marched downthe |

preparation road ahead of him. I saw
him also many times in the fields rid-
ing or leading the water buffalo to
graze and sometimes swimming and
playing in the ponds with the huge
statuesque beast—sometimes keeping a
watchful eye on large flocks of geese
or ducks. Yes, he is on the road being
prepared for life.

His progress is fast, for time is pre-
cious and everyone must work hard,
must do the work of three. Our next
glimpse of him was as a young adult
in various stages of learning—in var-
ious schools—in various areas. On oc-
casion we saw him swinging jauntily
off to school, his ever-present first aid
kit- with the bright red cross slung
across his shoulder. Not child nor
man, but already burdened with the
serious task of helping to defend his
country.

We meet the teen-age student at the
agricultural co-op in Hai Hung prov-
ince, studiously engaged in a three
year course in agriculture and man-
agement. We met those who are gra-
duates and are doing great things in
the development of agricultural co-
operatives. We met many more. in
night schools—workers in daytime,
active in self defense units and their
guns as constant companion. Over 12
million Vietnamese adults are attend-
ing regular night school classes, or are
at long term supplementary educa-
tional schools.

Then one day we rise at 3 a.m. to

_ drive, minus cameras, many miles into

the country where in the jungle re-
gions we visit the Medical: Faculty of
the University of Hanoi. We travel in
jeeps for when we turn off the main
road the going is tough. We stop for
a rest and partake of the lunch our
hosts had brought along in lieu of
breakfast. Friendly people and children
appear as if from nowhere to talk with
us. An elderly woman, carrying two
baskets of crisp cucumbers on her
bamboo shoulder pole on her way to
market, stops. Our hostess buys seve-
ral and remarks to us, “look how
beautiful, and only two cents a piece.”
The vendor looks pleased but I mar-
vel at the price.

I climb back into the jeep beside the
driver, where when we left Hanoi Mrs.
Bui Thi Cam had placed me with the
kindly remark, “we want you to have
a good place.” We continue on our
way. We pass countless farmyards.

_Naively I think the university will be

many miles from the inhabitants, and
I am greatly surprised when we come
to a stop among a group of buildings
well hidden under spreading palms and
great banyan trees, hard by the dwel-
ling places of peasants.

A thrill shot through me for a I re-

alized that’ here was the personifica-
tion of great mutual trust and confi-
dence. The natives trusted completely
the university people who were among
them for safety and were completely
trusted in return. Into this jungle re-
treat we were warmly welcomed by
Dr. Doan Dai, vice-director of the fac-
ulty and by other department heads.

This faculty, they told us, was start-
ed in 1902 under the French. It be-
came a full faculty only in 1934 and
was the only medical faculty for all
of Indo China. Students had to go to
France to write their final exams. The

personnel was mainly French, and
only after the 1954 revolution was
this situation remedied. The university
was taken over by the Vietnamese,
staffed by Vietnamese and taught only
in Vietnamese. This was a_ great
achievement. During the years of fight-
ing against the French the medical

.faculty moved into the jungle and

continued to educate and train doc-
tors. When peace returned the univer-
sity went back to Hanoi, only to again
be decentralized and dispersed into
many secret areas when the U.S.A.
carried its aggressive policy into the
North.

There are some 2,000 students and
faculty members here, and with great
pride they told us that they practice
the popular policy of “self reliance.”
They build their own buildings—over
400, and they grow their own food,
vegetable as well as livestock. In ad-
dition to teaching and learning, much

research is carried on. They have fine

cultural groups and are proud of the
many prizes they have taken in dra-
ma and other activities. Trenches are
everywhere, built by the students.
They live with the population, teach
them and guide them, and at harvest
time render great help.

A native family, members of a min-

ority group, whose large house of
bamboo stood on stilts, invited us in
for tea. According to the custom of
the land, shoes were removed at the
door. Tea was graciously served from
a rush mat from a large platform
about eight inches above the floor.

. Our Vietnamese friends sat gracefully

cross-legged on the floor—we sat the
best we could. Our hostess presented

us with-a small package of neatly

wrapped home-grown tea. Fond fare-
wells were spoken and a little later a
grand concert brought our visit to a
close.

There are 73,000 at university level
in North Vietnam at the present time.
In addition there are 7,000 studying,
plus a thousand doing post graduate

work, in the socialist countries. Af!
ther 3,000 are studying in Fa
Twelve thousand students gradu@
from university annually, and 50
60,000 graduate from  secondal
schools. Sixty-five percent of the ef
dents pay no fee or lodging. Of!
those who are able to pay. It 1s ‘i
aim of the country to dispense
all fees in two years. Students are ™!
drafted nor can they volunteer for 5
vice, but they get military educall
and training and may enlist when the
graduate. They are members of thé
self defensé units. ;
They now have one teacher 10 ;
students, said Mr. Quang Buu. :
1980 they will have accomplished
student body of 300,000, which wou
then be the normal number in prop?
tion to the projected population
that time. Pointing out that they
a period of 30 years during which
Vietnamese was graduated from
versity, he said the present num
of university students represents
“sreat effort,” although not large
European standards. The Ministty
Education gives the direction in tea¢
ing, curriculum and academic acl!
ties although students are represent
in the collectives of all colleges.
They are engaged in the fundamé
talization, modernization and V#
namization of their education P
gram. For too long European theot!
have been taught from European t#
books, which simply do not apply

_Indo China.

“When peace returns to Vietnall
said Mr. Buu, “the building of a 1°
life in our country will be the task |
the young generation. We have to PF
pare many to succeed us and we ha!
not much time. The most importa!
part of our program is to produce V!é
namese men and women able to
the war and after that to build a ®
life—socialism. It is a great task #
we must not fail.”

_ Mr. Quang Buu—you will not fail

ep rerer awe ——
we ig Gees a 8 er 7