“The House of Wisdom” and “Compassion Books” Launched at Duc Pho School
QUANG NGAI – Pho Hoa Primary and Secondary School in Duc Pho town has officially launched its “The House of Wisdom” and “Compassion Books” initiatives, marking the first of its kind to be established in a school within the town.
The launching ceremony was held on the morning of December 14th. Attendees included the Director of the Department of Education and Training, Nguyen Ngoc Thai; Vice Chairman of the Duc Pho People’s Committee, Vo Thanh Hùng; representatives from the Duc Pho Fellow-Countrymen Association in Ho Chi Minh City; delegates from the Institute for Lifelong Learning, the “The House of Wisdom” program, and the “Compassion Books” project; as well as administrators from local schools and all of the school’s teachers and students. The program was supported by the Quang Ngai Newspaper.
The establishment of the “The House of Wisdom” at Pho Hoa Primary and Secondary School was made possible through the support of the Duc Pho Fellow-Countrymen Association in Ho Chi Minh City and the school’s alumni, who collectively contributed over 150 million VND.
Nguyen Quoc Huy, Deputy Director of the Institute for Lifelong Learning and CEO of the “Compassion Books” stated that implementing this model in schools introduces a fresh, creative, and flexible approach that complements the formal education system. “From here, it will inspire many new initiatives such as writing and storytelling competitions, book reviews, charity events, and community-oriented actions,” he said.
The program is committed to partnering with localities and schools to mobilize book resources and connect with national and international experts across various fields to support the activities at all “The House of Wisdom” locations.
Dr. Hoang Van, Vice Chairman of the Duc Pho Fellow-Countrymen Association in Ho Chi Minh City, described the initiatives as meaningful, effective, professional, and sustainable for their Duc Pho homeland and the nation at large. In recent years, the association’s executive board decided to support the two programs by allocating a portion of its educational promotion funds toward donating books, scholarships, and building facilities for “Houses of Wisdom” in Duc Pho town.
Mr. Nguyen Duc Hoanh, Principal of Pho Hoa Primary and Secondary School, acknowledged the “The House of Wisdom” as an incredibly meaningful gift from the sponsors.
“Our teachers and students will make the most effective use of this precious gift and build a movement of reading, self-study, and lifelong learning that will grow and spread not only within our school but also to the local community,” Mr. Hoanh expressed.
The “Compassion Books” and “The House of Wisdom” are humanitarian programs in the cultural and educational sectors focused on creating and sustaining free communities for reading, self-study, and lifelong learning. The program has received awards and certificates of merit from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (2020) and the Minister of Education and Training (2024). In October 2023, the programs were honored with the Literacy Award in the “Successful Practices” category by the U.S. Library of Congress.
To date, the “Compassion Books” has mobilized and established a network of over 27,000 bookshelves (containing more than 1.6 million books) at over 3,200 schools and communities across all 63 provinces and cities in Vietnam, as well as in some provinces of neighboring Laos. The “House of Wisdom” has built and maintains over 300 lifelong learning spaces in 17 Vietnamese provinces and cities and five other countries (Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and the USA).
Source: Quang Ngai Newspaper
Author: Hoai Thuan
