PHS School Thinking...
Ông Lâm Quang Tự – Ông Nghè Lâm
My great-grandfather, the grandfather of my mother, was Lâm Quang Tự (born 1884) in Cẩm Toại village, Hòa Vang district (now Đà Nẵng City). He passed two Confucian Bachelor’s exams, served as a Secretary-Mandarin across Quảng Bình, Quảng Nam, Quảng Ngãi, and Phú Yên, and was often called “Ông Nghè Lâm” (Mandarin Lâm). He was the eldest son of Tú Tài Lâm Hữu Mẫn, who founded the Cẩm Toại Private School in 1888.
In 1908, Ông Nghè Lâm inherited Cẩm Toại School from his father. Embracing the Reform Movement (Phong trào Duy Tân), he shifted to teaching the Vietnamese script (Quốc ngữ), and gradually introduced modern subjects like Mathematics, History, Geography, Science, Handicrafts, and even Martial Arts. The school also organized public speeches, literary critiques, and discussions on current events.
At that time, the French colonialists were suppressing the Reform Movement. Many new-style schools were closed. Ông Nghè Lâm had to move constantly to evade pursuit, yet Cẩm Toại School was strongly supported by the local community and managed to stay open.
In 1928, Cẩm Toại School became a public institution named École Cantonale D’An Phước (An Phước District School). In 1939, it established a primary curriculum and became An Phước Primary School, which it remains today.
From the initial goal of building a patriotic school that taught literacy and nurtured national spirit, Ông Nghè Lâm and his teachers educated generations of patriotic intellectuals, many of whom joined the movement for national liberation. The Lâm family flourished, with many descendants becoming patriotic intellectuals, and an especially large number becoming educators. My maternal grandfather’s family had six children, four of whom became teachers. By my generation, the number of educators has decreased.
As a young child, during summer breaks in Đà Nẵng, my grandfather showed me the huge, beautiful family genealogy chart he wrote and drew by hand. I traced my small hand across every branch of the “tree,” reaching the great-grandparents, grandparents, parents, uncles, and aunts—and finally, my own name. Our family stories filled my childhood. My aunts, uncles, and mother told these stories so well that I naturally followed the path of teaching.
In 2006, when I opened the Pacific Ocean Private High School, my initial goal was simply to create a school for my own child. Honestly, I didn’t have the grand, noble vision of my great-grandfather then. Yet, something in the family tradition drove me to open a school that offered a progressive learning environment without high tuition fees. Like An Phước, my school later added a primary level, becoming Pacific Primary and High School (PHS).
What is a gap of 100 years, when Cẩm Toại School already had a comprehensive curriculum—one that was as complete as the Western and Eastern education I brought back? My great-grandfather already included extracurricular activities, public speaking, and discussions—activities that my generation was sadly missing in public school. In PHS’s curriculum, I also emphasize character building, fostering patriotism, and national pride. I followed my great-grandfather’s role model, selecting dedicated teachers and staff who share my passion to journey and develop with me.
From An Phước to Pacific Ocean School, the spirit of promoting learning, embracing modernity, and loving our country is a legacy passed down through many generations—a legacy we proudly inherit, preserve, and pass on to the next.
TƯỢNG NHÀ GIÁO LÂM QUANG TỰ – Ông Nghè Lâm tại ngôi trường do ông sáng lập – trường Tiểu học An Phước.
Hình ảnh trường An Phước ngày nay
Primary, middle and high school Pacific is a Vietnamese-English bilingual school that is organized according to international standards to develop key competencies, help students integrate with the background. global advanced education and maximum development of personal capacity.