Start merging public schools

Many localities have begun to merge public general education institutions. Meanwhile, universities and colleges are also making appropriate arrangements.

On October 16, Ha Long and Bai Chay wards of Quang Ninh province announced and handed over decisions on the project to rearrange public educational institutions in the area. Previously, the rearrangement of public educational institutions in a streamlined direction was also completed in Dam Ha and Quang Tan communes...

Arrange from high school to university

According to the Department of Education and Training of Quang Ninh province, before the merger, the whole province had 638 educational institutions from kindergarten to university (including 56 private schools), with a total of 394,571 children, pupils, students, and university students. The number of public educational institutions in the area will be reduced by about 50%.

According to the guidance on the arrangement and reorganization of the network of preschool, general education and continuing education facilities in accordance with the two-level local government of the Ministry of Education and Training, for preschool and general education facilities, only schools and school locations within the scope of a commune-level administrative unit will be merged; priority will be given to retaining schools with favorable conditions (facilities, traffic, concentrated population). Dissolve satellite schools that do not meet minimum facility standards. Educational facilities subject to consolidation must be fully prepared with facilities at the main school location.

Some universities are expected to merge with Hanoi National University. Photo: BUI TUAN

Many localities have also had plans to arrange and merge public universities and colleges in the area. Ha Tinh province proposed to continue studying the merger of Ha Tinh University into a member school of the Hanoi National University or according to the new direction of the Ministry of Education and Training. In Phu Tho province, after the arrangement, there will be 1 university, 1 medical college, 3 vocational colleges in 3 regions that are self-sufficient in part of regular expenses, reducing 4 colleges.

The Ministry of Health has also just presented a plan to reorganize the system of public service units in the entire sector. Accordingly, the Ministry of Health proposed that a number of hospitals be transferred to practice hospitals for medical universities, such as the Danang Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Hospital transferred to the Danang University of Medical Technology and Pharmacy; the Central Hospital 71 and the Central Nursing and Rehabilitation Hospital transferred to the Hanoi Medical University.

The medical training block will continue to be maintained but will be adjusted to increase connectivity and streamline the network. Hai Phong University of Medicine and Pharmacy will take over Hai Duong University of Medical Technology, while Hai Duong Central College of Pharmacy will merge with Hanoi University of Pharmacy. Key universities such as Hanoi Medical University, Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy, and Nam Dinh University of Nursing will still be under the Ministry of Health.

There are still many difficulties and problems.

Regarding the arrangement of public service units, the Ministry of Education and Training said on October 16 that it had just sent a document to the Ministry of Home Affairs, informing that the arrangement of university education institutions and vocational education institutions under the Ministry of Education and Training could not be implemented yet.

The reason is that the Ministry of Education and Training is presiding over the development of a Project to reorganize the system of university education institutions and a Project to transfer a number of university education institutions to local management, to be submitted to the Prime Minister for consideration and decision in 2026. This task is based on Resolution 71/2025 of the Politburo on breakthroughs in education and training development.

In addition, according to the Government's Action Program to implement Resolution 57/2024 of the Politburo on breakthroughs in science and technology development, innovation and national digital transformation, the Ministry of Education and Training is assigned to preside over and coordinate with agencies and localities to develop a Project to transfer multi-disciplinary and multi-field university training institutions under the management of the ministry.

All schools under the Ministry of Education and Training will be included in these projects. The Ministry of Education and Training also plans to propose merging the two projects into one, then submit it to the Prime Minister for consideration.

Regarding the arrangement of vocational education facilities and continuing education facilities, the Ministry of Education and Training said that it is facing difficulties. According to the orientation, vocational education centers and continuing education centers will merge into vocational high schools equivalent to high schools. However, vocational high schools are a new organization, being proposed in the draft Law on Vocational Education (amended) - to be submitted to the National Assembly at the 10th session. Therefore, at the present stage, there is no legal basis to implement the above policy.

Similarly, with the orientation that each province and city should not have more than 3 vocational schools, the Ministry of Education and Training said that the current Law on Education and Law on Vocational Education do not have such a concept, but only the type of college and intermediate school. Therefore, the Ministry of Education and Training proposed to only review and streamline vocational education and continuing education centers according to inter-ward and commune areas. The organization into vocational secondary schools or merger with intermediate schools and colleges will be implemented after the vocational secondary school model is recognized.

The Ministry of Education and Training also proposed to consider the characteristics of provinces and cities with large labor force, having many public colleges and intermediate schools (Hanoi 54 schools, Ho Chi Minh City 62 schools, Hai Phong 19 schools, Ninh Binh province 28 schools, Phu Tho province 21 schools...).

There is no such thing as dissolving non-public schools.

The Ministry of Education and Training affirms that the information that non-public schools will be closed and dissolved, and students will have to transfer to public schools is false, fabricated, and distorted.

The Ministry of Education and Training said that recently, there has been a lot of information on social networks saying that non-public schools will be closed, dissolved, and students will have to transfer to public schools. The Ministry of Education and Training affirmed that this is disturbing information, negatively affecting the psychology of people, parents, students as well as the activities of educational institutions.

Priority given to renovating and upgrading facilities

The Ministry of Education and Training has just issued guidelines on the conversion of land use purposes and facilities at relocated schools in accordance with legal regulations, ensuring effective use. In addition, it is necessary to ensure that each commune-level administrative unit has at least one kindergarten, one primary school and one secondary school.

In special cases, it is possible to organize multi-level general schools, but separate areas must be arranged for each level, ensuring teaching conditions. Priority should be given to multi-level general school models (primary and secondary) in sparsely populated areas or places with difficult travel conditions. In addition, consider merging kindergartens and small-scale, substandard primary schools in the same commune according to a suitable roadmap.

The Ministry of Education and Training recommends that provinces and cities prioritize budget allocation to renovate and upgrade facilities and teaching equipment at the main school before receiving children, pupils and students from the satellite school; develop a clear implementation roadmap for each short-term, medium-term and long-term stage. In addition, take advantage of the surplus land fund after the arrangement of administrative units to serve education; focus on renovating, repairing, upgrading or building additional facilities, fully meeting regulations on scale, location, area and in line with the long-term development orientation of educational institutions.

According to the Ministry of Education and Training, it is necessary to arrange and organize the team of managers, teachers and staff at preschool, general education and continuing education facilities according to the job position plan; ensuring balance between education levels and types of educational facilities.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/bat-dau-sap-nhap-cac-truong-cong-lap-19625101621272754.htm