Ministry of Education and Training: Some provinces have been merging schools "hastily," with one school having 9 deputy principals.

(Dan Tri Newspaper) - The merger of schools in some localities shows signs of haste and lack of caution, potentially affecting the quality of teaching and learning, according to a report by the Ministry of Education and Training.

The Ministry of Education and Training assesses that, in addition to initial results, the restructuring of public educational institutions is still being implemented with limitations in some localities.

Large-scale mergers, implemented in a short period, can disrupt staff, students, and parents, potentially increasing disparities in quality and educational opportunities between privileged and disadvantaged areas, especially in places where transportation and boarding facilities are inadequate.

Specifically, some localities have implemented a "mechanical" reduction in the number of schools, leading to many communes and wards merging 3 to 4 schools into a single school.

The consequence of this is a sharp decrease in the number of principals, but the number of vice-principals exceeds the prescribed limit (a maximum of 2-3 people). In some cases, schools currently have up to 9 vice-principals, more than three times the current regulation.

In addition, after the merger, many schools have a number of classes or school locations that exceeds their capacity.

First-grade students on their first day of school (Photo: Bao Quyen).

Some ethnic boarding schools, after merging with other schools, no longer meet the boarding student rate due to a lack of kitchen facilities, leading to a loss of the unique characteristics of supporting ethnic minority and mountainous regions, affecting the right to access education for disadvantaged students.

Currently, 23 out of 34 provinces and cities have submitted reports on school restructuring and mergers to the Ministry of Education and Training. Of these, one province/city has completed the merger, resulting in a reduction of nearly 46% in the number of preschools and nearly 43% in the number of general education schools.

Earlier in October, Quang Ninh province announced the completion of the restructuring and merger of public preschools, primary and secondary schools, and continuing education institutions in the area. Specifically, the number of schools from preschool to junior high school in the province decreased sharply from 520 to 255, equivalent to a reduction of 265 principals.

From now until December 31st, the Ministry of Education and Training requires localities to complete the reorganization of preschools, primary and secondary schools, and continuing education institutions.

The Ministry clearly stated the principles for restructuring, including: Absolutely no merging of preschools with primary and secondary schools; no merging of continuing education centers with primary and secondary schools; no mergers if it is inconvenient for students to attend school; prioritizing budget for renovating the main school before accepting students from smaller schools.

The Ministry also emphasized that school mergers must ensure the rights of students from ethnic minority areas and not diminish the unique characteristics of ethnic boarding and semi-boarding schools.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/bo-gddt-mot-so-tinh-sap-nhap-truong-hoc-nong-voi-co-truong-9-hieu-pho-20251219221703189.htm