There is a phenomenon of hasty and mechanical school mergers.

The Ministry of Education and Training assesses that the merger of public educational institutions in some localities in recent times has shown signs of haste and mechanicality, potentially leading to overloaded facilities and affecting the quality of teaching and learning.

Mergers in some localities are still being carried out without due caution.

On December 19th, the Ministry of Education and Training held an online meeting with localities regarding the arrangement and organization of public preschools, primary and secondary schools , and continuing education institutions.

According to a report presented at the Ministry of Education and Training's conference, 23 out of 34 provinces and cities have submitted information and reports on the restructuring situation. Most provinces and cities have unanimously agreed on the basic principle of maintaining existing public high schools, middle schools, primary schools, multi-level schools, and kindergens; only restructuring and adjusting some kindergartens and general education schools that do not meet standards, ensuring convenience for residents and students.

The Ministry of Education and Training organized an online conference on the restructuring and organization of public preschools, primary and secondary schools, and continuing education institutions.

PHOTO: TRAN HIEP

However, the Ministry of Education and Training assesses that the restructuring of public educational institutions still has many limitations in some areas, posing potential risks to the organization of teaching and learning and ensuring educational welfare, especially in disadvantaged areas and densely populated urban areas.

Specifically, the merger of public educational institutions in some localities shows signs of haste and lack of caution. Many implementations were carried out before the Government Steering Committee issued the implementation plan, without fully studying the conclusions of the Central Committee and the documents of the Ministry of Education and Training…

In some areas, the review and reorganization of public educational institutions has been carried out multiple times, but the legal basis and educational science basis for adjusting the targets for reducing the number of preschool and general education institutions in each phase have not been clearly defined.

Some localities have implemented school restructuring and reductions in a "mechanical" manner, leading to imbalances in class sizes and school locations, posing a risk of overloading facilities and affecting the quality of teaching and learning. The rate of school mergers is high, far exceeding professional recommendations, causing imbalances in scale. Many communes and wards have merged 3-4 schools into one or merged schools with maximum capacity. After restructuring, many educational institutions have a number of classes or school locations exceeding the prescribed capacity.

The mergers are likely to affect the model of ethnic boarding and semi-boarding schools and the beneficiaries of ethnic minority policies. Some ethnic semi-boarding schools, after merging with other schools, no longer meet the required percentage of boarding students, leading to a loss of specificity in supporting ethnic minority and mountainous regions, affecting the right to access education for students in remote areas and vulnerable groups. After the mergers, the infrastructure in many places does not yet meet the requirements. Although the number of schools has decreased, investment in expanding classrooms and semi-boarding school kitchens has not been implemented in a timely manner.

Large-scale mergers, carried out in a short period, can disrupt staff, students, and parents, impacting the morale, quality of teaching, and stability of educational institutions. There is a potential risk of disparities in quality and learning opportunities between more affluent and disadvantaged areas, especially in places where transportation and boarding facilities are inadequate.

After the reorganization, some schools have more than three times the number of deputy principals allowed.

According to the Ministry of Education and Training, some schools have a significantly higher number of deputy principals than the prescribed limit. Some schools currently have up to 9 deputy principals (more than three times the allowed number). Some units have not yet adjusted their personnel structure, and their organizational systems are not yet stable.

NO MECHANICAL CUTTING

At the conference, representatives from many localities expressed the view that the restructuring of the school network should be carried out cautiously, with a roadmap, without disrupting teaching and learning activities, ensuring the learning rights of students and the stability of the teaching staff.

Mr. Phung Quoc Lap, Deputy Director of the Phu Tho Department of Education and Training, believes that the merger of educational institutions should focus on small-scale schools and school branches that are no longer suitable, and should not place too much emphasis on completing the process in a short time. According to Mr. Lap, rearranging the school network is a sensitive issue that requires a suitable roadmap, linked to public awareness campaigns and fostering consensus among the people and the teaching staff.

Mr. Bui Quang Tri, Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training of Tuyen Quang province, proposed that the Ministry of Education and Training should soon issue specific guidelines on the organization, enrollment, and operation of boarding and semi-boarding schools in border areas, as a basis for localities to implement uniformly.

Parents of students at Trung Phuc Cuong 2 Primary School in Thien Nhan commune (Nghe An province) protested against the school merger after the opening day of the 2025-2026 school year.

Photo: Khanh Hoan

According to representatives from the Departments of Education and Training of Dak Lak and Vinh Long provinces, the biggest challenges currently are the lack of investment in infrastructure and the transportation conditions for students. Both localities have requested that the Ministry of Education and Training and the central government provide financial support and flexible guidance to ensure that the school network is arranged to suit the conditions of each region, without disrupting educational activities.

In his concluding remarks at the conference, Mr. Pham Ngoc Thuong, Deputy Minister of Education and Training, emphasized that the restructuring of the school network is not about mechanical reduction or chasing after a reduction in the number of schools or school branches. The highest goal is to improve the quality of education, ensure students' right to education, and improve teachers' teaching conditions. Schools with small, scattered branches that are no longer suitable should be reorganized or merged. Conversely, in areas with large student numbers exceeding the standard, consideration should be given to splitting schools and building new ones, ensuring compliance with class sizes, school safety, and educational principles.

Mr. Thuong also noted three overarching requirements in reviewing and reorganizing the educational network: sufficient schools, sufficient classrooms, and sufficient teachers, but these must be reasonable and appropriate to the practical conditions of each locality. The reorganization must meet the goals of universal education, especially universal preschool education for children aged 3 to 5, and compulsory education at the primary and lower secondary levels. Along with that, the organization of schools and classes must adhere to the principles of education, contributing to improving the quality of teaching and learning; and strictly implement current regulations on school standards, facilities, and teaching staff.

Mr. Pham Ngoc Thuong also requested specialized units to continue researching and reviewing the completion of standards regarding schools, teaching staff, and student numbers according to new conditions; and at the same time, to compile the infrastructure investment needs of localities, as a basis for advising on the allocation of resources from the medium-term public investment plan and national target programs.

The Ministry of Education and Training stated that it will continue to monitor and guide provinces in reorganizing the school network; coordinate with the Ministry of Interior in perfecting the mechanisms for recruitment, appointment, transfer, and rotation of teachers and management staff; and coordinate with the Ministry of Finance to develop specific mechanisms and pilot some models for reorganizing public educational institutions.

Some localities saw a nearly 50% reduction in facilities after mergers.

Reports from 23 provinces and cities to the Ministry of Education and Training all indicate that they have finalized their restructuring plans. Accordingly, the majority of preschools and primary and secondary schools will remain unchanged in 2025, with a restructuring roadmap after the end of the 2025-2026 school year. Many provinces have developed plans for gradual reduction over the entire period from 2026 to 2030.

Specifically, for preschool education, 6 out of 23 provinces maintained the current scale and number; 15 out of 23 provinces and cities gradually reduced the number by 1.76% to less than 10% over the entire period...

Regarding general education, 7 out of 23 provinces maintained the current scale and number of educational institutions; 15 out of 23 provinces had merger plans according to a roadmap of 0.2% to less than 10% over the entire period, and 1 province had completed the merger, reducing the number of educational institutions by 42.57%.

Regarding continuing education, most provinces have implemented strong merger plans to reduce the number of institutions in continuing education and vocational training centers, such as Quang Ninh (92.86%), Hue (44.44%), Tay Ninh (44.44%), Gia Lai (36%), Thai Nguyen (35.29%), Quang Ngai (35.71%), etc.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/co-hien-tuong-sap-nhap-truong-nong-voi-co-hoc-185251219224306092.htm