Ho Chi Minh City students return to school as early as August 20

In the 2025-2026 school year, students in grades 1, 9, and 12 in Ho Chi Minh City will return to school on August 20, and the remaining grades will return to school on August 25.

The content is included in the 2025-2026 school year plan issued by the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee on August 14.

According to the plan, schools will simultaneously start the new school year on September 5 and ensure 18 weeks of actual study in semester 1, and 17 weeks of actual study in semester 2. The school year is scheduled to end before May 31.

Ho Chi Minh City students return to school on August 20 at the earliest.

According to data released by the Departments at the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year, Ho Chi Minh City currently has 1,707,220 students; Binh Duong has about 520,700 students; and Ba Ria - Vung Tau province has about 300,000 students at all levels.

Thus, after merging 3 localities, Ho Chi Minh City has nearly 2.6 million students, the most in the country at present. Along with that are more than 3,500 schools at all levels from kindergarten to high school.

According to the 2025-2026 school year plan framework issued by the Ministry of Education and Training , students in grades 1, 9 and 12 will be allowed to return to school two weeks earlier than the opening day, which is August 22 (in previous years, this regulation only applied to first graders). The remaining grades can return one week earlier, which is August 29.

Meanwhile, semester I will end before January 18, 2026, semester II before May 31, 2026, similar to previous years.

Schools must consider recognizing completion of primary school and secondary school graduation before June 30, 2026; complete enrollment at the beginning of the school year before July 31, 2026. The 2026 high school graduation exam is scheduled to take place on June 11-12, two weeks earlier than this year.

However, provinces and cities are proactive in building school year plans, as long as they ensure 35 weeks (18 weeks for semester I, 17 for semester II), and holidays and Tet according to regulations.

Kim Anh

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/hoc-sinh-tp-hcm-tuu-truong-som-nhat-tu-20-8-ar959777.html