Many school construction and repair projects in Ho Chi Minh City: Speeding up progress before the new school year

In the last days of July, school construction sites in Ho Chi Minh City were bustling with the sound of machinery, groups of engineers and workers hurriedly speeding up progress. All were working towards a common goal of completing new, spacious schools in time for the new school year.

Efforts to meet learning needs

In Binh Loi commune, a cluster of two new schools is completing the final stages, preparing to be put into use in the new school year 2025-2026. Ms. Nguyen Thi Liem, Chairman of the People's Committee of Binh Loi commune, said that after merging two communes (Binh Loi and Le Minh Xuan), the locality has a population of over 55,000 people, the need for schools for students is one of the key tasks that the commune pays special attention to. "Due to the annual population increase, although the commune has 10 public schools, the situation of student overload still persists. Thanks to the drastic direction of local leaders to overcome difficulties in compensation and site clearance, and urgent construction organization, the two new school projects in the area have now reached 95% of the construction volume, in time to be put into use on August 20," Ms. Nguyen Thi Liem shared.

Workers are busy painting the facade of Le Minh Xuan 2 Secondary School (Binh Loi Commune, Ho Chi Minh City). Photo: HOANG HUNG

The two school projects that Ms. Liem mentioned are Le Minh Xuan 2 Primary School (scale of 30 classrooms, fully equipped with functional rooms on an area of nearly ^13,000m2 , total investment of over 135 billion VND) and Le Minh Xuan 2 Secondary School (45 classrooms, fully equipped with functional rooms on an area of nearly ^24,114m2 , total investment of over 180 billion VND). Putting into use 2 new schools with standard facilities, including a football field, swimming pool, multi-purpose gymnasium... not only meets the learning needs of students, but also improves the quality of teaching and learning in the area. “The two new schools will help Binh Loi commune reach 350 classrooms/10,000 people, exceeding the target of 300 classrooms/10,000 people of school age according to the Resolution of the 11th Ho Chi Minh City Party Congress, term 2020-2025,” Ms. Liem excitedly expressed.

Similarly, according to Mr. Le Hai Long, Chairman of Tan Nhut Commune People's Committee, the commune currently has an area of about 43.5km² with 109,000 people, the demand for schools for local children is very large. To partly meet that demand, Nguyen Cuu Phu Primary School was newly built in Hamlet 22, on an area of nearly 12,000m², with a scale of 45 classrooms and functional rooms, with a total investment of over 138 billion VND. This school will receive 965 students, an average of 35 students/class; organize 2 sessions/day and provide boarding meals, parents no longer have to worry about "cutting shifts" at work, running back to pick up their children like before.

Improve the quality of education

In the 2025-2026 school year, teachers and students of Lai Uyen Secondary School (Bau Bang Commune) are excited to study in a newly completed school. This school was newly built from a budget of more than 180 billion VND. In particular, the main building has a scale of 5 floors, with a total floor area of over ^11,134m2 , including 45 classrooms and specialized functional rooms; the multi-purpose gym has a scale of 3 floors, with a total floor area of over ^2,100m2 , including a parking area, a multi-purpose gym, a tool area.... Mr. Vo Tu Duy Linh, Principal of the school, shared: "In the coming school year, teachers and students of the school are excited to teach and study in a new, spacious and modern school. We will strive and be determined to excellently complete the assigned tasks to improve the quality of comprehensive education for students".

The project to build a new Rach Dua Kindergarten (Rach Dua Ward) has completed 98% of its progress. Photo: KHÁNH CHI

At the construction site of Binh Chuan 2 Secondary School (Thuan Giao Ward), the atmosphere of construction competition between groups of workers is taking place urgently. Engineer Tran Dinh Thanh, chief supervisor of the project, said that the construction site of Binh Chuan 2 Secondary School was deployed from June 15 and will be handed over to the investor on August 15 in time for the new school year. Ms. Tran Thuy Hung Hao, Principal of the school, said that when completed, the school will have 74 classes with more than 3,000 students. This is also a condition for the school to strive for teaching and learning, constantly improving the quality of education, meeting the requirements of curriculum innovation.

In Rach Dua ward, two new school construction projects have reached 95% progress, including Rach Dua Kindergarten (built on an area of over 7,000m², with a total investment of over 41 billion VND) and Nguyen Trai Secondary School (built on an area of over 23,000m², with a total investment of over 178 billion VND). Ms. Nguyen Thi Mai Lien, Deputy Head of the Department of Culture and Society of Rach Dua ward, informed that Rach Dua ward is a densely populated area (about 80,000 people), so the learning needs of students are very large. In previous school years, the ward only had 3 secondary schools: Nguyen Thai Binh , Ngo Si Lien and Thang Nhat. The average number of students at the schools was up to 50 students/class, causing many difficulties in teaching and learning. “The construction of Rach Dua Kindergarten and Nguyen Trai Secondary School, which will be put into operation from the 2025-2026 school year, will bring many positive values to local education. These two new schools not only meet the learning needs of students in the area, but also create more favorable conditions for learning, contributing to improving the quality of education and raising the intellectual level of the people,” said Ms. Nguyen Thi Mai Lien.

On the eve of the new school year 2025-2026, with the special attention of the leaders of Ho Chi Minh City, many new construction and renovation projects of schools are ready to be put into use. Along with spacious facilities are standard equipment, modern functional rooms, contributing to continuing to improve the quality of education in the city.

Dr. NGUYEN THI NHAT HANG, Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training:

There is a special mechanism to speed up the construction of schools and opening of classes.

At the city level, the Project of 4,500 new classrooms with 276 projects, equivalent to 5,910 classrooms, has received special attention from the city in directing and implementing the project. Localities have made efforts to build schools and open classes; however, it is estimated that by the end of 2025, the rate of newly built and repaired and renovated classrooms will reach about 45% (2,565/5,910 classrooms, of which 1,860/2,565 classrooms will be newly built and 705/2,565 classrooms will be repaired and renovated). The reason for the low achievement rate is that many projects do not have investment policies (accounting for 47.8%, equivalent to 132/276 projects); a large number of projects are stuck in legal issues, planning, compensation, and site clearance (101/276 projects).

The city's education sector recommends that ministries, branches, and central agencies have specific mechanisms for the city's inner-city areas regarding school facility standards according to Circular No. 13/2020/TT-BGDDT dated May 26, 2020 of the Ministry of Education and Training, due to difficulties in ensuring land area/student. Relevant departments, branches, and localities of the city focus on reviewing the legal basis of projects that have not yet approved public investment policies, promptly advising the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee to submit to the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council for approval for eligible projects.

Mr. VO DUC THANH, Director of the Management Board of Investment Projects for Construction of Civil and Industrial Works in Ho Chi Minh City:

Urging the progress of building dozens of new schools

In order to gradually complete and modernize the city's school network, in the medium-term public investment period of 2021-2025, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee has assigned the Ho Chi Minh City Civil and Industrial Construction Investment Project Management Board to carry out the task of researching and establishing projects to implement investment in upgrading, repairing, and constructing 8 new projects with a construction scale of 276 classrooms (excluding subject classrooms), with a total investment from the city budget of over VND 1,270 billion. The Ho Chi Minh City Civil and Industrial Construction Investment Project Management Board has organized the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of phase 2 of Vo Truong Toan High School (nearly VND 176 billion), Marie Curie High School (over VND 42 billion), and is preparing to start construction, upgrading, and renovating many other high schools.

Mr. BUI TRONG THONG, Director of Binh Chanh Regional Project Management Board:

7 new schools ready to welcome students

In Binh Chanh district, there are 7 projects that are about to be put into operation. In addition to the 3 completed schools, the projects of Da Phuoc Primary School (Hung Long commune, investment capital of over 165 billion VND), Vinh Loc 1 Primary School (Vinh Loc commune, investment capital of over 100 billion VND), Vinh Loc A Secondary School (Vinh Loc commune, investment capital of 254 billion VND), Tan Nhut Kindergarten (Tan Nhut commune, investment capital of nearly 67 billion VND) are about to reach the finish line. The Vinh Loc B Primary School project (Tan Vinh Loc commune, investment capital of over 230 billion VND) has reached over 65% of the construction volume.

Recorded by QUANG HUY - HONG PHUONG

Source: https://ttbc-hcm.gov.vn/nhieu-cong-trinh-xay-dung-sua-chua-truong-hoc-tai-tphcm-day-nhanh-tien-do-truoc-them-nam-hoc-moi-1019236.html