In the 2025-2026 school year, Khai Minh Primary School (Ben Thanh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City) organized a concise and practical opening ceremony, and is expected to broadcast the program celebrating the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Ministry of National Education (now the Ministry of Education and Training) with the whole country. The school also informed parents and partners that they will not accept flowers to congratulate the opening ceremony. If partners and parents are willing, they can switch to supporting the scholarship fund to take care of disadvantaged children.

In a notice sent to partners, parents and donors, Duong Van Thi High School (Tang Nhon Phu Ward, Ho Chi Minh City) also said it would not accept flowers at the opening ceremony of the new school year and would like to change them to scholarships for students in difficult circumstances.

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Students in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Nguyen Hue

“These scholarships will be awarded to students at the opening ceremony as a gift to encourage their spirit of overcoming difficulties, nurturing their dreams and adding motivation to study. Each scholarship, whether big or small, is a sharing and love, contributing to spreading humanistic values, accompanying the school on the journey of nurturing knowledge,” stated the letter from Principal Nguyen Thi Thanh Truc.

The opening ceremony of the new school year 2025-2026 is specially organized to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Ministry of Education and Training.

The ceremony will be held at the National Convention Center ( Hanoi ) from 8:00 to 9:30 a.m. on September 5, broadcast live on VTV1 and connected online to all educational institutions from kindergarten to university (public and non-public) across the country.

At the ceremony, Party and State leaders are expected to give speeches, beat the opening drum, and present noble titles of the Party and State to the Ministry of Education and Training.

In previous years, universities often held their opening ceremonies at their own time. However, this year, all educational institutions from kindergarten to university, both public and private, will hold them simultaneously during this time.

Refusing to accept flowers at the opening ceremony or on November 20 has been applied by many schools in Ho Chi Minh City in recent years.

Mr. Le Hong Thai, Principal of Phan Van Tri Primary School (HCMC), once refused to receive flowers on November 20th and wanted another gift to send to his students.

He sent a letter to donors, agencies, and businesses, stating that every year, on November 20, the school receives many congratulatory flower baskets. However, these flowers are only used for a few days and then thrown away, which is a waste. This year, the economic situation is difficult, the school hopes that donors, businesses, and organizations, instead of giving flowers, will donate notebooks, milk, and sports equipment so that the school can reward students. Any contribution, big or small, is a source of motivation for the school and students.

At Nguyen Van Luong Secondary School (District 6, Ho Chi Minh City), Principal Dinh Phu Cuong wrote an open letter to agencies, businesses, parents, and donors asking to exchange gifts of flowers and cakes on Vietnamese Teachers' Day, November 20, for insurance cards for 89 disadvantaged students of his school. Each card is worth 680,000 VND.

According to Mr. Cuong, businesses and parents often give cakes and flowers to schools and teachers on November 20. The school really appreciates this sentiment. But after 1-2 days, many flower baskets have to be thrown away while the amount of money the units spend to buy gifts is not small.

Mr. Cuong said that after the open letter was shared, the school received unexpected joy. In the school, teachers were the first to contribute money to buy insurance cards for students. Many businesses, parents, and philanthropists also donated gifts to the school, with the amount of money being able to buy more than 200 insurance cards - a number far beyond expectations.



Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/nhieu-truong-hoc-o-tphcm-tu-choi-nhan-hoa-trong-le-khai-giang-2437201.html