Quang Ninh reorganizes educational facilities, reducing the number of principals by 50%.

Photo caption — Quang Ninh has identified the education sector as one of the focuses of the reorganization. Illustrative photo: Thanh Van/VNA

The merger and rearrangement of schools and educational institutions does not reduce or affect students' learning compared to before, but is only suitable for the practical operation of the 2-level local government model. Teachers' teaching, especially students' learning, still takes place normally at the current school, without changing classes, teachers, or schedules. This is a strategic step, both streamlining the apparatus, improving management efficiency, creating conditions to concentrate resources, and investing in education, meeting the requirements of rapid and sustainable development of the locality in the new period.

According to the Department of Education and Training of Quang Ninh province, by September 2025, the whole province will have 637 educational institutions from kindergarten to university (56 private schools) with about 400,000 children, pupils, students, and university students (accounting for over 28% of the population). Of which, 13.03% study at private schools, of which high school level is 35.97% (the highest in the country). There are 579 public educational institutions/centers under the management of the People's Committees at the commune level, the Department of Education and Training, the Provincial People's Committee, ministries and central branches.

After the reorganization, 54 commune-level administrative units in the province have 522 public kindergartens, primary schools, and secondary schools under the management of the commune level. Due to the regional characteristics of the province, the number of kindergartens, primary schools, and secondary schools in each area is unevenly distributed. 10 commune-level units have no more than 5 educational facilities, while 7 units have more than 15 educational facilities. In some commune-level units, the total number of groups/classes of public educational facilities is relatively small, not exceeding the maximum size of an educational facility. Specifically, 12 units have less than 30 kindergarten groups/classes, 11 units have no more than 40 primary school classes, and 33 units have no more than 45 secondary school classes.

Public schools and educational institutions are currently short of nearly 4,000 administrators, teachers, and staff compared to the norm, of which the most notable is the shortage of over 2,600 teachers.

Thus, the reality is that the scale of schools before the merger was still scattered and small, along with the shortage of teachers and the lack of a reasonable structure, which has created great pressure in schools, requiring the rearrangement of the school and class network in conjunction with streamlining the apparatus, effectively using the existing staff and restructuring human resources according to the 2-level local government model.

According to Plan No. 253/KH-UBND dated October 6, 2025 of the People's Committee of Quang Ninh on streamlining internal organizations, public service units, state-owned enterprises, and the People's Committees at the commune level shall reorganize public educational institutions in the area, reducing the number of educational institutions by about 50% or more, but must ensure at least kindergartens and junior high schools.

Accordingly, the People's Committees of communes, wards and special zones shall carry out the arrangement of units under their authority, appraise and approve according to their authority, and complete the arrangement before October 15, 2025. However, a representative of the Department of Education and Training of Quang Ninh province said that as of October 15, there were still a few localities that had not completed the project to arrange public educational units. The Department of Education and Training will continue to guide, urge, inspect and supervise this arrangement.

According to the plan to arrange and merge public schools and educational institutions under the 2-level local government model, for educational institutions under the People's Committees at the commune level, the whole province will arrange 520 schools into 251 schools, reducing 269 schools. Of which, preschool level will reduce 97 schools/total 185 schools, primary level will reduce 104 schools/total 152 schools, schools with secondary level will reduce 68 schools/total 183 schools.

The arrangement is carefully calculated, not merging kindergartens with general schools; not merging continuing education facilities with general schools; only merging schools and school points within the same commune-level administrative unit; prioritizing the inter-level primary - secondary school model in sparsely populated areas and areas with difficult travel.

Typically, after the reorganization, the special zone of Co To has 4 schools (1 kindergarten, 3 primary and secondary schools), 5 fewer schools than before (55.55% reduction) but the size of groups, classes and number of students remains the same (1,602 students). Co To established 3 inter-level schools including: Co To Primary and Secondary School (merging Co To Primary and Secondary School), Dong Tien Primary and Secondary School (merging Dong Tien Primary and Secondary School), Thanh Lan Primary and Secondary School (merging Thanh Lan Primary and Secondary School).

Regarding the educational institutions under the Department of Education and Training, the Provincial People's Committee has merged Tien Yen Ethnic Boarding Secondary and High School with the Provincial Ethnic Boarding Secondary and High School; merged Cua Ong High School with Le Hong Phong High School in the same area of Cua Ong ward. Along with that, 14 Vocational Education - Continuing Education centers were merged into the Provincial Vocational Education - Continuing Education Center, as a basis for conversion into vocational secondary schools according to the direction of the Central Government.

In the whole province, after completing the arrangement, Quang Ninh reduced 284 preschool, general education, and continuing education facilities, equivalent to a streamlining rate of about 50%.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/giao-duc/quang-ninh-sap-xep-cac-co-so-giao-duc-giam-50-so-hieu-truong-20251021085218405.htm