Ready to welcome students for the start of the school year.

TP - Despite experiencing heavy rains causing flooding, localities have affirmed that they are urgently overcoming difficulties and are ready to start the new school year.

Urgent action needed.

Speaking to a reporter from Tien Phong newspaper, Mr. Nguyen Anh Duc, Chairman of the People's Committee of Xuan Mai commune ( Hanoi ), informed that the recent rain caused by the remnants of typhoons No. 5 and No. 6 has flooded several villages in the commune. Currently, three schools – the kindergarten, primary school, and Nam Phuong Tien secondary school – have their yards and gates flooded. The Xuan Mai commune People's Committee is assessing the situation; if the schoolyards remain flooded and transportation becomes difficult, the opening ceremony will be held at the commune Party Committee's meeting hall.

Teachers in Tam Thanh commune, Thanh Hoa province, are working to repair the damage caused by the storm and floods. Photo: Provided.

Mr. Duc affirmed that this year's opening ceremony (including online participation and the opening ceremony at each school) will be held normally for all students in the area. From September 9th, students will officially return to school, beginning the new academic year. "This year, the commune's flood control efforts have been good, minimizing the impact on people's lives. If it doesn't rain, by September 6th or 7th, most of the flooded areas in the commune will be free of flooding," Mr. Duc said.

In Ha Tinh province, following typhoons No. 5 and 6, 286 educational institutions were severely affected, suffering nearly 136 billion VND in damage. To prepare for the new school year's opening ceremony and ensure suitable learning conditions for students, the Ha Tinh Department of Education and Training directed schools to urgently repair the damage. Teachers at Dinh Ban Primary School in Thach Khe commune (Ha Tinh province) dedicated their entire National Day holiday on September 2nd to cleaning up and repairing the damage caused by typhoon No. 5. The entire school staff raced against time to ensure everything was ready to welcome students back to school.

Mr. Nguyen Trong Hoan, Chief of the Office of the Department of Education and Training of Nghe An province, affirmed that despite the heavy damage caused by floods and storms since the end of July, the locality still ensured that the opening ceremony took place as planned, and the entire education sector implemented teaching for the new school year normally.

In the 2025-2026 school year, Hanoi will have a total of 2,954 preschool and primary/secondary schools at all levels, with approximately 70,500 classes, meeting the needs of over 2.3 million students (an increase of about 60,000 students compared to the 2024-2025 school year). Of these, 2,337 are public schools, with the remainder being private. Hanoi also has 29 vocational education and continuing education centers with approximately 29,000 students studying supplementary high school education and 28,000 students studying in joint continuing education programs.

Nam Phuong Tien Kindergarten in Xuan Mai commune, Hanoi, remains flooded. Photo: Kim Nhue

Mobilize all departments and agencies to participate.

In Thanh Hoa province, 33 schools were damaged and deeply flooded, seriously affecting preparations for the new school year. In addition, many educational facilities remain isolated, making it difficult to assess the damage and develop plans for remediation. The Thanh Hoa Department of Education and Training has issued a document requesting the entire education sector to urgently clean up, repair, and prepare for the opening of the school year; in many places, the start of the school year has been temporarily postponed to ensure the safety of students.

The Department also issued a directive to schools to prepare for the new school year, emphasizing: prioritizing school hygiene, disinfecting water sources, and inspecting electrical systems, fences, and trees. Severely damaged items must be fenced off and have warning signs. Areas still experiencing flooding, landslides, or other safety hazards will continue to postpone the start of the school year, switching to guiding students to review at home, and setting up temporary school locations at village/commune cultural centers if necessary.

The floods severely affected schools in Tam Thanh commune, Thanh Hoa province. The infrastructure at Tam Thanh Primary and Kindergarten School was seriously damaged. Desks, chairs, books, teaching equipment, and students' toys were buried or severely damaged. On September 3rd, the Chairman of the People's Committee of Thanh Hoa province signed a document directing relevant departments to address the natural disaster and ensure conditions for the start of the new school year.

The provincial chairman also issued urgent directives, requesting departments, agencies, and localities to implement solutions to quickly stabilize the situation and create the best conditions for students and teachers to enter the new school year. Accordingly, the Provincial People's Committee assigned the Department of Construction to take the lead, in coordination with local authorities, police, military, and relevant units, to mobilize vehicles and personnel to handle traffic congestion, landslides, and flooding; and to urgently restore traffic to residential areas and schools. At the same time, they were instructed to deploy personnel to dangerous locations to ensure the safety of students and parents.

The Department of Education and Training is tasked with leading the review and assessment of the extent of damage at educational facilities; accelerating the progress of repairs, disinfection, and environmental sanitation in schools. The remediation efforts must be completed before September 5th, ensuring that schools are ready to hold the opening ceremony for the 2025-2026 school year as planned.

Provide material and moral support and encouragement to poor students and those from disadvantaged backgrounds, ensuring that no student is prevented from attending school due to natural disasters.

The Department of Finance is tasked with proactively allocating funds, prioritizing support for schools and localities severely affected; and advising on solutions to mobilize social resources to promptly support recovery efforts. The Department of Health, in coordination with local authorities, will direct disease prevention and control in schools, support disinfection, especially in areas affected by flooding and landslides, and ensure the health of students and teachers.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/san-sang-don-hoc-sinh-khai-giang-post1775217.tpo