Ho Chi Minh City: Sudden increase in students, an elementary school has to use degraded desks and chairs

Due to the sudden increase in the number of students in the 2025-2026 school year and while waiting for the procurement bidding, Vinh Tan Primary School (Vinh Tan Ward, Ho Chi Minh City) had to use some old desks, chairs and classrooms, causing parents to be upset.

On September 21, Mr. Nguyen Tan Lap, Chairman of the People's Committee of Vinh Tan Ward (merged from Vinh Tan Ward, Tan Uyen City with Tan Binh Town, Bac Tan Uyen District, former Binh Duong ), Ho Chi Minh City said that this locality is carrying out bidding procedures to supply 100 sets of student desks and chairs to equip Vinh Tan Primary School.

Previously, many parents of students at Vinh Tan Primary School reported that the school used old, degraded desks and chairs with peeling table tops and rusty legs for students to study.

Classrooms with peeling, degraded desks in Vinh Tan Primary School make parents angry

PHOTO: D.X

Proposed to purchase desks and chairs before parents complained

On the afternoon of September 21, speaking with Thanh Nien reporter, Ms. Nguyen Thi My Phong, Principal of Vinh Tan Primary School, said that the temporary use of old desks and chairs (used since 2003) and some old classrooms (built since 1997) was due to the fact that in 2025-2026, after merging communes and wards, the number of students at the school increased dramatically with 240 students, equivalent to 5 classrooms.

The principal of Vinh Tan Primary School confirmed that the number of desks and chairs as reported by parents are only used temporarily.

PHOTO: DO TRUONG

Meanwhile, the school currently has only 25 classrooms for all grades from grade 1 to grade 5. "Due to the increase in the number of students, we had to increase the class size to 50 students per class, but there was still a lack of classrooms, so we had to temporarily use the old desks and chairs and 5 classrooms in 2 old buildings built in 1997," said Ms. Phong.

Ms. Phong also said that after merging Vinh Tan ward, during the summer vacation, the school counted the number of old and degraded desks and chairs and proposed to purchase 100 new desks and chairs to supplement and replace the old ones, and the People's Committee of Vinh Tan ward also approved from the budget.

Vinh Tan Primary School is removing old, degraded desks and chairs to replace them with new ones.

PHOTO: DO TRUONG

Mr. Nguyen Tan Lap, Chairman of Vinh Tan Ward People's Committee, said that because the state budget was used for purchasing, the procedures related to bidding must be carried out in accordance with regulations, so until the beginning of the school year, there were still no new desks and chairs for students, forcing the school to temporarily use the old desks and chairs.

Regarding the lack of classrooms, Mr. Nguyen Tan Lap said that the People's Committee of Tan Uyen City (formerly Binh Duong) has approved the investment policy for the project to build an additional primary school in the area with over 40 classrooms and the project is being implemented.

In addition, Ms. Nguyen Thi My Phong also affirmed that the school does not collect money for purchasing teaching equipment or building classrooms, and does not even collect money from the parents' association fund, so the purchase of desks and chairs using the state budget must comply with the provisions of the law.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tphcm-hoc-sinh-tang-dot-bien-mot-truong-tieu-hoc-phai-su-dung-ban-ghe-xuong-cap-18525092113155632.htm