Ho Chi Minh City prioritizes using surplus office buildings to open more preschools.

Ho Chi Minh City will utilize surplus office buildings and allocate additional land to expand preschools, meeting the increasing demand for childcare in urban areas and industrial zones.

Preschool children during playtime at Huong Sen Kindergarten, Duc Nhuan Ward, Ho Chi Minh City - Photo: NT

The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee has just issued a plan to implement the program "Improving the quality of preschool education in urban areas and industrial zones in the period 2026 - 2035, with a vision to 2045" to meet the needs of caring for, nurturing, and educating children in the context of rapid urbanization and a large number of workers and laborers living in industrial zones.

Accordingly, the city will allocate land for the construction of preschool education facilities according to the approved plan, especially in new urban areas, resettlement areas, and industrial zones, in order to diversify preschool education models to suit the specific characteristics of urban areas.

In particular, the city prioritizes the use of surplus office buildings after administrative restructuring for preschool education; developing non-public facilities and implementing public-private partnership models in the form of business-management (O&M) contracts, ensuring tuition fees are affordable for workers.

The city has also implemented various solutions to improve the quality of care and education for children aged 6-36 months, such as: providing specialized skills training for teachers; investing in facilities and equipment; supporting teacher training for private institutions in industrial zones; and disseminating parenting skills materials to working parents.

At the same time, promote socialization, encourage businesses to invest in preschools in industrial zones, and support childcare costs for workers; mobilize resources from programs, projects, and non- governmental organizations to enhance equipment, supplies, and toys for preschools…

According to Tran Thi Dieu Thuy, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, the program will be implemented in urban areas as stipulated and in all industrial parks, export processing zones, high-tech zones, and industrial clusters – areas with a high concentration of workers. The beneficiaries include preschool children; management staff, teachers, and employees; parents of children; preschool education institutions; and related organizations and individuals.

The program focuses on supporting the improvement of early childhood education quality, ensuring that children have access to safe, quality, equitable, and appropriate educational services.

Preschool children during a swimming lesson at Huong Sen Kindergarten, Duc Nhuan Ward, Ho Chi Minh City - Photo: NT

During the period 2026-2030, the city aims for 100% of children attending preschools in urban areas to receive proper care and education; and in industrial zones, at least 80% of children aged 6 to 36 months who are children of workers and require childcare will attend school. This target will be raised to 100% during the period 2031-2035.

For the teaching staff, the city aims to have 80% of urban administrators and teachers access professional materials on digital platforms by 2030; and 100% of teachers in industrial zones receive annual professional development...

To effectively implement the program, the city requires relevant departments, agencies, and localities to develop specific programs and plans that concretize objectives, tasks, and solutions suitable to the conditions of each area; strengthen the leadership of Party committees and authorities in the development of preschool education; incorporate this goal into the annual socio -economic development plan; and at the same time promote communication and dissemination of knowledge on nurturing, caring for, and ensuring the safety of children.

The Department of Education and Training is in charge of implementing the plan; coordinating with relevant departments, agencies, the People's Committees of wards and communes, and special zones to guide, inspect, compile reports, and assign specific tasks to related departments to ensure synchronized implementation; contributing to improving the quality of preschool education, meeting the childcare needs of workers and laborers, and ensuring social welfare in the city.

VNA

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tp-hcm-uu-tien-dung-tru-so-doi-du-mo-them-truong-mam-non-20251207201655257.htm