2 famous specialized schools with a hundred-year history

Ho Chi Minh City (old) has 2 famous specialized schools: Tran Dai Nghia High School for the Gifted and Le Hong Phong High School for the Gifted.

Tran Dai Nghia High School for the Gifted has a history dating back to 1874 when Father Henri De Kerlan – Parish Priest of Saigon Cathedral – used his own money to found Lasan Taberd School. The school was originally a private property of the missionary association, and had great achievements and reputation in training talented people at that time.

In 1975, Lasan Taberd School was handed over to the Ho Chi Minh City Departmentof Education . In 1976, the Pedagogical High School with the mission of training primary school teachers took over from the old Lasan Taberd School. 25 years later, the Pedagogical High School's facilities were handed over to establish Tran Dai Nghia High School.

In 2002, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee allowed Tran Dai Nghia High School to be converted into Tran Dai Nghia High School for the Gifted. In addition to enrolling specialized 10th graders, the school also enrolls 6th graders under its own privileges.

In 2024, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee will reorganize Tran Dai Nghia High School for the Gifted into Tran Dai Nghia High School for the Gifted and Tran Dai Nghia Secondary and High School. Currently, Tran Dai Nghia High School for the Gifted is located at Lot P2 of the resettlement area, An Khanh Ward, Thu Duc City (old) with spacious and modern facilities, enrolling and training 10 specialized classes.

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Tran Dai Nghia High School for the Gifted (Photo: TDN)

Tran Dai Nghia High School for the Gifted is famous for its quality of education in Ho Chi Minh City and the South. The school, named after Professor, Academician, and Military Technician Tran Dai Nghia, has many generations of students who have become famous and talented in the fields of academics, science, technology, etc.

Le Hong Phong High School for the Gifted was built in 1927 under the name of Petrus Ky College (Petrus Truong Vinh Ky High School). From this school, generations of patriotic students and youths participated in revolutionary movements against the French and the Americans. Some of the shining examples are Tran Van On, Ho Hao Hon, Nguyen Thai Binh …

Also in this school, although in the heart of the French colonial regime, many famous teachers, revolutionaries, scientists, artists were born such as: Professor Nguyen Van Chi, Professor Pham Thieu, Architect Huynh Tan Phat, Professor Tran Dai Nghia, Professor Luu Huu Phuoc, Mr. Mai Van Bo, Mr. Huynh Van Tieng, Scholar Tran Dai Xuong, Professor Trinh Kim Anh, Professor Nguyen Tan Gi Trong, Professor Tran Van Khe, Professor Nguyen Ngoc Tran....

In the 1976 school year, the school was named after the late General Secretary Le Hong Phong. In the 1981-1982 school year, the first specialized math group was established. Ten years later, the school was officially assigned the task of specializing in training excellent students for Ho Chi Minh City. In 1995, the Prime Minister assigned the responsibility of Le Hong Phong High School for the Gifted to be the high-quality center for the southern provinces and cities. Currently, Le Hong Phong High School for the Gifted enrolls and trains 12 specialized classes. Le Hong Phong High School for the Gifted, famous in the South, is considered a nursery, a place to nurture many generations of talented students of the country.

After the merger, Ho Chi Minh City will have two other specialized schools: Hung Vuong High School for the Gifted (formerly Binh Duong province) and Le Quy Don High School for the Gifted (formerly Ba Ria-Vung Tau province).

Hung Vuong High School for the Gifted was established in October 1995 by the People's Committee of Song Be Province (old), and has been operating since April 1996. The school's mission is to train high-quality students, future talents to serve the socio-economic development of Binh Duong (old) in particular and the country in general. Currently, Hung Vuong High School for the Gifted enrolls and trains 9 specialized classes.

In 1988, the Department of Education and Training of Ba Ria - Vung Tau began enrolling 2 specialized classes of Literature and Mathematics for grade 6 for the specialized class model of secondary school with 60 students. This was the starting point for the formation of the current Le Quy Don High School for the Gifted . Le Quy Don High School for the Gifted has changed locations many times. In 1991, the Chairman of the People's Committee of Vung Tau - Con Dao Special Zone decided to establish Le Quy Don High School for the Gifted.

Le Quy Don High School for the Gifted was invested by the People's Committee of Ba Ria Vung Tau Province (old) to build a spacious and modern school infrastructure system. The school currently enrolls and trains 7 specialized classes, gradually affirming the quality of training for many generations of students.

Ho Chi Minh City will have 4 specialized schools.

According to the plan to merge the three Departments of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, and Ba Ria - Vung Tau, the new Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City will be a specialized agency under the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City and will receive the original status of the affiliated public service units and units under the state management authority of education of the Department of Education and Training of Ba Ria - Vung Tau and the Department of Education and Training of Binh Duong.

In the immediate future, the staffing and number of employees of the departments and public service units under the 3 regional departments will remain the same; a roadmap will be developed to streamline the staffing, with a minimum of 20% of the number of civil servants and public employees receiving salaries from the state budget. The facilities are expected to remain the same. The staff, employees and workers of the Department will be arranged to work in 3 regions to ensure that work is handled promptly and continuously.

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Le Hong Phong High School for the Gifted. Photo: Minh Hoa

After the merger of Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, and Ba Ria Vung Tau from July 1, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council in its first session on the afternoon of July 1 issued a resolution appointing Mr. Nguyen Van Hieu to hold the position of Director of the new Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training. The Deputy Directors are Duong Tri Dung, Nguyen Bao Quoc, Le Thuy My Chau, Huynh Le Nhu Trang, Nguyen Thi Nhat Hang, Nguyen Van Phong, Truong Hai Thanh, Tran Thi Ngoc Chau, and Nguyen Ke Toai.

The new Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training has the following departments: Office, Inspection - Legal Department, Personnel Organization Department, Planning - Finance Department, Student Department, Quality Management Department, Preschool Education Department, General Education Department, Continuing Education - Vocational and University Department, and Non-public Educational Institution Management Department.

The new Ho Chi Minh City will have 4 specialized schools: Le Hong Phong, Tran Dai Nghia, Hung Vuong, and Le Quy Don High Schools.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/tphcm-se-co-4-truong-thpt-chuyen-trong-do-2-truong-rat-noi-tieng-2418949.html