Dong Nai well prepared for 2026-2027 school year

On September 25, a delegation from the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET), led by Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Quyen Thanh, held a working session with the Dong Nai City People's Committee on preparations and tasks for the 2026–2027 academic year. Nguyen Thi Hoang, Member of the City Party Committee and Vice Chairwoman of the City People's Committee, worked with the delegation.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Quyen Thanh speaks at the session. Photo: Cong Nghia

According to a report by the Department of Education and Training (DoET), the city currently has 707 schools at all levels, including preschool, general education, and continuing education and vocational training, with a total enrollment of more than 1 million children, students, and trainees.

Dong Nai is among the localities that completed the reorganization of its public education network early. Following the restructuring, the city reduced the number of educational institutions by 453 and established additional multi-level schools. It currently maintains a stable total of 670 public educational institutions, helping streamline operations and stabilize the system for the new school year.

Nguyen Thi Hoang, Member of the City Party Committee and Vice Chairwoman of the City People's Committee, speaks at the session. Photo: Cong Nghia

Director of the DoET Dang Anh Tuan presents a report at the session. Photo: Cong Nghia

However, the education and training sector still faces a shortage of 3,134 staff members compared with actual needs, while the total assigned staffing quota stands at 49,833. Regarding localized textbook shortages at the beginning of the school year, the DoET has worked directly with publishers, which have committed to supplying students with 100% of the required textbook titles by September 30.

In addition, the city is concentrating resources on implementing the Project for Comprehensive Development of Teaching and Learning Quality in eight border communes, with a total budget of more than 1.1 trillion VND, prioritizing the construction of semi-boarding and multi-level semi-boarding school systems.

A notable highlight of the 2026-2027 school year is the strong shift toward digital transformation. To date, 100% of general education and continuing education institutions in the city have implemented online enrollment for entry-level grades, namely grades 1, 6, and 10, and deployed digital student records. The education and training sector has completed intensive training on the Digital Competence Framework and the pilot framework for artificial intelligence (AI) education for 100% of core management staff and teachers.

At the meeting, Dong Nai City proposed that the MoET promptly provide guidance and issue regulations on standards and operating mechanisms for key and high-quality vocational education institutions that meet international standards. The city also requested specific guidance on policies for staff, teachers, and employees managing semi-boarding and boarding students in border communes. In addition, the city asked the ministry to consider revising regulations related to staffing quotas, easing conditions for establishing branch campuses to expand school capacity, and completing and providing the locality with software for universal education and illiteracy eradication.

Deputy Director of the Department of Home Affairs Ha Thanh Tung clarifies issues related to staffing arrangements in the education and training sector. Photo: Cong Nghia

Vu Thi Anh, Deputy Director of the Department of General Education under the MoET, speaks at the session. Photo: Cong Nghia

In her concluding remarks, Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Quyen Thanh noted that the Dong Nai DoET has been proactive and responsible in advising the City Party Committee and the City People's Committee on major policies for the sector. Notably, the reorganization of public educational institutions has closely followed the directives of the central authorities and the MoET. In particular, Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Quyen Thanh highly commended the DoET for advising the City Party Committee and the City People's Committee on drafting a specific resolution to support preschool teachers in purchasing social housing, while also adopting the correct approach to planning training on new management models for school leaders and education officials in communes and wards.

To continue improving educational quality, the Deputy Minister requested that the DoET closely monitor and substantively assess the operations of educational institutions following the reorganization, while making appropriate use of resources to ensure adequate learning conditions and safeguard teachers' rights and benefits. In particular, she called for greater attention to governance, with responsibilities clearly assigned between principals and vice principals at branch campuses, and for emerging issues to be promptly addressed, especially at public educational institutions with large student populations following the reorganization. Regarding staffing, she called for an urgent review of the workforce by education level, subject, and area and, in the immediate term, the recruitment of sufficient personnel to fill all assigned staffing positions.

The Deputy Minister suggested that Dong Nai City study additional mechanisms and policies to support non-public educational institutions and preschool teachers in effectively encouraging enrollment. The education and training sector needs to focus on achieving the goal of universal preschool education for children aged 3–5, especially in industrial zones. In addition, close attention should be paid to school safety and student nutrition, with effective coordination between the education sector, the health sector, and local authorities to closely supervise food processing and storage procedures.

Earlier, Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Quyen Thanh and the working delegation conducted field visits to several preschool and general education institutions in Trang Bom and Tam Phuoc wards. These are densely populated areas with large concentrations of workers and a high number of non-public preschool facilities.

By Cong Nghia – Translated by Minh Hong, Minho