Dong Nai launches project for its first model socialist school

On October 14, the Dong Nai City People's Committee held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Tan Trieu Primary–Secondary– High School in Tan Trieu Ward, which will be developed as a model socialist school.

Hoang Minh Son, Member of the Party Central Committee and Minister of Education and Training, attends the ceremony. Photo: Cong Nghia

Vu Hong Van, Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the CPC, and Head of the City National Assembly Delegation, along with municipal leaders, attends the ceremony. Photo: Cong Nghia

Vu Hong Van, Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the CPC, and Head of the City National Assembly Delegation, attends the ceremony. Photo: Cong Nghia

The ceremony was attended by Hoang Minh Son, Member of the Party Central Committee and Minister of Education and Training; Vu Hong Van, Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Dong Nai City Party Committee (CPC), and Head of the City National Assembly Delegation; Nguyen Van Ut, Deputy Secretary of the CPC and Chairman of the City People's Committee; members of the CPC’s Standing Committee; and leaders of departments, boards and agencies.

The Tan Trieu Primary–Secondary–High School project covers 14.35 hectares and comprises six integrated, modern functional zones. In the initial phase, the city plans to invest approximately VND500 billion in the project, with a capacity of 27 classes and around 1,115 students. Dong Nai City's decision to develop Tan Trieu Primary–Secondary–High School as the first model socialist school in Tan Trieu Ward has attracted considerable public attention and support.

Nguyen Van Ut, Deputy Secretary of the CPC and Chairman of the City People's Committee, delivers remarks at the ceremony. Photo: Cong Nghia

Addressing the groundbreaking ceremony, Nguyen Van Ut, Deputy Secretary of the CPC and Chairman of the City People's Committee, emphasized the project's strategic significance as Dong Nai is actively implementing Politburo Resolution No. 16-NQ/TW, aiming to develop a polycentric, green, smart, and modern airport urban area. He stressed that this development orientation requires general education to take the lead in improving teaching and learning quality to prepare a highly qualified workforce.

Outlining the city's approach to educational investment in the new phase, Chairman of the City People's Committee Nguyen Van Ut affirmed that Dong Nai does not intend to simultaneously replicate large-scale, capital-intensive infrastructure projects across all areas. Instead, the city seeks to expand "tangible values," including effective governance models, improved teaching and learning quality, the application of technology, and the development of safe, humane educational environments that can reach remote areas and industrial centers.

Hoang Minh Son, Member of the Party Central Committee and Minister of Education and Training, delivers remarks at the ceremony. Photo: Cong Nghia

To achieve this objective, the Chairman of the City People's Committee called on the project developer to promptly complete all administrative procedures and strive to finish construction and equipment installation by August 2028, enabling the school to begin operations in the 2028–2029 academic year; ensure transparency, efficiency, and the prevention of waste. The municipal leader also requested that the Department of Education and Training coordinate closely with the Department of Home Affairs to develop staffing plans and organize the recruitment and training of school administrators and teachers. The department was also asked to work with the Ministry of Education and Training to develop a set of evaluation criteria for the gradual application of the model at other educational institutions.

Delegates press the button to officially launch the Tan Trieu Primary–Secondary–High School project under the socialist school model. Photo: Cong Nghia

Speaking at the ceremony, Minister of Education and Training Hoang Minh Son commended the Dong Nai CPC leadership for demonstrating a strong and practical commitment to education during the city's new stage of development. He noted that, in the era of artificial intelligence (AI) and extensive international integration, Dong Nai's pioneering initiative to develop an exemplary inter-level school model opens up new prospects for education in Vietnam.

The minister also expressed his appreciation for the core values outlined in Dong Nai City's plan for the Tan Trieu Primary–Secondary–High School Project: "Ideals for direction, character for integrity, knowledge for development, competence for action, courage for integration, and aspiration for dedication."

Providing professional guidance to ensure that the school fulfills its intended mission, Minister Hoang Minh Son outlined several fundamental principles. Foremost among these is the need for an educational philosophy that combines revolutionary ideals with modern knowledge. Ideals should be cultivated not through rigid dogma or formalism, but through concrete, age-appropriate examples and practical activities.

An overview of the ceremony. Photo: Cong Nghia

The minister particularly emphasized that the school model must pursue comprehensive student development based on four fundamental pillars: ethics, intellect, physical health, and aesthetics. Students graduating from the school must not only achieve strong academic results but also be able to play a musical instrument, possess knowledge of science and technology, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and AI, and master essential life skills, including swimming, first aid, fire prevention and fighting, traffic safety, and cybersecurity. Foreign language education, particularly English, must also receive special attention, with the aim of gradually establishing English as a second language in schools.

Minister Hoang Minh Son stressed that "Concrete can help build a school, but only people can build a model school," underscoring the decisive role of educators. Accordingly, Dong Nai City should recruit dedicated, highly qualified professionals with strong foreign language proficiency and introduce policies that enable teachers to develop and thrive in their profession. Comprehensive teacher training programs should begin as early as 2027.

Dang Anh Tuan, Director of the Department of Education and Training, receives a painting of the Temple of Literature presented to the school by Minister of Education and Training Hoang Minh Son. Photo: Cong Nghia

Hoang Minh Son also affirmed that the ministry would work closely with Dong Nai City during the development and operation of the model socialist school by providing professional support and developing an independent, scientifically grounded set of evaluation criteria. Following the school's operations in the 2028–2029 academic year, the educational sector aims to standardize and replicate the model after 2030, creating strong spillover effects while ensuring that no student is left behind.

Delegates pose for a commemorative photo at the ceremony. Photo: Cong Nghia

By Cong Nghia – Translated by Minh Hong, Thu Ha