Dong Nai advances public school restructuring plan

Communes and wards across Dong Nai have submitted proposals to the Department of Education and Training (DoET) on restructuring public preschool and general education institutions under the new decentralized management framework. Localities’ Party committees and People's Committees have prepared the restructuring plans in a methodical and practical manner, ensuring they reflect local conditions and development needs.

Students at Phan Chu Trinh Primary School in Tan Trieu ward take part in an outdoor experiential learning activity. Photo by Cong Nghia.

After the restructuring is completed, the number of public schools in the city is expected to fall from 1,017 to 587, a reduction of 430 schools, or 42.28%. The restructuring is intended to shift the focus from an “education management” mindset to “education development governance”, while reorganizing the school network in line with population size, residential distribution and educational needs. The move is expected to improve access to education and enhance the quality of teaching and learning.

Localities ready with restructuring plans

Phu Hoa commune currently has nine public schools, including three preschools, three primary schools and three secondary schools, serving nearly 3,900 students. The commune has been assigned a total workforce of 285 teaching and administrative staff. According to Nguyen Van Vien, Chairman of the Phu Hoa commune People's Committee, local authorities carefully reviewed the DoET's guidelines before drawing up the restructuring plan and sought feedback from schools included in the proposal. The main challenge lies in the distance between schools. Some schools at the same educational level are as far as 11 kilometres apart, while others are only two to three kilometres away. In some cases, a primary school and a secondary school are located just 300 metres from each other.

After weighing various factors, the commune proposed merging six schools into three inter-level primary and secondary schools. Under the plan, Phu Dien Primary School and Dong Hiep Secondary School will be merged into Phu Dien Primary and Secondary School, serving nearly 1,000 students. Nguyen Dinh Chieu Primary School and Phu Hoa Secondary School will become Phu Hoa Primary and Secondary School with 868 students, while Tran Quoc Toan Primary School and Phu Loi Secondary School will be merged into Phu Loi Primary and Secondary School, accommodating 1,204 students. The commune has decided to retain its three preschools because they cannot be merged with general education schools and are located relatively far from one another.

Meanwhile, Tam Hiep ward, one of the city's most densely populated areas, has 21 educational institutions, including six preschools, nine primary schools and six secondary schools serving around 23,000 students. The ward plans to merge schools at the same educational level, most of which are located within a short distance of each other. For example, Binh Da Preschool, Tam Hoa Preschool and Tam Hiep Preschool are expected to be consolidated into a new institution named Tam Hoa Preschool. Tan Tien Primary School will also be merged with Nguyen An Ninh Primary School under the latter's name.

Luu Thi Hang, Vice Chairwoman of the Tam Hiep ward People's Committee, said the number of educational institutions in the locality will decrease from 21 to 14 after the restructuring, a reduction of more than one-third. Merging nearby schools at the same level would facilitate school management while receiving broad support from school administrators and teachers.

According to Hang, once the city People’s Committee approves the restructuring plan, the ward will immediately implement it to ensure completion before the start of the new academic year and prepare schools for stable and effective operation after the merger.

Under the Government's roadmap, provinces and cities must complete the restructuring of public preschools, general education schools and continuing education institutions by August 30, 2026. Reports must be submitted to the Ministry of Education and Training before September 1, with implementation underway during the third quarter of 2026.

Strong support for school restructuring

Following the Prime Minister's directive on reorganizing educational institutions, many communes and wards have moved quickly to implement the policy. Tran Bien ward has proposed reducing the number of public educational institutions from 30 to 20, while Binh Phuoc ward plans to reduce the number from 25 to 17 and Dinh Quan ward from 23 to 11. Most localities have met or exceeded the Government's target of reducing the number of public educational institutions by at least 30%. Some communes have proposed even more significant reductions, including Binh Tan and Phuoc Thai communes, both targeting a 72.73% reduction, while Xuan Duong commune plans to reduce its school network by 70%.

Under the Prime Minister's directive, the restructuring aims to reorganize the school network based on population size, residential distribution and learning demand rather than simply reducing the number of schools. The goal is to streamline the system, cut approximately 30% of public educational institutions compared with the number recorded on July 1, 2025, while improving governance efficiency and making better use of facilities, teachers and investment resources.

Ngo Dang Thanh, Vice Chairman of the Dinh Quan commune People's Committee, said restructuring public schools is necessary to improve management efficiency while contributing to administrative streamlining.

The commune has therefore proposed reducing its number of schools from 23 to 11, eliminating more than half of its existing institutions. After the restructuring, schools will operate on a larger scale, with each management team responsible for a greater workload than before.

Truong Sa Secondary School in Trang Dai ward is located within one kilometre of three primary schools and another secondary school. Photo by Cong Nghia.

Le Kim Huong, Chairwoman of the Trang Dai ward People's Committee, said the restructuring process has progressed smoothly because most schools are located within 300 metres to just over one kilometre of one another. The schools’ principals had shown strong support during the planning process. Regarding surplus management positions following the mergers, the ward will implement the DoET's guidance to ensure the process is transparent, objective, democratic and fair. Candidates appointed as principals or vice principals of the newly merged schools must possess stronger professional expertise and management capacity.

Tran Ngoc My, Principal of Hoa Binh Secondary School in Ho Nai ward, said school leaders have fully briefed teachers and staff on the restructuring policy. The ward Party Committee and People's Committee worked closely with school leaders to finalise the merger plans. The school also informed parents about the objectives of the policy, reassuring them that students' daily commute to school would not be affected and that the ultimate goal is to improve school management and the quality of teaching and learning.

By C. Nghia – Translated by M.Nguyet, Thu Ha