Streamlining must go hand in hand with effectiveness

Dong Nai has completed the restructuring and streamlining of 453 public educational institutions before August 20, 10 days ahead of the deadline set by the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET).

Following the restructuring, the city now has 659 public educational institutions, a reduction of 453, or more than 40%, from the previous number. The sharp reduction in the number of administrative units has also helped significantly streamline management personnel, including principals, vice principals, accountants and treasurers.

This is a noteworthy achievement, but completing the restructuring is only the first step. More importantly, the restructured educational institutions must quickly stabilize their operations, improve school governance and the quality of teaching and learning, and meet the requirements of education reform in the new context.

The effectiveness of the restructuring cannot be measured solely by the number of schools eliminated or staff positions reduced. It must ultimately be assessed through educational quality, the effective use of human resources and facilities, and students' access to education. Following the restructuring, the size of schools and classes, as well as the number of teachers, staff and students at many institutions, will increase, while the management workforce is streamlined. This places greater demands on school governance, particularly on the role of school leaders.

Under the new model, heads of educational institutions must not only perform management functions effectively — from strategic planning and policy implementation to human resources and financial management — but also have the capacity to lead innovation and motivate staff to improve teaching and learning quality. Promoting the application of information technology and digital transformation in school administration and professional activities is one of the key solutions to improving operational efficiency.

Alongside management capabilities, school leaders need to serve as a genuine force for unity and connection within the school community, strengthening dialogue, listening to staff and promptly addressing issues arising in practice. This is essential to building consensus among staff and quickly stabilizing operations following the restructuring.

After the restructuring, some schools offer multiple educational levels and operate across several school sites. Therefore, school leaders need to clearly delegate autonomy to individual school sites while maintaining effective inspection and supervision mechanisms, enabling issues to be addressed promptly and appropriately at the local level.

To ensure smooth and effective management and operation of schools following the restructuring, the Department of Education and Training and local authorities need to strengthen inspections, guidance and support for schools in implementing Official Letter No. 5555/BGDĐT-GDPT, dated August 18, 2026, issued by the MoET on the organization and operation of public preschool and general education institutions following restructuring. Key priorities include consolidating organizational structures; clearly assigning responsibilities to management personnel, divisions and individuals; and revising internal working regulations and rules to suit the new model. Authorities must also maintain close contact with schools and proactively monitor the situation to promptly resolve emerging difficulties and obstacles.

Streamlining the administrative apparatus is necessary, but it only makes sense when accompanied by greater operational effectiveness. The ultimate goal must remain educational quality, safeguarding students' rights and interests, and creating more happy schools. Therefore, comprehensive and close coordination among the Department of Education and Training, wards, communes and schools following the restructuring is essential to ensure that schools operate stably from the beginning of the 2026-2027 academic year.

By Thu Ngoc - Translated by Mai Nga, Thu Ha