Accelerating school construction in eight border communes

On March 25, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee (PPC) and Chairwoman of the Provincial Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Committee, Huynh Thi Hang, chaired a working session with provincial departments, agencies and eight border communes to review the construction progress of school projects under Conclusion No. 81-TB/TW of the Politburo.

Attending the meeting were Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee and Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee Le Truong Son, along with representatives of Binh Phuoc Rubber One Member Co., Ltd.

Deputy Secretary of the PPC and Chairwoman of the Provincial VFF Committee Huynh Thi Hang delivers remarks at the meeting. Photo: CN.

According to a report presented by Do Dang Bao Linh, Deputy Director of Department of Education and Training (DoET), as of March 2026, the Provincial People’s Committee allocated VND99.32 billion in public service funding in 2025 to five communes to support the  construction of eight schools. Specifically, Loc Thanh commune received VND28.95 billion; Loc Tan VND22.91 billion; Thien Hung VND25.3 billion; Tan Tien VND11.42 billion; and Dak O VND10.74 billion.

Do Dang Bao Linh, Deputy Director of DoET, presents the report at the meeting. Photo: CN.

Leaders of the communes also reported on the disbursement progress of allocated investment capital, noting that localities are proactively accelerating project implementation. However, they also highlighted several challenges related to land availability, planning, investment procedures and the rollout of semi-boarding arrangements for students.

Meanwhile, a representative of Binh Phuoc Rubber One Member Co., Ltd. affirmed that the company would facilitate land allocation procedures to enable communes to expedite school construction, thereby contributing to socio-economic development and improving human resource quality.

Further clarifying existing bottlenecks, representatives of the DoET noted that expanding school infrastructure faces difficulties in site clearance, as many schools are located within residential areas. In addition, the operation of semi-boarding models remains challenging due to limited experience, lack of facilities for midday rest and insufficient funding for student lunches in accordance with Decree No. 339/2025/ND-CP. The restructuring of small-scale schools and satellite campuses has also seen limited progress, partly due to a lack of consensus among parents.

Le Truong Son, Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee and Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee, speaks at the meeting. Photo: CN.

To address these issues, the DoET has proposed several key solutions for the coming period. Accordingly, localities will continue reviewing and prioritizing land allocation to build at least one inter-level semi-boarding school in each border commune for at primary and lower-secondary students, with a minimum area of 5–10 hectares per school.

In the short term, schools will make use of multi-purpose halls or install prefabricated facilities as temporary dining areas. In addition, a new Dak Mai lower-secondary and upper-secondary school will be constructed in Bu Gia Map commune to meet local educational demand.

The sector also plans to introduce support policies for managers, teachers and staff committed to long-term service in border areas, while proposing lunch-related assistance policies for students not yet covered by existing policies.

Concluding the meeting, Huynh Thi Hang commended the efforts of provincial departments, agencies and the eight border communes in implementing Conclusion No. 81 of the Politburo. Despite limited time, a comprehensive project on border-area school development has been completed, with total estimated funding of VND1 trillion, including nearly VND100 billion already allocated in 2025 for school upgrades.

She urged communes with ongoing projects to strive to complete them on schedule before the start of the 2026–2027 academic year. At the same time, implementation must be carried out in a coordinated, responsible and effective manner in line with regulations. Land planning for school construction must meet standards, with a minimum of 5–10 hectares per school site, while ensuring full legal compliance and feasibility.

She emphasized that construction must adhere to standards for semi-boarding schools in border areas to ensure long-term use. In addition, the DoET was tasked with supporting schools in addressing operational challenges, particularly in attracting teachers to work in border communes, especially in subjects currently facing shortage of teaching staff.

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