Dong Nai ready for new school year

More than 1 million students across Dong Nai City will officially return to school on August 25, ready for the opening ceremony for the 2026–2027 academic year on September 5. With the new school year bringing several changes, local authorities, schools, and parents have all made thorough preparations.

ASTRA Foreign Language and Informatics Center (Tran Bien Ward), in partnership with the Editorial Secretariat Department of Dong Nai Newspaper and Radio, Television, presents textbooks to students in Bu Gia Map Commune. Photo: Minh Quang.

Proactive preparations at the grassroots level

Vien Hong Tien, Member of the City Party Committee, Secretary of the Party Committee of Chon Thanh Ward, said: “The ward Party Committee has given special attention to preparations for the new school year. This is the first year the ward has provided free textbooks to students, requiring a substantial budget, while also accelerating and completing the restructuring of public preschool and general education institutions in line with the city’s plan.”

In the 2026-2027 school year, Chon Thanh Ward has 6,419 preschool, primary, and lower-secondary students. In line with the policy of restructuring public non-business units, the ward People's Committee carefully studied and proposed to the City People's Committee a plan to reduce the number of public educational institutions from eight to four. So far, preparations for the new education management model and personnel restructuring have been completed to ensure smooth operations. In particular, students in the ward will receive free textbooks this year, bringing excitement to both parents and students.

In Bien Hoa Ward, construction of a new primary school is nearing completion. The school features modern, well-integrated facilities, including classrooms, specialized rooms, administrative offices, and playgrounds. According to leaders of the Bien Hoa Ward People's Committee, the locality is pressuring the contractor to complete the remaining work in August 2026 so the school can be put into use at the start of the new school year. The new school is a major source of joy for local residents.

Meanwhile, in Xuan Hoa Commune, following approval of the relevant plan by the city People's Committee, the commune People's Committee reorganized educational institutions and personnel on August 18. Under the plan, the 14 public educational institutions in the area have been streamlined to nine, a reduction of 35.7%. The restructuring has been taking place just before the new school year. However, recognizing the importance of the task, school administrators, teachers, and staff have strictly followed their new assignments.

Preparations have involved not only departments, local authorities, and school management boards. Parents have also paid close attention to the process. Dinh Thi Vui, a resident of Xuan Loc Ward, said: "My child is entering Grade 6 this year. I only need to buy notebooks and school supplies, while textbooks are provided free of charge by the school. Tuition fees have also been waived since last school year, so our family is not under significant financial pressure."

Le Truong Son, Member of the Standing Board of the City Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the City People’s Committee: Ensuring educational institutions operate effectively and stably after restructuring

Localities must urgently complete the restructuring of public educational institutions immediately after the city's People's Committee approves the plans, while ensuring that the reorganized institutions operate effectively and stably. In the new 2026-2027 school year, the entire education sector must make great improvements in teaching and learning methods and ensure genuine educational quality. To achieve these goals, preparations for the new school year are particularly important, especially in remote and disadvantaged communes and wards and among ethnic minority students.

Ensuring conditions for the opening ceremony

According to Tran Ngoc Thang, Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training (DoET), the department promptly issued guidance and directives, urging local authorities and educational institutions to carry out enrollment for incoming grades. For Grade 1 enrollment, as of August 15, primary schools across the city had enrolled more than 72,000 six-year-old children, representing 99.5% of the target. Most children who have not yet enrolled are seeking admission outside their designated school zones and are awaiting approval from the commune and ward People's Committees. For Grade 6 enrollment, by July 31, educational institutions had largely met their enrollment targets, reaching 97.6%.

For Grade 10 enrollment, DoET has completed the allocation of quotas for both entrance examinations and admission based on academic records. Specifically, 24 upper-secondary schools using entrance examinations, including three schools for gifted students, have enrolled more than 12,600 students. Meanwhile, 91 upper-secondary schools that use admission based on academic records have also largely completed their plans, with more than 35,100 students registering for enrollment. At the same time, DoET has directed ethnic minority boarding schools and centers for children with disabilities to ensure that no student is left behind.

Regarding the supply of textbooks and learning equipment, Dong Nai City will need approximately 854,600 sets of textbooks for all grades in the 2026-2027 school year. So far, suppliers have delivered around 90% of the planned volume. In the Northern part of the city, suppliers have completed 97% of the plan. Meanwhile, in the Southern area, Dong Nai School Books and Educational Equipment Joint Stock Company has completed 85%.

According to DoET leaders, preparations for school facilities are being carried out in conjunction with the Project on Maintenance and Repair to Ensure School Facilities and Equipment for 2025-2027, as well as the Project on Comprehensive Investment and Development of Teaching and Learning Quality in eight border communes through 2030, with a vision to 2045. The city currently has 153 new investment projects, including approximately 767 classrooms, 317 subject rooms, and learning support rooms, with total funding of nearly VND 3 trillion. Of these, 90 projects are expected to be put into use in the new school year.

In parallel, local authorities and agencies are carrying out repairs and maintenance of school facilities with a total funding of approximately VND 972 billion, while around VND 165 billion is being invested in teaching equipment. Notably, the city has directed eight border communes to urgently build prefabricated facilities and equip kitchens to provide boarding meals for students, with an estimated budget of more than VND 30 billion.

Hoang Thi Ngoc, Principal of Nguyen An Ninh Primary School in Tam Hiep Ward, said that the school has completed Grade 1 enrollment, ensuring that all students within its designated area can be accommodated. The school has also informed and consulted parents about necessary preparations for the new school year. In addition, teachers and staff have been mobilized to inspect and complete classrooms, specialized rooms, the auditorium, and other facilities needed for the opening ceremony, ensuring a formal and meaningful event in line with the Ministry of Education and Training's reform-oriented approach.

By Cong Nghia – Translated by Mai Nga, Minho