Dong Nai speeds up preparations for new school year

With just one month remaining before more than one million students across Dong Nai City begin the 2026-2027 academic year, education authorities are accelerating preparations for what is expected to be a year of significant reforms, from school opening ceremonies and textbook policies to improving the quality of teaching and learning.

Construction on a new primary school in Bien Hoa Ward is nearing completion.

Reporting to the city leadership on school reorganization and preparations for the new academic year, Director of the Department of Education and Training Dang Anh Tuan said the department is working closely with wards and communes to ensure schools are fully prepared in terms of facilities, teaching staff, and textbooks. "Several new school projects will be completed and put into operation in time for the opening of the new school year, helping improve teaching and learning conditions," Tuan said.

Proactive preparations

Immediately after the 2025-2026 academic year ended, the Department of Education and Training issued enrollment guidelines for wards, communes, high schools, and vocational education and continuing education centers for the new academic year. To date, general education and preschool institutions across the city have largely completed enrollment. The department and local governments have made every effort to ensure that all school-age children can exercise their right to education. With more than one million students, the Department of Education and Training took early and proactive steps to coordinate with local governments to prepare schools, classrooms, teachers, and the necessary conditions for teaching and learning.

According to reports from wards and communes, the city is implementing 153 school construction projects, including 767 new classrooms and 317 specialized and support rooms, with a total investment of nearly VND3 trillion. Of these, 90 projects are expected to be completed in time for the 2026-2027 school year, adding about 349 new classrooms. Local authorities are also spending more than VND972 billion on repairing, renovating, and maintaining existing school facilities.

Le Truong Son, Member of the Standing Board of the City Party Committee and Vice Chairman of the Dong Nai City People's Committee:

Ensuring the best conditions for the new school year

The city is determined to improve the quality of education at all levels during the 2026-2027 school year. High-quality education requires quality facilities and well-qualified teachers. Above all, no student should be left behind because of difficult circumstances. Local Party committees and authorities must closely direct and support schools to ensure they are fully prepared for the new academic year.

According to the Department of Education and Training, four newly established schools will be inaugurated on the opening day of the 2026–2027 school year. They include Bien Hoa Primary School, separated from Hoa An Primary School in Bien Hoa Ward; Long Giang Primary and Secondary School, upgraded from Long Giang Primary School in Phuoc Binh Ward; Tan Thanh Secondary and High School, upgraded from Tan Thanh Secondary School in Dong Xoai Ward; and A Chau Long Thanh Primary, Secondary and High School, upgraded from A Chau Primary School in Long Thanh Ward. The combined investment for the four schools exceeds VND406 billion.

Information from the Bien Hoa Ward People's Committee indicates that a large-scale, fully equipped primary school will be inaugurated in the upcoming term. Furthermore, the ward is executing structural repairs and facility renovations for deteriorating campuses, including Tan Van Primary School and Kim Dong Primary School.

No student left behind

Alongside infrastructure improvements, more wards and communes have launched programs to provide free textbooks for students ahead of the 2026-2027 school year. The initiative, first introduced in Dong Xoai Ward, has now expanded to localities including Binh Phuoc, Chon Thanh, Xuan Loc, Tam Hiep, Nha Bich, and Bu Dang. Several wards and communes have mobilized social resources to finance the program, thereby reducing both government spending and parents' costs.

Nguyen Thi Cat Tien, Secretary of the Xuan Loc Ward Party Committee, Chairwoman of the Ward People's Council, said that although the nationwide free textbook program is scheduled to begin in the 2029-2030 academic year, the ward will start providing free textbooks in 2026-2027. The program will benefit 4,527 students, including all first-grade and sixth-grade students as well as disadvantaged students in other grades, at an estimated cost of more than VND845 million.

Nguyen Thi Hai Anh, principal of Trang Dai Secondary School in Trang Dai Ward, noted that although opening day is a month away, administrative preparations began in early June 2026 with 6th-grade admissions. Concurrently, the school is reviewing the economic backgrounds of underprivileged students to arrange targeted support involving textbooks, learning materials, and health insurance.

Meanwhile, the Department of Education and Training is working with local authorities, particularly in the city's eight border communes, to accelerate school construction projects for students in ethnic minority areas. Ho Quang Khanh, Chairman of the Loc Thanh Commune People's Committee, said construction of dormitories, dining facilities, kitchens, and supporting infrastructure at Loc Thien Primary and Secondary School began in late 2025 with an investment of nearly VND11 billion. The facilities are now nearing completion and are expected to be operational before the new school year, improving boarding conditions for students and providing greater peace of mind for parents, especially those from ethnic minority communities.

By Cong Nghia – Translated by Mai Nga, Minho