Hanoi students celebrate a special start to the new school year

THE HANOI TIMES — At dawn on September 5, seven-year-old Ngo Van Huu Khang in Cau Giay District clutched a small red flag and a fresh flower as he eagerly prepared for the first school day of his life.

His father, Ngo Van Doanh, watched with pride, recalling his own childhood excitement. “He is so excited. He got up early, got dressed, and we quickly arrived at the school for the ceremony. It feels like my childhood again,” Doanh told The Hanoi Times.

Khang is one of more than 2.3 million students across Hanoi who joined the nationwide “going-to-school” festival, a solemn yet joyful ceremony that opened the 2025–2026 academic year.

The annual event carries added significance this year, as it coincides with the 80th anniversary of Vietnam’s education sector. The Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) hosted the central celebration in Hanoi, connecting online with about 52,000 educational institutions across the country.

A city alive with color and pride

From kindergartens to high schools, Hanoi’s streets and schoolyards were filled with flags, flowers, and neatly dressed students. At the Lomonosov Education System in Tu Liem Ward, ninth grader Le To Nhu said she is so happy as being a part of this day.

“I got up early by myself, got dressed, and quickly arrived at the school for the ceremony,” she said.

Nguyen Hong Dan, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Education and Training, said that this year’s opening ceremony was designed to be “student-centric, inspirational, and motivating.”

“Every student should enjoy access to school regardless of their family’s finances, especially those in underdeveloped areas and those with disabilities,” said Dan.

To prepare for the new year, about 130,000 teachers across the city completed training courses on updated curricula and teaching methods.

Hanoi’s education system continues to expand rapidly, now serving more than 2.3 million students in nearly 3,000 schools, an increase of 60,000 students from last year.

With 70,500 classes across the city, municipal authorities are investing heavily in infrastructure, targeting 80–85% of public schools to meet national standards by 2025 and up to 90% by 2030.

The city is also advancing digital transformation and education reform under Resolution 71-NQ/TW, aiming to build a modern and sustainable education system that meets both national benchmarks and international integration.

“Each year marks a new, meaningful, and joyful journey for students to acquire new knowledge and skills and define their abilities,” Dan told The Hanoi Times.

I hope parents across Vietnam stand side by side with schools and the education sector to develop the children well for a better society.”

A national celebration of education

Nearly 30 million students and 1.7 million teachers nationwide marked the start of the new academic year by saluting the flag and singing the national anthem in unison. The ceremony also commemorated the 80th anniversary of Vietnam’s education sector, with top leaders paying tribute to generations of teachers and learners.

Party General Secretary To Lam, speaking at the event in Hanoi, called it “an opportunity to honor proud traditions and reaffirm strong determination to advance comprehensive reforms.”

He stressed that education remains “a top national policy and a key driver of national development and the nation’s future.”

The Party chief outlined a strategic shift from incremental adjustments to bold, nation-building reforms guided by quality, equity, integration and efficiency.

He emphasized increased investment in remote, border and island regions to ensure that no child is left behind, highlighting priorities such as teacher training, student nutrition and digital infrastructure.

“Lifelong learning is not only each individual’s asset but also a core national value, ensuring that Vietnam advances with the times and asserts its intelligence and identity in the international arena,” said Lam.

Education Minister Nguyen Kim Son stressed the sector’s significance this year, highlighting a series of major policy shifts. The Politburo has issued Resolution No.71 on breakthrough development in education and training, while the National Assembly has approved universal preschool education for children aged three to five.

He added that tuition has been waived or subsidized for preschool and general education, more groups of students now receive lunch support, and new policies for the teaching workforce have been codified in the Law on Teachers.

Reviewing eight decades of development, the minister noted that Vietnam’s education system has consistently carried forward tradition while embracing integration, earning global recognition for the quality of its general education.

“Vietnamese students regularly rank among the world’s top 10 at international Olympiads,” said Son.

“This celebration is more than an event or a ceremony. It embodies unity and the national spirit in education,” he said as expressing gratitude to President Ho Chi Minh, fallen heroes, and generations of teachers and students who sacrificed for national independence and freedom.

The voices of students

For many young people, the anniversary deepened the significance of the day.

Kieu Tuan Dinh, a student of the 67th class of semiconductors at the Hanoi University of Science and Technology, said like tens of millions of students across the country, he is extremely excited, proud and moved to attend this important event.

“The past 80 years are an epic poem written with sweat, blood and tears, so that today we can welcome the new school year in peace, independence and freedom,” said Tuan.

I wish to become rich, and want to affirm that the intelligence and bravery of the Vietnamese people not only shine in times of war and poverty, but in the era of business and technology serving human life.”

"I wish to become rich, and want to affirm that the intelligence and bravery of the Vietnamese people not only shine in times of war and poverty, but in the era of business and technology serving human life," said Dinh.