Vietnam to set aside $1.45 billion to build border-area schools
Building more schools will provide better access to education for children in needy areas.
THE HANOI TIMES — Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training this week proposed a VND37 trillion (US$1.4 billion) plan to build and upgrade boarding schools in border communes.
The first phase of the two-phase plan involves renovating and constructing 100 schools to be ready for the 2026-2027 academic year. The second phase, which will take place during the 2026-2027 school year, will see the construction or renovation of 248 schools in border communes.
Speaking at the proposal meeting, Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son stated that funding will be allocated to localities by August 30.
Minister Son proposes the school construction plan in border areas. Photo: VGP
Border communes must finalize their school construction plans by the first week of August and submit them to the ministry for review.
Groundbreaking on the first 30–40 schools is expected by September 2025, with the remainder to follow by the end of the year.
Construction is expected to be completed by summer 2026, ensuring that new or renovated facilities are available for students in time for the 2026–2027 academic year.
To sustain these efforts, the ministry plans to revise existing policies to support inter-level boarding schools and to retain teaching staff in remote areas.
At the same time, MoET is also calling on private enterprises, organizations, and individuals to contribute financially to the program.
These efforts aim to improve educational accessibility for over 625,000 students living in 248 border communes across 22 provinces. Currently, only 1.2% of students in border areas have access to boarding facilities, despite demand from over 332,000 children.
