30 million students enter the new school year

This morning, September 5, nearly 30 million students and nearly 1.7 million teachers across the country entered the new school year with a special opening ceremony.

Students of Dinh Tien Hoang Primary School, Hiep Phu Ward, Ho Chi Minh City on the opening day, September 5 morning - Photo: QUANG DINH

Unlike previous years, the opening ceremony of the new school year 2025 - 2026 is also an occasion to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the education sector's tradition. The ceremony took place at the National Convention Center (Hanoi), broadcast live on VTV1 - Vietnam Television and connected online to all educational and training institutions across the country from 8:00 to 9:30.

Before the opening ceremony, many schools across the country organized diverse and meaningful activities for teachers and students, solemnly held welcoming ceremonies for first, sixth, and tenth graders at all levels, and honored students with outstanding achievements...

Ho Chi Minh City: "Students must master themselves first, then master technology"

In Ho Chi Minh City, schools held welcoming ceremonies for new students very early to broadcast the anniversary of the establishment of the Ministry of National Education at 8 a.m. At Tran Phu High School, Phu Tho Hoa Ward, Mr. Nguyen Van Duoc, Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee attended.

Starting as the second branch of Nguyen Thuong Hien High School from the 1980-1981 school year, Tran Phu High School is now one of the top public high schools in the city. After many repairs and constructions, Tran Phu School now has a spacious, modern facility for 2,000 students.

Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Nguyen Van Duoc attended the opening ceremony at Tran Phu High School (Phu Tho Hoa ward) - Photo: THANH HIEP

At the opening ceremony of Tan Phu Primary, Secondary and High School, Tan Phu Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, Mr. Bui Xuan Cuong, Member of the City Party Committee - Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee attended. This is a "late-born" school (established in 2007) in Ho Chi Minh City but has quickly caught up with the process of innovation and integration.

With the goal of building a happy school with a creative learning ecosystem, the school not only focuses on academics but also enhances the teaching of foreign languages, information technology, sports , arts... to ensure "output" according to international standards. In particular, in the subject of life skills, students of Tan Phu School learn and practice self-leadership skills. According to Mr. Ngo Vinh Truong, principal of the school: "Students must master themselves first, then they can master technology, master the future"...

Students of Chu Van An Primary School, Hanoi on the opening day - Photo: NAM TRAN

Schools in Truong Sa special zone open new school year

Truong Sa Special Zone has 4 primary schools: Truong Sa Primary School, Song Tu Tay Primary School, Sinh Ton Primary School and Da Tay Primary School.

Speaking to Tuoi Tre Online, Mr. Pham Thanh Liem - Chairman of the People's Committee of Truong Sa special zone, said that in recent days, cadres, soldiers and people have organized cleaning of schools, rearranged classrooms, decorated for the festival... The special zone government also organized meetings to encourage teachers working on the island, creating the most favorable conditions for teachers to feel secure in teaching.

"Due to the special nature of our work, we have equipped our students with learning tools, books, documents, and even clothes that we bring from the mainland. We believe that in the 2025-2026 school year, teachers and students in the special zone will achieve many great achievements," said Mr. Liem.

Mr. Bui Tien Anh, a teacher at Song Tu Tay Primary School, shared that during his time on leave on the mainland, he took the opportunity to prepare lesson plans and update his knowledge to prepare for the new school year. "We consider our students as our own children, so we always try our best to impart knowledge to them," he said.

Mr. Ha Van Thong - Head of the Department of Preschool Education - Primary Education (Department of Education and Training of Khanh Hoa province) added that in early August every year, the department prepares everything for teachers and students in Truong Sa special zone. During the summer, the Department of Education and Training worked directly with the leaders of Truong Sa special zone to grasp their thoughts and aspirations, thereby coming up with timely solutions.

Soldiers, students and teachers came to Da Tay Primary School in Truong Sa special zone to attend the opening ceremony of the new school year - Photo: NGOC ANH

Teachers adjust students' uniforms in Truong Sa special zone (Khanh Hoa province) during the first class of the new school year - Photo: NGOC ANH

Opening ceremony at the storm-damaged school

On the morning of September 5, Son Loc Secondary School (Xuan Loc commune, Ha Tinh) held its opening ceremony after a period of efforts to overcome the effects of storm No. 5.

Storm No. 5 made landfall in Ha Tinh, causing heavy damage to the local infrastructure. In the education sector alone, the entire province had 286 facilities damaged by Storm No. 5, many schools had their roofs blown off, classrooms collapsed, were flooded, and desks, chairs, and equipment were damaged, with an estimated loss of nearly 136 billion VND.

Among the educational facilities affected above, Son Loc Secondary School (Xuan Loc Commune, Ha Tinh) suffered very heavy damage. At this school, the roof of the classrooms, functional rooms, equipment, and 13-room library was completely blown off, brick walls were blown down by the storm, and many computers, teaching equipment, and books were damaged.

Mr. Hoang The Anh - principal of the school, said: "In order to be ready for the new school year, the school temporarily uses the main classroom for students to practice, although this is very inconvenient for both teachers and students. In the long term, the school hopes to have a new building to use as practice rooms, and at the same time be supported with equipment to serve the teaching of the students."

On the morning of September 5, students of Son Loc Secondary School attended the opening ceremony next to the building destroyed by storm No. 5 - Photo: LE MINH

Students in border and mountainous areas wake up early to go to the opening ceremony.

From 6am, students dressed up and arrived at Tak Po school in Tra Tap commune, Da Nang city, the school that "caused a storm" on social networks with its simple, rustic opening ceremony in 2019.

The school is located on a hill with green grasslands, under the green areca trees. Students arrive at the school when the clouds are still hanging over the mountainside, each holding a bright red national flag in their hands, eagerly waiting for the opening ceremony.

Ms. Tra Thi Thu, a teacher at Chu Van An Primary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities, said that the Tak Po school has two classes, a preschool class taught by two teachers from Phong Lan Kindergarten with 22 children and a primary class taught by Ms. Thu with 16 students. This morning, the teachers organized a simple, rustic and pure opening ceremony for 38 children in this peaceful highland area.

Ms. Tra Thi Thu and students at Tak Po school before the opening ceremony - Photo: LE TRUNG

Students at Tak Po school waiting for the opening ceremony - Photo: LE TRUNG

At Vo Thi Sau Secondary School (Buon Don Commune, Dak Lak Province), students also arrived early. This is the only school in the province located close to the border, and is also a direct connection point to the National Convention Center.

According to Mr. Thai Van Loc - the school's principal, this direct connection is an opportunity for students in remote and border areas to participate in a very special and memorable opening ceremony. "This is also an opportunity for the school to convey its thoughts and wishes to the leaders of the ministry and the Government," he shared.

Students of Vo Thi Sau Secondary School in the border commune of Buon Don, Dak Lak prepare for the opening ceremony - Photo: TRUNG TAN

The weather in Buon Don commune, Dak Lak is quite hot, the little student uses a hand fan to fan the teacher - Photo: MINH PHUONG

Students in the southernmost part of the country take a boat to the opening ceremony.

This morning at Primary School 1 in Dat Mui Commune, Ca Mau Province, known as the southernmost point of the country, the opening ceremony of the new school year took place.

Dat Mui Commune has about 3,300 students with 7 schools. This new school year, although many places have rural roads, there are still a few hundred students who have to go to school by water. Those whose houses are on the main routes go by boat, while those who live on the small branch routes have their parents take a boat to school and wait to pick them up.

Phan Gia Huy, class 3D, Primary School 1, Dat Mui Commune, said he wakes up at 5am to travel about 7km by water to school. Nguyen Van Teo, a parent, shared that every day he spends about 300,000 VND on gas, food, and taking his two children to and from school.

Many students in Ca Mau have to wake up at 5am and go to school by boat or canoe of their family... - Photo: THANH HUYEN

From 6:30 a.m. on September 5, at An Son Secondary School in Nam Du archipelago, Kien Hai special zone, An Giang, the atmosphere of the first day of school was bustling. Ms. Nguyen Thi Huynh Tam - acting principal of the school, said that before the opening ceremony, the school had renovated classrooms and cleaned the school grounds.

The unique feature of the remote Nam Du island is that the national power grid has not yet been extended, so the locality prioritizes the power grid (generators) for schools to organize a more complete and cozy new school year welcoming ceremony with many welcoming performances prepared by the students.

"This school year, our school expects to have about 300 students (middle and high school). There are still many students in difficult circumstances. Teachers are mobilizing donors to support textbooks and award 12 scholarships to help students go to school. We are determined not to let them drop out of school due to difficulties," said Ms. Tam.

Students of An Son Secondary School, Kien Hai Special Zone - about 100km from Rach Gia, happily attended the opening ceremony - Photo: CHI CONG

Vo Thi Sau Secondary School, Buon Don Commune, Dak Lak opened the opening ceremony by welcoming 6th grade students - Photo: TRUNG TAN

Welcoming ceremony for first grade students at Dinh Tien Hoang Primary School, Hiep Phu Ward, Ho Chi Minh City on the morning of September 5 - Photo: QUANG DINH

Teacher and students on the first day of the new school year - Photo: NGUYEN LAM

The school year of innovation

The 2025-2026 school year marks the implementation of many major policies and guidelines, such as the implementation of four laws on education, including: the Law on Teachers, the Law on Amending and Supplementing a Number of Articles of the Law on Education, the Amended Law on Higher Education, and the Amended Law on Vocational Education.

This is also the year to implement the national target program on education and training development, tuition exemption and support, organize boarding meals, build a school system in land border communes...

Going back in time, right after the successful August Revolution, the Ministry of National Education was established (August 28, 1945) with the mission of building a completely new education system, of the people, by the people and for the people.

During the period 1945 - 1954, the Popular Education and Cultural Supplementary Education Movement was a miracle, eliminating illiteracy for millions of people and improving people's knowledge. The school system was constantly expanded to train core human resources for the cause of "resistance and nation building".

Inheriting the achievements of the previous period, in the period 1954 - 1975, the North basically eliminated illiteracy. Tens of thousands of cadres, intellectuals, engineers, doctors, and teachers were trained both domestically and sent to socialist countries for training, becoming the key force in building the North and supporting the South.

In the South, in the liberated zones, revolutionary education has proven its flexibility and perseverance, building a network of democratic schools and training cadres to serve the resistance.

The most outstanding achievement of education in the period 1975 - 1986 was the successful unification of the national education system. The network of schools from kindergarten to university was maintained and expanded; success in eliminating illiteracy and improving people's knowledge. This was also the period of building a comprehensive system of educational guidelines and policies, which became the guiding principle for the sector's activities for a long time.

Since 1986, the system of policies and laws on education has been continuously improved, clearly demonstrating the viewpoint that "education and training is the top national policy". In particular, Resolution No. 29-NQ/TW determined to fundamentally and comprehensively innovate education and training, shifting from mainly equipping knowledge to comprehensively developing learners' qualities and capacities...

VINH HA - LE TRUNG - TRUNG TAN - THANH HUYEN - CHI CONG - NGUYEN HOANG - LE MINH - HOANG HUONG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/30-trieu-hoc-sinh-sinh-vien-vao-nam-hoc-moi-20250904215152619.htm