Prime Minister requests 'lightning speed' construction of 100 boarding schools in border communes

More than 273,000 students in need

On the evening of July 27, at the Government headquarters, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired a meeting on implementing the Politburo 's Conclusion and the direction of General Secretary To Lam on the policy of investing in building schools for border communes.

Previously, on July 18, the Politburo issued Conclusion Notice No. 81 on the policy of building schools for border communes, assigning specific tasks for the Government Party Committee to lead and direct ministries, branches, functional agencies and People's Committees of border provinces to implement.

Accordingly, the Politburo agreed on the investment policy to build primary and secondary boarding schools in 248 border communes across the country. In the immediate future, the pilot investment will complete the construction or renovation of 100 schools by 2025 (at the latest by the start of the next school year).

These schools will be models for further widespread implementation, completing the investment goal of building 248 schools in the next 2-3 years.

Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son speaks. Photo: VGP

According to the report of the Ministry of Education and Training, after the administrative boundary arrangement, the whole country has 22 provinces and cities with land borders, with a total of 248 land border communes.

According to local statistics, in these 248 communes, there are 956 general schools with a scale of 625,255 students. Currently, there are about more than 273,000 students who have the need but have not been able to study at boarding schools or semi-boarding schools, and are currently studying at general schools.

The Ministry of Education and Training proposed to invest in building new and renovating boarding schools in 248 communes with a system of facilities that fully and synchronously meet the needs of boarding and semi-boarding students and teachers for studying and living.

Implementation period is from 2025 to 2027. Construction investment capital mainly comes from the central budget, the rest comes from local budgets and other legal resources.

Mobilizing people to donate land to build schools

In his concluding remarks, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that this is a major and important decision that must be promptly and successfully implemented.

The Prime Minister requested the implementation of a campaign to build 100 schools in 100 land border communes, to be completed by August 30, 2026 at the latest, with a spirit of speed and boldness.

After completing this phase, we will conduct a preliminary summary, learn from experience as we go, gradually expand, not be perfectionist, not impatient, and complete the entire program.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired the meeting. Photo: VGP

The Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Education and Training to absorb opinions at the meeting, consult with ministries, branches and localities, complete the draft Resolution of the Government on this content, and submit it for promulgation before August 10.

People's Committees of provinces and cities must plan and find locations with suitable areas (5-10 hectares), ensure convenient traffic, electricity, water, and telecommunications infrastructure, and call on people to donate land.

The Ministry of Construction designs school models in an open and diverse direction, suitable to the conditions and cultures of regions, localities, and construction sites, making maximum use of natural conditions, paying attention to the ability to respond to natural disasters, climate change, and being fully functional.

The Prime Minister noted the need to mobilize the combined strength of the entire political system, the participation of the military, police, the Fatherland Front, and socio-political organizations.

The Prime Minister stated that the main source of funding is the State, the Ministry of Finance balances, arranges and mobilizes capital; at the same time, it encourages people to donate land to build schools, mobilizes the cooperation and support of society, businesses and philanthropists, with the spirit of "whoever has something helps, whoever has merit helps merit, whoever has property helps property, whoever has a lot helps a lot, whoever has little helps a little".