Party General Secretary Tô Lâm on October 11 attended the ground-breaking ceremony in the central province of Nghệ An. — VNA/VNS Photo

NGHỆ AN — Party General Secretary Tô Lâm on Saturday attended the ground-breaking ceremony in the central province of Nghệ An’s Na Ngoi Commune for the construction of a primary and secondary boarding school, one of the 248 of its kind planned for Việt Nam’s land border communes under a policy approved by the Politburo.

The Na Ngoi boarding school covers an area of about 5.5ha, with a total investment of nearly VNĐ240 billion (US$9.11 million) sourced from both the State budget and social contributions. It will feature 49 classrooms as well as dormitories, canteens, playgrounds, and experiential learning zones, among other facilities.

Once completed, the school is expected to provide quality education and holistic development opportunities for more than 1,900 students in the border region. The project also aims to help preserve local cultural identity, nurture future cadres for the locality, and strengthen defence and security in border areas.

Speaking at the ceremony, General Secretary Lâm highlighted the current shortage of adequate schooling facilities, particularly boarding schools, in remote border communes, which limits children’s learning conditions.

He stressed that the investment in 248 boarding schools reflects a humane and strategic policy of the Party and State, showing deep care for ethnic minority communities in border, remote, and disadvantaged areas. The schools will not only improve education but also enhance living standards for border residents, thereby reinforcing national sovereignty from its roots – the people and communities closely attached to the land, forests, and border markers.

The Party chief urged local authorities to consider this as a special political task, ensuring swift and effective implementation, timely site clearance, proper infrastructure and fund disbursement, and favourable conditions for construction and future teaching activities.

He also called on ministries, local administrations, village elders, community leaders, and armed forces to work closely together in mobilising public support for education, considering schools as “fortresses of knowledge, culture, and patriotism” in border areas.

Secretary of the Nghệ An Party Committee Nguyễn Đức Trung pledged to promptly hand over a clean site and facilitate the construction progress, ensuring quality and absolute safety. The province will also prepare qualified teaching staff, curricula, and facilities to put the school into operation effectively.

On this occasion, the Party leader presented the Na Ngoi boarding school with an iconic photo of President Hồ Chí Minh tying a red scarf for a student, and together with his delegation, gave gifts to local students and 50 presents to disadvantaged and policy-beneficiary families in the commune. — VNA/VNS