Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính on Thursday attended the ground-breaking ceremony for Tây Giang Boarding and Semi-boarding School for Primary and Secondary Students. — VNA/VNS Photo

ĐÀ NẴNG — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính on Thursday attended the ground-breaking ceremony for Tây Giang Boarding and Semi-boarding School for Primary and Secondary Students in the central city of Đà Nẵng's Tây Giang Commune which borders Laos.

The project is part of Đà Nẵng’s plan to build six boarding and semi-boarding schools in border communes, in line with the Politburo’s directive issued in July 2025. The Tây Giang school will be built on a site of more than seven hectares at a cost of over VNĐ262 billion (about US$10 million). The school will include classrooms, dormitories for students and teachers, a library, a canteen, a multifunctional hall, a cultural house, a mini football field, and other facilities.

Tây Giang Commune, which used to belong to Quảng Nam Province before administrative reorganisation, covers more than 400sq.km and is home to over 9,000 people living in 23 villages, 96.7 per cent of whom are Cơ Tu ethnic minority people. The local poverty rate remains high, at over 46 per cent. The commune currently has nine schools with 30 satellite campuses, serving more than 2,500 students scattered across difficult mountain terrain.

Speaking at the ceremony, PM Chính said education and training have always been top priorities of the Party and the State, aiming to improve knowledge, train human resources, and nurture talents. He stressed that fast but sustainable development must go hand in hand with social welfare, ensuring equal access to education, healthcare, and culture for people in ethnic minority and border areas.

The PM noted that the Politburo recently issued several important resolutions, including those on education, healthcare, and social security, and approved a plan to build 248 semi-boarding schools in border communes nationwide. He praised Đà Nẵng for promptly implementing the Politburo’s conclusions by investing more than VNĐ1.5 trillion to construct six schools in border communes, including the Tây Giang school, which has already saved nearly 10 per cent of the planned cost.

PM Chính requested the city to complete the Tây Giang school project by June 2026 and all six schools within next year. He also encouraged Đà Nẵng to consider expanding the Tây Giang school project to a second phase.

The Government leader called on the army, local authorities, enterprises, and the public to join hands in building schools in border areas.

He emphasised that the new schools must meet standards of quality, modernity, and sustainability. Students should not only learn academic subjects but also foreign languages, information technology, and participate in cultural and sports activities while preserving their ethnic traditions to achieve comprehensive development in morality, intellect, physical fitness, and aesthetics.

At the event, PM Chính presented 100 gift packages to Tây Giang students and 10 others to families who have contributed to the school’s construction.

Deputy Minister of National Defence and Chief of the General Staff of the Việt Nam People’s Army Nguyễn Tân Cương, on behalf of the ministry, also offered 100 gift packages to students and 10 to local families. Ministries, sectors, and businesses also donated additional gifts and pledged support for the school’s development. — VNA/VNS