Workers putting the finishing touches on facilities at Đắk Á Primary School in the southern province of Đồng Nai. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — With just three weeks to go before the opening ceremony for the 2026-2027 academic year, schools in border areas across the country are stepping up efforts to complete facilities and classrooms, meet teaching and learning needs and ensure the best possible conditions for the new school year.

In the southern province of Đồng Nai, the border commune of Bù Gia Mập, where ethnic minorities account for 74.5 per cent of the population, is reviewing and upgrading facilities while reorganising its network of schools and classes.

At Đắk Á Primary School, Principal Nguyễn Thị Thúy Hà said the school had received investment to build additional permanent classrooms, meeting requirements under the 2018 General Education Curriculum.

The school has cleaned up and renovated its campus, reviewed its facilities and proposed additional necessary construction.

Đắk Á Primary School has 506 pupils, 82.5 per cent of whom are from ethnic communities, for the 2026-2027 academic year.

A new project has added 12 classrooms, bringing the school's total to 28, which meets current learning needs.

To ensure the best possible conditions for its pupils, the school has asked authorities to accelerate construction of new classrooms, functional rooms and boarding and dining facilities, so that arrangements for meals and accommodation can be made as soon as possible.

At Đắk Mai Secondary and High School, admissions, enrolment and preparations for the new academic year are mostly complete.

The school currently has 770 pupils, including 523 ethnic students, accounting for more than 67 per cent.

Principal Vũ Ngọc Sinh said the school was making maximum use of its existing facilities to support teaching and learning.

At the same time, authorities at all levels were speeding up construction of a new, modern school campus to meet pupils' learning needs and the expectations of parents and local residents.

The school was also paying particular attention to pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds and ethnic communities, developing support measures and working to ensure they have access to education and that no student drops out because of family circumstances.

Chairman of the commune People's Committee Trần Lâm said the management, teaching and support staff had met requirements for organising educational activities and carrying out the curriculum.

In the 2026-2027 academic year, the commune would have 76 classes with 1,963 pupils.

Schools under the commune's management currently have 91 classrooms, including 77 permanent ones, along with functional rooms and supporting facilities, meeting teaching and learning requirements, according to Lâm.

A worker spray paints the exterior of a classroom at Sơn Kim 1 Primary and Secondary Inter-level Boarding School in the central province of Hà Tĩnh. — VNA/VNS Photo

New boarding schools

In the central province of Hà Tĩnh, after nearly nine months of construction, two inter-level boarding schools in border areas in Sơn Kim 1 and Hương Khê communes have been completed in preparation for the new academic year.

Nguyễn Quang Linh, director of the Hà Tĩnh Civil and Infrastructure Investment Project Management Board, said contractors had completed more than 95 per cent of the major items at the two inter-level schools in the communes.

The remaining work was scheduled to be completed before August 30 to welcome teachers and pupils for the new school year.

Lê Văn Phòng, chief engineer in charge of the Hương Khê Primary and Secondary Inter-level Boarding School project, said that the contractor had taken advantage of recent favourable weather to mobilise more than 200 workers and a large number of machines and equipment to operate continuously in three shifts and four teams.

The intensive working schedule was aimed at making up for time lost due to harsh weather conditions.

At the Sơn Kim 1 Primary and Secondary Inter-level Boarding School construction site, work is also proceeding at a brisk pace.

Engineer Nguyễn Văn Tiền of FCI Vietnam Construction Investment JSC said the main components, including the secondary school building, administration block, male and female student dormitories, teachers' accommodation and renovation of the primary school block, had reached about 98 per cent completion.

In Sơn La Province, teachers at the newly built Yên Sơn Ethnic Minority Boarding Primary and Secondary School are also busy preparing for the new academic year.

Most of the school's main facilities, including classroom blocks, the administration building, dormitories, and kitchen have now been completed.

The contractor is rushing to finish more than 800m of access road to the school so that the project can be handed over on schedule.

As the construction project enters its final stage, the school itself is ready to begin operations.

Principal Trần Văn Lâm said plans for teaching and learning, managing boarding pupils, operating the kitchen and using the facilities had all been finalised.

In its first academic year, the school would have 30 classes with more than 1,000 pupils at primary and lower secondary levels.

Its management, teaching and support staff had all been arranged according to the approved staffing plan.

In preparation for the new school year, the school has worked with licensed suppliers to order textbooks and learning materials, according to Lâm. It currently has 66 management, teaching and support staff, all of whom have been assigned in line with the approved staffing quota.

Teachers are also visiting remote villages to encourage pupils to enrol on time, particularly those facing difficult travel conditions.

Vàng A Chạnh, who has spent nearly 20 years teaching in border areas, said the new boarding school would significantly reduce difficulties for pupils who previously had to travel long distances or rent temporary accommodation.

“The Party and State have paid attention to investing in boarding schools in border areas, so we are very pleased, and people in the villages are very happy too,” he said. “I will do my best to teach well in return for that attention.”

A new block of classrooms is being completed in time for the new school year at Đắk Á Primary School in the southern province of Đồng Nai. — VNA/VNS Photo

Boarding meals

Alongside school facilities, local authorities are paying particular attention to providing meals for boarding pupils according to Government Decree 339/2025/NĐ-CP dated December 25, 2025.

In Bù Gia Mập Commune, 889 pupils will receive boarding meals, including 506 at Đắk Á Primary School and 383 at Bù Gia Mập Primary School.

The Đồng Nai City People's Committee has allocated more than VNĐ39.7 billion (US$1.5 million) for school construction, upgrading and repairs in 2026.

Two facilities comprising kitchens, dining halls and rest areas began construction on August 3 and are expected to be completed before December.

In the meantime, the commune has repaired old classrooms to ensure pupils can have lunch from the beginning of the school year.

In the neighbouring border commune of Đắk Ơ, kitchen construction and equipment installation are about 70 per cent complete and are expected to be handed over on August 20.

To ensure meals are provided while construction is completed, the commune has worked with Economic-Defence Division 778 of Military Region 7 to temporarily convert a military-civilian medical station into a kitchen. Meals will then be transported to Trương Định Primary and Lower Secondary School, where pupils will eat in the multi-purpose hall.

Following inspections, Lê Trường Sơn, Deputy Chairman of the People's Committee of Đồng Nai City, praised local authorities for preparing school facilities and networks.

He asked localities to continue treating education as a key long-term priority, while ensuring staff arrangements comply with regulations and promptly addressing the concerns of school managers and teachers. — VNS