The newly renovated Block C at Marie Curie High School in HCM City. The project restored the historic building’s architectural heritage while adding modern teaching facilities ahead of the 2026-27 school year. — Photo courtesy of the school

HCM CITY — HCM City has completed a major administrative restructuring of its public school network while accelerating facility upgrades and construction, ensuring a smooth transition for nearly 2.6 million students ahead of the 2026-27 school year.

Operating under a two-tier local governance framework, the southern metropolis streamlined its public educational facilities by 32.2 per cent, consolidating 2,188 administrative units down to 1,484 standardised facilities.

Pre-schools were reduced to 438, primary schools to 506, lower secondary schools to 324, and vocational/continuing education centres to 26 units.

Across wards, communes, and special administrative units, local authorities have finalised personnel arrangements and organisational models, such as main campuses with nearby satellite branches, to ensure administrative efficiency without disrupting student access.

Addressing local concerns over administrative consolidation, Huỳnh Gia Giang, chairman of Bàn Cờ Ward’s People's Committee, said restructuring required careful resolution of organisational structure, personnel, finance, and physical assets.

He asked newly consolidated units to "swiftly stabilise their operations to ensure teaching and learning remain uninterrupted".

According to Vice Chairman of the HCM City People's Committee Nguyễn Mạnh Cường, the city holds the largest educational scale in the country, serving nearly 2.6 million students across 168 wards, communes, and special zones.

With student numbers increasing by 50,000 to 60,000 annually, maintaining stability in classroom management and administrative personnel across merged schools remains a top priority.

The city emphasised that reducing management units does not mean reducing physical classrooms.

To meet growing demand, the city successfully completed 930 new classrooms under its "150 Days and Nights" campaign and allocated over VNĐ274 billion (US$11 million) for equipment, repairs, and facility support.

According to the city’s Department of Education and Training, the structural reorganisation serves as a foundation for modernising educational governance and optimising resource allocation across the expanding urban network.

Teachers welcome first graders during their first-day orientation at Phạm Văn Chính Primary School in HCM City's Phước Long Ward. The city is welcoming nearly 2.6 million students across all levels for the 2026-27 school year. — VNA/VNS Photo Đan Phương

Infrastructure expansion, school inaugurations

Alongside network reorganisation, the city continues to expand physical learning spaces. On August 29, it officially inaugurated three upgraded high schools to mark National Day (September 2).

Block C of Marie Curie High School was renovated with an investment of VNĐ42 billion ($1.68 million), restoring its artistic and architectural heritage while modernising educational spaces.

Võ Trường Toản High School was upgraded with VNĐ175 billion ($7 million), adding 45 classrooms and functional rooms across a total area of nearly 13,700sq.m.

Trần Văn Giàu High School was enhanced with VNĐ78 billion ($3.12 million), focusing primarily on fitting specialised teaching equipment and practical laboratories.

These inaugurations coincided with groundbreakings for eight major transport, housing, and urban renovation projects, bringing total investment across 11 key city projects to over VNĐ181.4 trillion ($7.25 billion).

Furthermore, newly established multi-level public institutions, such as the Lê Thị Riêng Primary-Secondary-High School (converted from the former District 12 People's Committee headquarters), are rushing final preparations to welcome their inaugural student cohorts.

Lương Văn Minh, principal of Lê Thị Riêng School, highlighted the community's positive response to the new facility, saying: "Many parents are delighted to have a new school nearby, providing convenience for pickups and peace of mind through full-day and boarding options."

Focus on educational quality and safety

For the upcoming school year, themed "Innovative Mindset – Strong Transformation – Substantive Results", the city’s education sector is prioritising core teaching quality, digital transformation, AI applications, data-driven management, and equitable access. Schools across the city have also finalised health checks for students and pedagogical training for staff.

Highlighting the sector's core mission amidst structural reforms, Associate Professor Dr Nguyễn Tấn Phát, director of the city's Department of Education and Training, stressed that all units and teaching staff must maintain a steadfast mindset entering the new academic year.

"Even though organisational models change, the core task of the education sector remains ensuring teaching quality and caring for students," he said.

Welcoming young learners on return day, Lê Thanh Hương, principal of Trần Hưng Đạo Primary School, encouraged new first graders to be confident and loving, expressing her hope that "every day at school will be a joyful day for the children".

Students in grades 1, 6, and 10 returned to school on August 17, followed by remaining grades on August 24, leading up to the official nationwide opening ceremony on September 5. — VNS