Students at the Tân Sơn Nhì primary school in HCM City’s Tân Phú District. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — HCM City will need more than 400 new classrooms at primary schools to make it possible for all first graders to study a full day as required by the new training programme for the 2020-2021 academic year. 

The new regulation requires all primary schools in the city to provide classes for first graders throughout the day from Monday to Friday in the upcoming academic year and the other grades in the following years. 

The city needs a total of 3,550 classrooms for all first graders to study a full day in the next academic year, according to a report from the city's Department of Education and Training.

However, there are only 3,107 classrooms currently occupied by the fifth graders who will leave primary school for secondary school by the end of this academic year, the report found.

The gap was attributed to the city’s fast-growing population, resulting in a shortage of classrooms for first graders.

This academic year, around 73 per cent of primary students in the city are studying throughout the day at school, while the remaining 27 per cent attend a half day at school.

Primary schools are also expected to face a shortage of teachers in various subjects such as music, fine art, physical education, IT, and English as the city's new training programme requires more class periods and more subjects in these fields.

The Department of Education and Training said that local authorities should step up efforts to encourage private investors to build more schools and classrooms. 

The city should also map out plans to supply adequate teachers to meet the rising number of students.

Primary schools plan to recruit first graders for the new academic year from the beginning of July. Schools will announce the list of first graders at the end of July. 

Primary chools have been advised to have only 35 students in each classroom. — VNS