SCHOOLS WORTH HUNDRED BILLIONS OF DONG

On the morning of April 22, 2025, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Thao, homeroom teacher of class 1/3 at Hung Vuong Primary School, Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City, came to class earlier than usual. That day was the inauguration ceremony of Hung Vuong Primary School, Son Ca Kindergarten, Mac Dinh Chi Secondary School, and the construction of traffic infrastructure and technical infrastructure at the public works site in Ward 6, Tan Binh District. Children, students, and teachers like Ms. Thao were all happy.

"The children really like the new school because it is spacious and beautiful, they can run around and play freely. The school also has a cafeteria, every noon, the children eagerly line up to go to the cafeteria, they don't have to sit and eat right in the classroom," said Ms. Thao.

PHOTO: THUY HANG

In November 2023, when Thanh Nien Newspaper reporters were present at this land, there were still overgrown trees and grass, and narrow residential roads. On December 12, 2023, projects to build schools, traffic infrastructure, and technical infrastructure were started. And on April 22, 2025, when they arrived at the school cluster on the inauguration day, everyone was surprised because this place had completely transformed. From a public works land that had been abandoned for many years, full of polluted waste, now there are 3 extremely large, spacious, and modern schools.

Son Ca Kindergarten has a campus area of ​​6,348.5 ^m2 including 1 ground floor, 3 floors, 20 classrooms, functional rooms and a kitchen, with a total investment of more than 122 billion VND. Hung Vuong Primary School has a campus area of ​​9,432.5 ^m2 ; 1 ground floor, 3 floors, 30 classrooms, functional rooms, a kitchen, a multi-purpose gymnasium, with a total investment of more than 147 billion VND. Mac Dinh Chi Secondary School has a campus area of ​​12,283.5 ^m2 , 1 ground floor, 3 floors, 45 classrooms, functional rooms, a kitchen and a swimming pool; with a total investment of more than 196 billion VND.

In particular, around the cluster of 3 national standard schools, residential roads and alleys are expanded, spacious, and have a green tree system. The total investment for traffic and technical infrastructure works is 690,001 billion VND (construction and installation costs are over 109 billion VND; costs to support the process of using crops for households to implement the project are over 580 billion VND).

All 3 schools were inaugurated, equivalent to a total of 95 classrooms put into use, helping the entire Tan Binh District achieve the target of 301 classrooms per 10,000 school-age people. The representative of the Tan Binh District People's Committee assessed: "The project has aroused and strongly consolidated the great solidarity of the people in Tan Binh District, becoming a clear demonstration of the model of connection between the government and the people in creating the future of education".

PHOTO: THUY HANG

FROM WAREHOUSES TO NATIONAL STANDARD SCHOOLS

One day in April 2025, sitting in the coffee shop 481/1D Ba Dinh, next to Ly Thanh Tong Secondary School, Ward 9, District 8, Mr. Le Van Tan, 69 years old, a regular customer of the shop, said that the place where he sits now has completely changed compared to more than 10 years ago. According to Mr. Tan, in 2013, Ly Thanh Tong Secondary School was established on the land that many years ago was an old warehouse.

Next to the school, the 481 apartment building was also built spaciously, changing the appearance of the entire neighborhood here. Since the school was built, Ba Dinh Street and the surrounding alleys have been neatly planned, children can comfortably cycle to school on the wide and beautiful road; adults can drink coffee and chat leisurely under the trees on the sidewalk. At night, the street lights are bright, and there are always security guards on the street, making anyone who goes to school or comes home late at night feel secure.

PHOTO: THUY HANG

Also in Ward 9, District 8, on Nguyen Duy Street, the Ward 9 Kindergarten is in the final stages of completion before being put into use. This place used to be an old warehouse of a meat processing company, which had been left empty for many years, dirty and wasteful. Since the school was built, the landscape has completely changed, the surrounding people are excited not only because their children will soon have a modern place to study, but also because the neighborhood and roads are cleaner and more convenient than before.

MODERN SCHOOLS FROM OLD HOUSES

In November 2023, Thanh Nien Newspaper reporters attended the inauguration ceremony of the 15/5 Special Education School in District 11, Ho Chi Minh City. Ms. Tran Thi Hao, Principal of the 15/5 Special Education School, said that the old school was located inside a villa built before 1975, many items were degraded, facilities were lacking, and did not attract the attention of parents. Until today, this place has become a spacious school for teaching, caring for, and nurturing children in need of special education. The school has a total area of ​​1,200 ^m2 , including 1 ground floor, 3 floors with 9 spacious classrooms.

Recently, anyone passing by 785 Ta Quang Buu Street, Ward 4, District 8 was amazed by the large and beautiful Thai Hung Primary School on an area of ​​3,686.5 ^m2 . The school has 26 classrooms, many subject classrooms, functional rooms, with a total investment of 40 billion VND. Previously, the school was degraded, old, and unsafe. The renovation, upgrading, and construction of the school were carried out from July 2019. On September 5, 2023, the school was inaugurated on the opening day in the common joy of all students, parents, and teachers.

Along with the expansion and renovation of Ta Quang Buu street to be spacious and clean, the image of Thai Hung school standing out on the beautiful street has become one of the proofs of the transformation of Ho Chi Minh City after many years.

PHOTO: THUY HANG

CONTINUE TO BUILD MORE NEW SCHOOLS

At the recent inauguration ceremony of the school cluster in Tan Binh District, Ms. Tran Thi Dieu Thuy, Vice Chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, affirmed that the national standard school cluster and the traffic works and parks built on public land in Ward 6, Tan Binh District are extremely important, serving the learning needs and educational development of the people and children of Tan Binh District.

According to Ms. Tran Thi Dieu Thuy, the 4,500 classroom project in Ho Chi Minh City still has many steps to complete. The work of investing in renovating public land areas and mobilizing socialized units to continue building schools and classrooms in the area is a huge responsibility, requiring the participation of all leaders at all levels and local authorities in the coming time.

PHOTO: THUY HANG

Ms. Thuy said that the newly inaugurated schools are also a clear affirmation of the goal that the city is trying to build. That is not only to provide a modern, safe, and friendly learning environment but also to create the best conditions for the comprehensive development of students.