Vietnam’s Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng has urged swift action to address the educational needs of remote border areas, including the completion of infrastructure at newly opened boarding schools and resolving a nationwide textbook shortage. During a meeting in Hà Nội, Hưng directed the Ministry of Education and Training to finalize remaining facilities at 108 multi-level boarding schools that commenced operations for the new academic year on September 5.
In addition to completing existing projects, Hưng called for the expedited construction of 121 more boarding schools, with a target completion date of August 30, 2027. These efforts are part of a broader initiative under Politburo Resolution 71-NQ/TW, which aims to reduce educational disparities and improve access to schooling in underprivileged regions. The wider program plans for a total of 248 boarding schools in border communes.
Hưng emphasized the need for thorough assessments of the new schools’ effectiveness and educational quality, ensuring they are equipped with sufficient classrooms, teachers, and resources. He also highlighted the importance of using enrollment data to guide future educational facility planning. Moreover, Hưng tasked the ministry with preparing reports for a forthcoming review of the government’s implementation of Resolution 71, focusing on identifying weaknesses and suggesting improvements.
Addressing the textbook shortage, Hưng instructed the education ministry to resolve the lack of approximately 776,000 textbook sets by September 25. He attributed the shortage to shortcomings in demand forecasting, ordering, publishing, and distribution processes. The ministry is expected to identify those responsible for the issue and provide a comprehensive report by October 10.
To prevent future shortages, Hưng called for greater diversification in textbook production and distribution, as well as enhanced quality controls, to ensure that students nationwide have access to the necessary educational materials.