General Secretary To Lam: Transforming boarding schools into 'soft landmarks' for border education
WVR/VNA - General Secretary To Lam expressed confidence that the inter-level boarding schools will soon be completed, operate effectively, and become numerous “soft landmarks” for border education, contributing to human resource training.
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| General Secretary To Lam, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and other delegates performed the groundbreaking ceremony for the inter-level border boarding schools. |
On the morning of March 19, the Ministry of Education and Training, in collaboration with Vietnam Television, Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT), Viettel Military Industry and Telecoms Group, and 17 provinces and cities, organized the groundbreaking ceremony for inter-level boarding schools at primary and secondary levels in land border communes for the year 2026.
General Secretary To Lam and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended the central hub located at Đồng Đăng Inter-level Boarding School, Đồng Đăng Commune, Lang Son Province.
Attending the event at various locations were leaders and former leaders of the Party and State, Deputy Prime Ministers, Ministers, heads of departments, and leaders of provinces and cities where the projects are being initiated.
The groundbreaking ceremony was held at 17 main locations and 104 online locations nationwide in provinces and cities including: Cao Bang, Lang Son, Tuyen Quang, Lao Cai, Lai Chau, Dien Bien, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Tri, Hue, Quang Ngai, Dak Lak, Lam Dong, Tay Ninh, Dong Thap, and An Giang.
The event marks the realization of Conclusion No. 81-TB/TW dated July 18, 2025, by the Politburo on the policy of investing in building schools for border communes. The Government issued Resolution No. 298/NQ-CP dated September 26, 2025, on the Government's Action Plan to implement Conclusion No. 81-TB/TW.
The country will invest in 248 inter-level boarding schools at primary and secondary levels in 248 land border communes.
At the groundbreaking ceremony, delegates watched documentaries and shared efforts in building inter-level boarding schools in border communes and the anticipation of teachers and students for the new schools.
Reporting on the implementation of the school construction project for border communes, Prime Minister Chinh stated that thanks to the decisive involvement of the entire political system, especially localities, on November 9, 2025, 100 inter-level boarding schools simultaneously broke ground; by the end of 2025, 108 schools had started construction, with one school completed and put into use on January 31 (Si Pa Pin Inter-level Boarding School, Si Pa Pin Commune, Dien Bien Province).
During the implementation process, the Government and the Prime Minister directed relevant ministries, agencies, and localities to promptly address difficulties and obstacles, especially concerning terrain, site clearance, water sources, labor, and construction materials. They also reviewed and proposed additional funding, submitting it for approval according to regulations.
After thoroughly preparing the necessary conditions by relevant ministries, agencies, and localities, the groundbreaking ceremony for 121 inter-level boarding schools in land border communes was organized.
Along with the 108 schools that broke ground in 2025, the total number of inter-level boarding schools has increased to 229, creating comprehensive educational development opportunities for students in 229 land border communes.
The Government and the Prime Minister are directing the Ministry of Education and Training and localities to continue reviewing the needs and practical conditions in border communes to implement school construction according to the Politburo's policy, aiming to expand to special zones (islands).
To ensure the projects are completed, put into use, and effectively utilized, Prime Minister Chinh urged the Acting Minister of Education and Training, heads of relevant ministries and agencies, especially the Secretaries and Chairpersons of localities, to continue focusing on leadership and direction, promptly resolving difficulties and obstacles, supporting project implementation with the highest determination and effort; inspecting and urging contractors, construction units, and supervision consultants to use resources efficiently, economically, and in compliance with the law, ensuring no loss or waste, and guaranteeing quality, technical, aesthetic, functional, and effective completion before August 30 for schools that broke ground in 2025 and before August 30, 2027, for schools breaking ground today.
Simultaneously, the Government is directing the drafting of a Decree on the organization, operation, and specific mechanisms and policies to manage and effectively develop this inter-level boarding school model.
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| General Secretary To Lam and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended the simultaneous groundbreaking ceremony for inter-level border boarding schools in Dong Dang Commune, Lang Son Province. |
Prime Minister Chinh is confident that all inter-level boarding schools in border communes will be completed on schedule, ensuring quality and effectiveness, so that each new school will be a “place to sow knowledge, nurture wisdom, light up dreams, and realize aspirations”; a symbol of national unity, the affection and responsibility of the Party, State, and People towards compatriots in the nation's frontier; contributing to the strong rise of each community, village, and highland locality alongside the entire country in a new era of prosperous, civilized, and happy development, steadily advancing towards socialism.
In his directive speech at the ceremony, General Secretary To Lam emphasized that in every stage of the Revolution, the Party and State have always paid attention and invested in the development of education and training in border areas.
However, the school system, especially inter-level boarding schools in border communes, remains limited, and the learning conditions for students still face many challenges compared to schools in lowland areas. Therefore, the Politburo decided to invest in building 248 inter-level boarding schools in 248 land border communes.
This is a correct policy with profound humanitarian significance, demonstrating the special attention of the Party and State to compatriots in border, remote, and difficult areas.
On behalf of the Party and State leaders, the General Secretary acknowledged and highly appreciated the proactive and responsible efforts of the Government, the Ministry of Education and Training, ministries, sectors, and provinces and cities in preparing the project and completing procedures to organize the groundbreaking and construction of today's projects.
To ensure these projects are completed on schedule, promptly serving the new school year 2027-2028, with the highest quality and effectiveness, the General Secretary urged local party committees and authorities to take decisive action, considering this a particularly important political task for the locality in this term, regularly inspecting, supervising, and urging the implementation progress, so that the projects are built as quickly, well, and effectively as possible, and absolutely preventing negativity, corruption, and waste.
The General Secretary required design, construction, consulting, and supervision units to perform their work with the highest sense of responsibility, considering this not just an ordinary construction project but a place to entrust the hopes and dreams of border compatriots; ensuring the highest quality for the project, absolute safety in labor, technical, and aesthetic aspects, worthy of being a model school in the border area and deserving of the trust and expectations of the people, teachers, and students.
Local party committees, authorities, and organizations, as well as the people of the communes, need to continue to care about the development of local education, first and foremost ensuring that all students can attend school and study in a complete environment; linking school construction with preserving the local ethnic cultural identity.
The local people should continue to accompany, support, and share to ensure the project is implemented smoothly and successfully.
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| General Secretary Tô Lâm speaking. |
The education sector must build schools associated with creating a modern, comprehensive educational environment. Besides teaching knowledge, special attention should be paid to teaching character, nurturing ideals, ethics, patriotism, and discipline for students.
Schools should not only be places for teaching and learning but should truly become a “second home” for students; ensuring good conditions for meals, accommodation, hygiene, and food safety so that parents feel secure when entrusting their children.
The General Secretary noted that through practical surveys in localities, functional units have recently focused intensely on improving learning conditions for students.
The completion of new schools has provided many teachers and students with better teaching and learning environments, ensuring the right to attend school for all children equally and fairly.
Recalling President Ho Chi Minh's teaching on the role of learning for the country's future: “Whether Vietnam becomes beautiful or not, whether the Vietnamese nation steps onto the glorious stage to stand shoulder to shoulder with the great powers of the five continents, largely depends on the learning of the children,” the General Secretary hopes that students will not only study well but also nurture dreams and aspirations, have life goals, ideals, patriotism, love for the border homeland, and pride in their homeland's traditions.
With new momentum, the spirit of solidarity, and the responsibility of local party committees, authorities, and people, the General Secretary is confident that Dong Dang Inter-level Boarding School, in particular, and the schools breaking ground today and previously, will soon be completed, operate effectively, and become numerous “soft landmarks” for border education, contributing to human resource training, promoting sustainable socio-economic development, and continuing to light up the future for the nation's border areas.
(Source: WVR/VNA)
