The plan, signed by Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Vu Dai Thang, covers the reorganization of public preschools, primary schools, lower secondary schools, upper secondary schools and specialized education institutions across the capital.

The restructuring is intended to build on previous reforms while aligning with the Vietnamese government's broader policy of streamlining the public administrative system.

According to the city, the reorganization must improve operational efficiency, eliminate overlapping responsibilities and ensure that the delivery of public education services is not disrupted.

Staffing levels at reorganized schools will continue to follow existing regulations issued by the Government, the Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Home Affairs, as well as directives from the Hanoi Party Committee and the municipal government.

Authorities also emphasized that the restructuring process must be transparent, democratic and carefully implemented.

The plan specifically states that while the number of administrative units will be reduced, the number of classes will remain unchanged, ensuring that children continue to have equal access to education and can travel to school safely and conveniently.

High school system to remain unchanged

Hanoi will maintain its existing network of 124 public upper secondary schools.

Instead of merging these schools, the city will continue investing in facilities to increase classroom capacity where needed in order to meet growing demand across different districts.

Two preschools currently managed by the municipal Department of Education and Training will be transferred to local ward authorities while retaining their existing organizational structures, personnel and operations.

Under the plan, Preschool B will come under the administration of Cua Nam Ward, while the Viet Trieu Friendship Preschool will be transferred to Kim Lien Ward.

Specialized schools will also be reorganized.

Nguyen Dinh Chieu Lower Secondary School, which serves students with visual impairments, will be expanded to include upper secondary education and reorganized into a multi-level school with specialized classes.

Meanwhile, Xa Dan Lower Secondary School and Binh Minh Primary School will continue operating as specialized schools while adapting their organization to better meet the educational needs of students with disabilities.

Four additional specialized schools currently managed by commune- and ward-level authorities will be transferred to the Hanoi Department of Education and Training.

Three new school models

For preschools, primary schools and lower secondary schools managed by commune- and ward-level authorities, Hanoi will introduce three organizational models.

The first is a single-level, multi-campus school, created by merging two or more schools of the same level. The reorganized institution will retain all existing campuses under one main school and its satellite campuses.

The second is a multi-level school combining primary and lower secondary education. This model will apply to smaller neighboring schools where mergers into multi-campus schools are impractical. The reorganized institution will operate under one main campus with additional campuses serving multiple grade levels.

The third model applies to advanced schools combining primary, lower secondary and upper secondary education. These schools will continue to be directly managed by the Hanoi Department of Education and Training.

Each reorganized institution will consist of a main campus supported by satellite campuses.

Minimum school size requirements

The plan also establishes minimum enrollment scales for reorganized schools.

Preschools must have at least 30 classes, with no more than 35 children per kindergarten class.

Primary schools must have at least 40 classes, with class sizes capped at 35 students, or 30 students in rural areas.

Lower secondary schools must have at least 45 classes, with a maximum of 45 students per class, or 40 students in rural areas.

Combined primary and lower secondary schools must have at least 50 classes, with primary classes limited to 40 students and lower secondary classes capped at 45 students.

City officials said reorganizing smaller schools into larger multi-campus or multi-level institutions would allow resources to be concentrated more effectively, improve school governance, strengthen teaching capacity and enhance educational quality.

The reform also aims to establish a stronger educational identity for the Vietnamese capital while gradually bringing schools closer to international standards.

Under the implementation timetable, the Hanoi Department of Education and Training and local commune and ward authorities must complete the establishment of the reorganized institutions, appoint leadership teams and transfer personnel, records and financial responsibilities before August 10, 2026.

According to the municipal Department of Education and Training, Hanoi currently has 2,954 schools.

Thanh Hue