Hanoi needs more schools

The small schools, which previously served thinly populated communes, now have to receive 3-5 times more students than before.

The Linh Dam Urban Area in Hoang Mai district is one of the most densely populated area in Hanoi, but there are only a few state-owned schools. The local Hoang Liet Nursery School is capable of receiving 317 children, while there are 926 children in the area.

In Thinh Liet ward of Hoang Mai district, there are 1,290 children who need to go to nursery school, but Thinh Liet, the only local state-owned nursery school, can serve 266 children only.

In such areas, schools admit children through lucky draws.

The same thing is occurring with primary and secondary schools. In the 2016-2017 academic year, the Hoang Liet Primary School had 15 classes for first graders each of which contained 60 students.

In the 2017-2018 period, the Hoang Liet Primary School was split into two schools – Hoang Liet and Chu Van An – to ease overloading. However, this did not help much. As there were too many students, the number in each class did not fall as hoped, but increased to 70.

There are more than 500 urban areas and residential quarter projects in Hanoi. More and more apartment blocks have arisen, but schools have not been built.

The latest survey by the Hanoi People’s Council found that 78 urban area projects have been put into operation, and only 36 projects have schools. In other projects, the works are still on paper.

The Tay Nam Linh Dam project, for example, is designed to have two nurseries, one primary and two secondary schools, but they have not been built. 

The investors of Co Nhue – Xuan Dinh, Le Trong Tan – Geleximco and Quang Minh – Vinaconex 2 all reserved land for schools, but the construction of schools did not keep pace with the construction of houses.

The summer holiday has begun and now is the time for schools to enroll students. Parents have to move heaven and earth to struggle for seats at schools.

The Hanoi People’s Council has blamed real estate developers for the problem, saying that they have not implemented projects in the way they had committed to do. 

Tran The Cuong from the Hanoi People’s Council said the problem lies in the investment license, which doesn’t clearly stipulate the role and responsibilities of investors in building social works. 

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Mai Thanh