VietNamNet Bridge – Increased population growth has led to a lack of classrooms and failure to meet the national standard of 35 children or less per classroom at primary schools in HCM City, educational officials have said.

Students at Tan Son Nhi Primary School in Tan Phu District, one of the city’s primary schools that meet national standards. — Photo plo.vn

The number of classes has surpassed the national standard of 30 classes per school, according to Huynh Thi Kim Trang, deputy head of the HCM City’s Department of Education and Training’s primary education office.

A total of 64 primary schools in the city have been recognised as national standard schools, but most of them are overloaded with students and are becoming substandard, Trang said at a meeting held on Wednesday in the city.

“Although the quality of primary education has improved, an increasing number of migrants coming to the city have posed great challenges to schools in the city,” she said. “National standards at these recognised schools are now vulnerable.”

Many primary schools do not have enough land for expansion, resulting in a rising number of students per class, she said.

The budget from local government for education is limited, leading to restrictions in building new schools or expanding existing schools.

Many national standard schools in Binh Tan, Thu Duc, Binh Chanh, Can Gio, Cu Chi and Hoc Mon districts in the city are often flooded in the rainy season and during high tides.

In addition, the use of IT is not widely used at primary schools in the city, she added.

Nguyen Van Hieu, deputy director of the Department of Education and Training, said the city aimed to ensure all school-age children are able to go to school and improve the quality of education.

The city will focus efforts to maintain the national standard at recognised primary schools and develop more primary schools to meet the national standard, Hieu said.

The city targets having 20 per cent of all primary schools in the city meeting the national standard, he said.

Source: VNS