From Lang Son to Gia Lai, newly built boarding schools welcomed ethnic minority and border-area students as Vietnam opened the 2026-2027 academic year.

One highlight of this year’s school opening ceremonies was the inauguration of multi-level boarding schools that are now ready to welcome students. The milestone comes after more than a year of implementing the Politburo’s policy under Notice No. 81-TB/TW, issued on July 18, 2025, on investment in schools for Vietnam’s land-border communes.

According to the Ministry of Education and Training, the first phase involves the construction of 108 multi-level boarding schools across 19 provinces and cities. The projects are expected to add 4,396 classrooms and meet the educational needs of around 113,000 students in border areas.

Ahead of the 2026-2027 academic year, more than 90 schools had been handed over. For projects where construction progress remains below 90%, local authorities are prioritizing the completion of classrooms, administrative buildings, boarding facilities and dining halls to ensure adequate learning and living conditions for students.

Joy at a nearly $15.2 million school in Lang Son

On the morning of September 5, more than 1,200 students at Mau Son Primary and Secondary Ethnic Minority Boarding School in Mau Son commune, Lang Son province, celebrated their first opening ceremony at their new school.

Attending the ceremony at Mau Son were Permanent Deputy Minister of Ethnic and Religious Affairs Nguyen Hoai Anh, Permanent Deputy Minister of Education and Training Pham Ngoc Thuong, and senior officials from Lang Son province.

According to the school’s management, Mau Son Primary and Secondary Ethnic Minority Boarding School currently has 36 classes and around 1,260 students, including 16 primary-level classes.

Nearly VND400 billion ($15.2 million) has been invested in the school, which features 12 modern buildings, including an administrative block, gymnasium, swimming pool, computer, foreign-language and arts classrooms, as well as other facilities supporting students’ education, training and daily life.

To accelerate completion of the project, Lang Son Provincial Police launched an intensive “80 days and nights” campaign covering construction of the Mau Son and Quoc Khanh primary and secondary boarding schools.

Another meaningful feature of the opening ceremony was a “Zero-dong Store – Nurturing Dreams in the Highlands,” organized by Lang Son Provincial Police to support and encourage disadvantaged students on their educational journey.

A school like an open notebook in Vietnam’s northwest

In Lao Cai province, Muong Khuong Primary and Secondary Ethnic Minority Boarding School held a ceremony to welcome the 2026-2027 academic year. The school also served as the main venue for the nationwide inauguration of multi-level boarding schools and the opening of the new school year.

Prime Minister Le Minh Hung attended the ceremony and joined teachers and students in celebrating the occasion.

Other attendees included Minister and Chairman of the Government Office Dang Xuan Phong; Minister of Education and Training Hoang Minh Son; Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Long, Deputy Minister of Public Security; Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Hien, Deputy Minister of National Defence; Deputy Minister of Ethnic and Religious Affairs Nguyen Hai Trung; officials from central ministries and agencies; Lao Cai provincial leaders; and 980 students from local ethnic minority communities studying at the school.

The 2026-2027 academic year carries particular significance as the first year of implementing the Resolution of the 14th National Party Congress. It also brings demands for major changes in educational thinking, organization and quality, with the goal of achieving substantive progress and breakthroughs in education and training and contributing to the country’s rapid and sustainable development.

At the ceremony, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and other delegates cut the ribbon to officially inaugurate Muong Khuong Primary and Secondary Ethnic Minority Boarding School.

It is one of four border schools in Lao Cai province inaugurated and put into operation for the 2026-2027 academic year, alongside schools in Pha Long, Y Ty and A Mu Sung. Total investment in the four schools reached nearly VND950 billion ($36.2 million).

752 students begin new chapter at modern Ia Puch border school

In Ia Puch commune, Gia Lai province, 752 students at Ia Puch Primary and Secondary Boarding School enthusiastically began the new academic year.

The opening ceremony was attended by Party Central Committee member and Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung, Deputy Minister of Ethnic and Religious Affairs Y Vinh Tor, and officials from Gia Lai province and the local administration.

The 2026-2027 academic year is the first in which Ia Puch Primary and Secondary Boarding School has enrolled students and begun teaching. The school has 752 students, including 176 full-time boarders and 576 semi-boarders, divided into 23 classes from Grade 1 through Grade 9.

Gia Lai province selected the school as a local venue connected live to the nationwide school opening ceremony. Its regular classrooms and subject-specific rooms have been equipped with essential facilities for teaching and learning, while working areas for administrators, teachers and other staff have also been brought into use.

To mark the start of the academic year, Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung presented the school with 2,400 copies of textbooks and reference books, expanding its learning resources and providing further encouragement for students from ethnic minority and border communities.

Gia Lai province also presented students with 40 bicycles and 80 scholarships. Army Corps 34 and Corps 15 provided another 40 scholarships, while participating organizations donated 21 computer sets and a range of other practical gifts to the school.

More than 1,000 students start new school year in Thanh Nua

In Dien Bien province, Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc attended the inauguration and opening ceremony for the 2026-2027 academic year at Thanh Nua Primary and Secondary Boarding School.

Deputy Minister of Ethnic and Religious Affairs Nong Thi Ha also attended, alongside representatives of central ministries and agencies and officials from Dien Bien province and the local administration.

Thanh Nua Primary and Secondary Boarding School is among the boarding school projects being implemented in the first phase of the program.

The project has a total investment of VND224.4 billion ($8.5 million) and covers 5.39 hectares, providing learning and living facilities for around 1,050 students.

The school has been developed as an integrated complex with 30 regular classrooms, including 15 for primary students and 15 for lower-secondary students; 13 subject-specific classrooms; 99 boarding rooms for students; and 15 staff accommodation rooms, along with dining and kitchen facilities.

Its administrative area includes offices for the school management board and learning-support facilities.

Sports facilities, perimeter fencing, electricity and water systems, fire prevention and firefighting infrastructure, and a wide range of modern teaching and learning equipment have also been developed as part of the project.

From Muong Khuong and Ia Puch to Mau Son and Thanh Nua, the sound of school drums welcoming the 2026-2027 academic year rang out from newly built campuses, carrying with it the excitement and expectations of students, teachers and ethnic minority communities.

The schools also represent concrete steps toward Vietnam’s goal of advancing education, improving educational attainment, developing human resources and creating sustainable livelihoods in ethnic minority and mountainous areas. These efforts are also expected to strengthen community resilience and contribute to building increasingly prosperous and secure border regions.

Thai An - Ngoc Thu - Trong Bao - Thuy Hong