He also called for faster progress in school construction through more flexible and decisive solutions.
On March 10, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, Nguyen Van Duoc, chaired a working session with the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training to review the current situation and demand for school infrastructure across the city.
At the meeting, leaders of relevant departments and agencies focused on analyzing the current situation, clarifying the causes of classroom shortages, and proposing solutions to rapidly expand school capacity in order to meet residents’ learning needs.
Concluding the meeting, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Nguyen Van Duoc reiterated that the city remains consistent in its policy of prioritizing the allocation of resources for investment in education.
The city does not lack financial resources for investment in education. What is still needed is the political determination of leaders, particularly those at the helm, along with concrete solutions and close coordination among sectors and authorities at all levels, the city’s chairman stressed.
According to the Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, the education sector needs to boldly innovate its implementation methods in school investment projects. Administrative procedures do not necessarily have to be carried out strictly in sequence but can be implemented in parallel in order to shorten the overall processing time. The city has set a target of reducing by around 50 percent the time required for handling procedures at all stages, from dossier preparation and appraisal to the approval of school construction investment projects.
Regarding planning criteria, the city uses the target of 300 classrooms per 10,000 residents as the primary basis for developing its plans. However, the application of this benchmark needs to remain flexible depending on the specific characteristics of each area. Central areas with high population density but limited land resources require appropriate solutions, while suburban areas with more abundant land should take advantage of available space to develop a synchronized and comprehensive school system.
The total capital demand for the 2026–2030 period to address the shortage of school facilities in Ho Chi Minh City is estimated at around VND143 trillion (US$5.5 billion). The Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee called for the mobilization of all available resources for educational investment, including the state budget and socialized funding.
Of the total amount, the municipal budget is expected to allocate approximately VND73 trillion (US$2.8 billion). The remaining funds will be mobilized from other sources, including about VND50 trillion (US$1.9 billion) from supplementary budget allocations and around VND20 trillion (US$763 million) from social resources through non-refundable sponsorship.
City leaders expressed confidence that, given Ho Chi Minh City’s strong economic capacity and its large business community, mobilizing social resources for education is entirely feasible.
The Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee requested that relevant agencies effectively utilize land resources for the development of schools. This includes reviewing various land sources such as surplus office buildings following the reorganization of administrative units and public land managed by the city and local authorities, as well as land designated for educational purposes in residential development projects.
He also assigned advisory agencies to draft a resolution for submission to the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Council, proposing exemptions or reductions in land-use fees for education projects at the upcoming thematic session. In addition, the city will establish a dedicated task force on educational investment. Inspections and supervision of project implementation progress will be conducted regularly, with periodic reports submitted to the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee.
The Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee also assigned specific responsibilities to each Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee.
Accordingly, the city will launch a 150-day emulation campaign to accelerate the construction and completion of 1,000 classrooms, striving to finish the target before September 15, under the direct direction of Tran Thi Dieu Thuy, Vice Chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee.
Vice Chairman Nguyen Cong Vinh of the committee is tasked with directing the finance sector to ensure the allocation of sufficient budgetary resources for school construction throughout the current term, while also securing funding for the 150-day campaign.
Meanwhile, Vice Chairman Bui Xuan Cuong will directly oversee procedures related to school construction to ensure alignment with the city’s medium-term public investment plan and the progress of ongoing projects.
The Office of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee has been assigned to monitor implementation and submit weekly and monthly progress reports to the Standing Board of the municipal People’s Committee. The Department of Home Affairs will advise on mechanisms for timely commendation and disciplinary measures for agencies and individuals during the implementation process.
The Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee also assigned the Department of Education and Training to coordinate with commune-level authorities in developing detailed plans for school investment in each locality, clearly identifying education levels, locations, and the timeline for implementation in 2026 and subsequent years. This plan must be completed by March and submitted to the municipal People’s Committee for consideration, ensuring specificity, feasibility, and alignment with practical conditions.
He emphasized that investment must be focused and prioritized, with priority given to areas facing the most urgent demand for school facilities. This approach aims to gradually address the shortage of classrooms, improve the quality of education, and better meet the learning needs of residents.
According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, the city currently has more than 2.5 million students and 3,438 schools from preschool to high school. At present, the city records 277 classrooms per 10,000 residents in the school-age population, ranging from 3 to 18 years old.
To achieve the target of 300 classrooms per 10,000 residents set out in the Resolution of the First Congress of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee for the 2025–2030 term, the city needs to invest in an additional 18,962 classrooms.
Among these, the demand for additional classrooms is most concentrated at the primary and lower secondary levels. The main reasons include the requirements of implementing the new general education curriculum, the growing demand for full-day schooling (two sessions per day), and the fact that vocational streaming after lower secondary education has not yet reached expected outcomes.
Specifically, the city needs to add 1,333 classrooms for the preschool level, 5,410 classrooms for primary schools, 6,085 classrooms for secondary schools, and 6,134 classrooms for high schools.
