The Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Commission of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee held a conference on July 10 to review education, science and social affairs work during the first six months of 2026.
The meeting was chaired by Duong Anh Duc, head of the commission, and Ta Quoc Trung, deputy head of the commission. Pham Minh Tam, deputy director of Department 3 under the Central Commission for Propaganda and Mass Mobilization, also attended.
At the conference, Le Thi Phuong Lan, Head of the commission's Education, Science and Social Affairs Division, said work in the sector during the first half of 2026 was carried out in line with directives from the central government and the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee. Education, healthcare, science and technology, sports, environmental protection and social welfare remained stable and recorded positive progress.
However, she noted that some agencies and localities had not been sufficiently proactive in coordinating their work, while information sharing and reporting remained delayed.
The city's school network continued to expand, with 130 additional schools achieving national standards and five new high schools established. Authorities also accelerated the "150 Days to Complete 1,000 Classrooms" campaign.
A pilot model of community-based continuous healthcare teams was introduced in several localities, while free health checkup and screening programs for residents were expanded.
Ho Chi Minh City also entered the world's top 100 startup ecosystems for the first time, achieving the target ahead of schedule. Efforts to develop social housing, create jobs, reduce poverty and strengthen social welfare continued, while social insurance, health insurance and support programs for people with meritorious service and social protection beneficiaries were implemented effectively.
Speaking at the conference, Deputy Director Pham Minh Tam praised the city's achievements in education, science and social affairs during the first six months of the year, noting that the implementation of central resolutions had produced tangible results.
He highlighted that all 168 communes, wards and special zones had established Education, Science and Social Affairs Teams. He also stressed the need to avoid overlapping advisory responsibilities between these teams and local Culture and Social Affairs Divisions, while closely monitoring the views and concerns of school administrators and teachers.
Addressing the event, Head Duong Anh Duc of the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Commission of the HCMC Party Committee said the central government had issued a series of important resolutions that would drive development in education, science and social affairs, and that Ho Chi Minh City's responsibility was to implement them effectively. He urged agencies to strengthen coordination and maximize their collective capacity in carrying out assigned tasks.
He called on the city's healthcare sector to accelerate regular health checkups and free screening programs while expanding residents' access to high-quality medical services.
Head Duong Anh Duc also emphasized the need for stronger coordination between the Department of Education and Training, local administrations in wards, communes and special zones, and educational institutions. He said the city should capitalize on its extensive network of high-quality colleges and universities while studying new models that allow young people to fully develop their talents.
Addressing shortages of specialized personnel in education, science and social affairs in some localities, the head of the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Commission suggested expanding the use of science and technology and strengthening inter-agency cooperation to reduce workloads. He also urged municipal departments and agencies to provide greater guidance and support to grassroots authorities to improve the quality and effectiveness of work in the sector.
