Determining that investment in education is a top priority, Da Nang has decided on many policies and strategies on building new and upgrading schools, aimed at gradually solving the problem of lack of schools and classrooms and meeting pupils' learning needs as well.

Pupils of Nguyen Phan Vinh Primary School in a class. Photo: XUAN DUNG

In late 2024, the Standing Board of the Da Nang People's Council inspected the actual investment policy of the project on upgrading the second campus of the Le Do Junior High School into the new campus of Phan Boi Chau Junior High School and the project on building new classrooms to replace the old ones at the Nguyen Phan Vinh Primary School No. 1 Son Tra District.

The Phan Boi Chau Junior High School and Nguyen Phan Vinh Primary School were built about 30 years ago. They are now severely degraded, unsafe, and unable to meet the current learning demand of pupils.

After inspection, the Standing Board of the municipal People's Council agreed on the investment policy to renovate and upgrade the two above-mentioned schools with a proposed budget of about VND 170 billion to serve teaching and learning activities.

Also in Son Tra District, the construction unit is urgently implementing the project on building new classrooms and subject rooms at the Nguyen Van Cu Junior High School with a total investment of more than VND 44 billion. The construction of the project started in August 2024 and is expected to be completed in March 2025 to meet the needs of local pupils.

In September 2024, the municipal People's Committee agreed to spend over VND 135 billion building the Hoa Thuan Dong Primary - Junior High School and expanding alley No .149 on Le Dinh Ly Street in Hai Chau District.

Accordingly, the school will be newly built on an area of ​​5,206m² with a scale of 35 classrooms, 7 subject rooms, 1 multi-function room, management offices, and a system of equipment for teaching and learning.

Head of the Office of Education and Training of Hai Chau District Nguyen Duc Tu Anh said that the construction of Hoa Thuan Dong Primary - Junior High School will help reduce the overload at local schools in the locality.

Under the project to build, upgrade and expand schools in the 2021-2025 period, in Lien Chieu District, there are 40 projects to build, upgrade and expand schools. To date, 12 projects have been completed, 5 ones are preparing to be deployed in 2025 and 6 ones are submitting project investment policies.

According to Head of the Office of Education and Training of Lien Chieu District Nguyen Thanh Lich, the number of primary and junior high school pupils in the district increases by 900-1,200 pupils. Therefore, the number of newly invested classrooms cannot keep up with the rate of mechanical population growth. Many schools have to renovate functional rooms and lobbies to ensure the learning needs of pupils. To tackle the abovementioned situation, the district recommends that the city prioritise resolving difficulties in investing in upgrading and expanding current school facilities, and at the same time, allow the district to choose a new location for reclaiming facilities ineffectively using public land.

Director of the municipal Department of Education and Training Le Thi Bich Thuan said that the project to build, upgrade and expand schools in the 2021-2025 period has a total investment of nearly VND 4,400 billion, not including compensation and clearance costs.

In the coming time, the Department will continue to coordinate with relevant units to advise the municipal People's Committee to arrange and allocate the budget to effectively implement the aforementioned project; as well as mobilise maximum non-refundable aid from domestic and foreign organisations and individuals to upgrade schools, thereby meet teaching and learning needs, and effectively implement the 2018 general education programme.

Reporting by KHOI NGUYEN - Translating by M.DUNG