In recent years, alongside reforms to teaching content and methodology under the 2018 General Education Programme, the provincial education sector has prioritised investment in educational infrastructure along with the development of national standard schools, gradually modernising facilities to meet requirements of education development in the new period.

STEM laboratory worth 3.5 billion VND being donated by Vietnam National Industry - Energy Group to Buon Ma Thuot Upper Secondary School.

According to Director of the Department of Education and Training, comrade Le Thi Thanh Xuan, investing in educational infrastructure combined with developing national standard schools remain strategic priorities in building a modern, safe and high-quality learning environment. These efforts have been implemented comprehensively, from land-use planning as well as classroom construction to specialised facilities and modern teaching equipment.

A major highlight is the simultaneous construction of three boarding schools for ethnic minority students, providing education from primary to lower secondary level, under the Programme to Build 100 Schools in Border Areas. The projects are located in Ia Lop, Ia Rve and Buon Don communes, with total investment of more than 390 billion VND. Construction has now completed more than 50% of the planned workload. Concurrently, preparations are under way for two additional projects in Ea Rok coupled with Ea Bung communes, with combined investment of 450 billion VND.

To ensure the first three projects are completed and put into operation before August 30, 2026, in accordance with central government directives, the project owner is accelerating construction while proposing that the provincial Police and Military Command mobilise additional personnel to support implementation. Once operational, these schools will provide students in border areas with improved learning conditions, helping reduce school dropouts caused by economic hardship together with long commuting distance.

Alongside infrastructure investment, the education sector continues to improve the quality of universal education quality. The enrolment rate among five-year-old children has reached 99.74%, while 100% of ethnic minority preschool children receive enhanced Vietnamese language instruction. The implementation of the 2018 General Education Programme has been carried out systematically, shifting from knowledge-based teaching towards competency- and quality-based education. STEM, STEAM along with life skills education have likewise been strengthened from the earliest stages of schooling.

Students at Buon Ma Thuot Upper Secondary School participating in STEM activities in the laboratory.

Practical experience at educational institutions has demonstrated the tangible benefits of infrastructure investment. Ms. Nguyen Thi Dang Kieu, Principal of Dao Duy Tu Primary School in Tuy Hoa ward, said the school now has a comprehensive system of classrooms, functional rooms, subject-specific classrooms, playgrounds and sports facilities, fully meeting educational requirements. Supported by a green, clean and modern educational environment, a highly qualified teaching staff alongside steadily improving academic performance, the school is completing procedures for re-recognition as a Level 1 national standard school in 2026.

In 2025, the Department of Education and Training proposed allocating 293 billion VND for renovating as well as constructing school facilities, together with an additional 90 billion VND for teaching equipment at upper secondary schools. Supported by sustained provincial investment and coordinated sector-wide efforts, the development of national standard schools has recorded encouraging outcomes. By the end of 2025, 834 of the provincial 1,352 schools had met national standards, accounting for 61.69%, exceeding the target. These include 50.33% of preschools, 71.05% of primary schools, 67.62% of lower secondary schools together with 48.94% of upper secondary schools. Educational infrastructure has continued to improve, with 80.2% of classrooms built to permanent standards, a figure targeted to reach 85.7% in 2026.

Comprehensive investment in educational infrastructure, coupled with continued curriculum reform and improved teaching methodologies, is laying a solid foundation for enhancing overall education quality. These efforts aim to establish a modern, equitable learning environment capable of meeting the provincial human resource development needs in the new period.

Translated by KHUONG THAO