A school built at a cost of tens of billions of dong is left abandoned?
For over a month now, many students at Nghi An Secondary School have been forced to study in cramped temporary classrooms because some of the main classrooms were damaged by the storm. Built a long time ago, this school is now in serious disrepair, while the new school not far away has been abandoned for over a year and is unusable.
Feeling anxious in the dilapidated school building.
In late October, after heavy rains, water flooded several classrooms in the two-story building at Nghi An Secondary School (Vinh Phu ward, Nghe An province). The corrugated iron roof, torn apart by the storm, lay scattered and unrepaired, allowing rainwater to seep through.
“The corrugated iron roof was completely blown off by the storm, but we can't repair it yet due to a lack of funds. This school was also built a long time ago, so it's very dilapidated now. The new school was completed a long time ago, and we can't move there because there aren't enough classrooms and many things are lacking,” said Ms. Le Viet Hong, Principal of Nghi An Secondary School.
According to Ms. Hong, the school currently has over 800 students, divided into 20 classes. Due to leaks in some classrooms after the storm, the school had to temporarily set up a reading room for the students. “This year, with 20 classes, we can manage, but next year, with an expected increase in students and two more classes, we won’t know where to find more classrooms,” Ms. Hong said, adding that she only became the principal at the school at the beginning of this school year. However, the school’s biggest concern is not just the lack of classrooms, but also safety.
Pointing to the numerous cracks in the school buildings, Ms. Hong said that both students and teachers are very worried about the school's increasing deterioration. “The biggest worry is the electrical system. When I first came here, I saw that the wiring and sockets were installed a long time ago and are now damaged and in disrepair, so they only recently needed repairs. The ceiling fans in the classrooms are also very old and at risk of falling. Many walls have cracks, and there is a shortage of toilets… The biggest wish of the teachers and students here is for the new school to be completed soon to meet the standards so that the students can move there to study,” Ms. Hong added.
Meanwhile, about 1km away, Nghi An Secondary School's second campus, with its three-story building, was completed more than a year ago but has remained unused until now. "The school is now in a dilemma. Moving to the second campus means there aren't enough rooms and many things are still lacking, but staying here is worrying and insecure. Even though we can't use it, since we already accepted the handover from the authorities, the school has had to spend money hiring security guards for over a year, adding to the costs. We heard there will be a phase 2 project, but we don't know when it will be built," said Ms. Le Viet Hong.
A new school was built without the school's knowledge.
According to the reporter's observations, the new school is a three-story building with 18 classrooms built in the middle of a field. The narrow, dilapidated concrete road leading to the school across the field frequently accumulates water. Besides the classroom building, only the parking garage and guardhouse have been constructed. Although completed just over a year ago, the three-story building already shows signs of age. Many stains and cracks have appeared…
Ms. Banh Thi Thuy Ha, former Principal of Nghi An Secondary School from 2020-2025, said that the school was completely unaware of the new school building when it was constructed. “Previously, the leaders of the former Nghi An commune mentioned the construction of a new school in two meetings of the commune's Party branch secretaries. But they didn't say when it would be built, where it would be built, or how it would be built. They only mentioned it briefly in the general meeting; the commune never informed the school,” Ms. Ha recounted, adding that the school only learned about the second campus being built not far away around September 2024.
“That day, a parent happened to tell me about it, and I didn't believe it at first. I sent the vice principal to check, and only then did I find out it was true. We went to ask the Department of Education and Training of Vinh City (formerly), but they didn't know either. At that time, the second campus was almost completed,” Ms. Ha said. A few days later, on October 2, 2024, the People's Committee of Nghi An commune (formerly) requested the leaders of Nghi An Secondary School to come to the second campus to conduct an acceptance and handover for use. At the same time, they were to return the land of the first campus to the commune for other uses. However, the school disagreed, arguing that the second campus was not yet fully constructed and could not be used.
In the minutes, the school also clearly stated its position that the new campus only has 18 classrooms, and the number of desks and chairs in each classroom is insufficient to accommodate the current number of students in each class. The facilities even lack the minimum requirements to meet the teaching requirements of the 2018 general education program. During the handover process, the investor also failed to complete the electrical system and the access road to the school…
According to our investigation, the first phase of the Nghi An Secondary School construction project is invested by the People's Committee of Nghi An Commune (formerly), with a total investment of nearly 25 billion VND. The project commenced in 2023 and was completed in October 2024. In addition to 18 classrooms in a three-story building with a total floor area of over 1,900 square meters, the project includes a three-story building with a total floor area of over 1,900 square meters.2This project only includes the addition of a fence, gate, guardhouse, and parking area. The number of classrooms alone is insufficient for the school's current 20 classes, not to mention the expected increase in student numbers for the next school year. Furthermore, the administrative building, multi-purpose hall, and sports field have not yet been constructed. Yet, the People's Committee of Nghi An commune (formerly) has repeatedly demanded that Nghi An Secondary School accept and use these facilities.
On February 5, 2025, the People's Committee of Nghi An commune (formerly) once again sent a document requesting Nghi An Secondary School to move to a new facility. At this time, the school had to hold a meeting to gather opinions from all staff and teachers. Following this, the school responded in writing with 100% of its staff and teachers agreeing that moving to facility 2 was impossible due to insufficient classrooms and facilities. The school requested that the authorities promptly complete the necessary work rooms, functional rooms, playgrounds, and sports fields to ensure effective teaching and learning. However, these legitimate requests have yet to be addressed by the local authorities.
"Not only are there too few classrooms, but the existing ones are also very small, with insufficient space compared to the regulations on classrooms," Ms. Ha added. To clarify the school's concerns, the reporter repeatedly contacted the leaders of the former Nghi An Commune People's Committee but received no response.
Meanwhile, Mr. Nguyen The Than, Chairman of the Vinh Phu Ward People's Committee, said that after receiving the school's requests, the ward held a meeting and is developing a temporary plan. Accordingly, in the near future, a portion of Nghi An Secondary School's students will be transferred to the new facility. "As for phase 2, the ward will include it in the public investment plan for 2026-2030," Mr. Than said.
