The Prime Minister attended the groundbreaking ceremony for a school in a mountainous border commune in Thanh Hoa province.
On the afternoon of October 14th, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended the groundbreaking ceremony for a boarding school for primary and secondary levels in Bat Mot commune, a mountainous area located about 120 km west of Thanh Hoa province center.
Attending the event were Central Committee members: Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son; General Nguyen Tan Cuong - Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army, Deputy Minister of National Defense; Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Gau - Deputy Minister of National Defense; Secretary of the Thanh Hoa Provincial Party Committee Nguyen Doan Anh; leaders of central and local ministries and agencies; along with a large number of people of various ethnic groups, teachers, and students.
The Bat Mot Primary and Secondary Boarding School is one of the multi-level schools built in accordance with Conclusion No. 81-TB/TW dated July 18, 2025, of the Politburo on the policy of investing in the construction of multi-level primary and secondary boarding schools in 248 border communes, including a pilot investment in building new or renovating 100 schools in 2025; it is also one of the large-scale and significant projects to be started and inaugurated on this occasion to celebrate the 20th Thanh Hoa Provincial Party Congress, term 2025 - 2030.
The program was organized by Thanh Hoa province simultaneously at four locations across the projects, using a hybrid format combining in-person and online participation, with the main venue in Bat Mot commune.
In implementing Conclusion No. 81 of the Politburo, Thanh Hoa province has urgently surveyed, compiled a list, and proposed investment in 21 educational projects in 16 border communes during the 2025-2026 period, with a total investment of approximately 1,590 billion VND. Of these, 6 projects are expected to commence in 2025, with a total capital of approximately 767 billion VND; and 15 projects are expected to commence in 2026 with a total capital of approximately 823 billion VND.
Bat Mot commune is a high-altitude, border commune in Thanh Hoa province, with over 17 km of border shared with Laos, located approximately 120 km from the center of Thanh Hoa province.
Located in a remote border region, the commune has rugged terrain, and the lives of its people are still fraught with difficulties. The commune has a natural area of 205.7 square kilometers.2(the largest in the province), with a population of 4,052 people, of which the Thai ethnic group accounts for over 96%.
Currently, there are 3 schools in the area (2 primary schools, 1 secondary school) with 25 classes and 616 students. The infrastructure has only received investment in some basic items and does not fully meet the criteria set by the Ministry of Education and Training. The entire commune has over 600 students, but the schools are scattered, making travel very difficult. Teaching and learning facilities are lacking, many items are dilapidated, and learning conditions remain limited.
The Bat Mot Primary and Secondary Boarding School project is being implemented under a special mechanism and policy to carry out investment in accordance with the Government's regulations and in implementation of Conclusion No. 81 of the Politburo.
The project commenced construction on the existing land of Bat Mot Kindergarten, Bat Mot 1 Primary School, and Bat Mot Secondary School, with a total area of approximately 1.5 hectares. The investment scale for renovating and upgrading facilities to meet national standard level 2 includes the following items: a classroom building with 22 classrooms and 12 subject-specific classrooms, an administrative building, a multi-purpose hall, a traditional ethnic culture house, a library, a sports playground, boarding and semi-boarding facilities for 260 students, staff housing for 25 teachers, and other supporting facilities.
The total investment for the project is approximately 170 billion VND, to be completed before August 30, 2026, in time for use in the new school year 2026-2027.
Also as part of the program, Thanh Hoa province held a groundbreaking ceremony for a social housing project in Ham Rong ward, Thanh Hoa province. The project includes 4 blocks of 25-story buildings with a total of 2,376 apartments, covering an area of approximately 2.8 hectares, and with a total investment of 3,721 billion VND.
The WHA Smart Technology Industrial Park infrastructure construction and business project in Thanh Hoa province commenced in the communes of Hoang Son, Hoang Phu, and Hoang Giang; covering an area of over 178 hectares, with a total investment of 1,320 billion VND.
One project that was inaugurated is the Children's Cultural Palace and Sports Center in Hac Thanh ward, Thanh Hoa province, with a total investment of over 247 billion VND.
I had to do it because of a command from my heart and my overflowing affection for the children.
On this occasion, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh presented the painting "Uncle Ho putting a red scarf on a student" to the teachers and students of Bat Mot Inter-level School; and donated warm jackets to all 618 students. The Prime Minister and leaders of the Ministry of National Defense also presented gifts to families in difficult circumstances and those affected by natural disasters in Yen Nhan and Bat Mot communes.
The Vietnam National Energy and Industry Corporation and the Military Industry and Telecommunications Corporation donated funds to contribute to the construction of the Bat Mot Primary and Secondary Boarding School Project. The Ministry of Education and Training donated over 2,600 books to the school library.
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh expressed his joy and excitement at attending the groundbreaking and inauguration of these very meaningful projects to celebrate the 20th Congress of the Thanh Hoa Provincial Party Committee.
The Prime Minister reiterated President Ho Chi Minh's saying: "For the benefit of ten years, plant trees; for the benefit of a hundred years, cultivate people," as well as the viewpoint of our Party and State affirming that education and training are top national priorities, and investing in education is investing in development.
Most recently, the Politburo issued Resolution 71 on breakthroughs in education and training development, aiming for more comprehensive and inclusive education and training development with the spirit of "leaving no one behind" and ensuring equal access to education for all ethnic groups, regions, and groups, especially vulnerable groups, remote areas, border regions, and islands. The Politburo also issued Conclusion 81 on investment and construction of multi-level schools in border communes, including 16 communes in Thanh Hoa province.
Recently, the Central Government allocated 350 billion VND from its savings to Thanh Hoa province for the construction of multi-level schools in border communes. The Prime Minister suggested that, along with state funding, a movement should be launched to encourage people to contribute whatever they can, whether it's labor or resources; those with more contribute more, and those with less contribute less. He also called on the people to support and participate in land clearance. The Prime Minister emphasized the principle of "building a proper school"; Thanh Hoa province should complete the program within approximately two years, while simultaneously combating corruption, negative practices, and waste.
Specifically for Bat Mot School, the Prime Minister requested that it be completed by June 2026 at the latest, using the best and most effective methods. For schools in general, the Prime Minister requested that "once construction begins, it must be completed" and finished within approximately one year at the latest, ensuring both progress and quality.
"Without these boarding schools, many children would not be able to go to school. We must have boarding schools so that all children can attend school, so that they can learn to read and write, nurture their knowledge, ignite their dreams, and help them grow, mature, and realize their aspirations. This is the responsibility of the State, of society, of the school, and of all of us. We must do this with all our hearts, feelings, and enthusiasm, because it is a command from the heart, from the overflowing affection for these children," the Prime Minister stated.
On this occasion, the Prime Minister also requested Thanh Hoa province and other localities to urgently review and restore schools damaged by the recent natural disasters. The Prime Minister hoped that the students would be well-behaved, excel in their studies, and diligently follow "5 things Uncle Ho taught"; and that parents would continue to work with the school to provide the best possible care for their children.
It is known that recently, Thanh Hoa province had to cope with three consecutive major storms (numbers 3, 5, and 10), causing many difficulties and damages to people's lives, production, and infrastructure. According to preliminary statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, the entire province has 277 schools/school sites affected and damaged by storms from the beginning of the year to date, with 205 schools/school sites damaged by storm number 10 alone.
