Ho Chi Minh City restructures public school network

Ho Chi Minh City is undergoing a significant restructuring of its public school network, reducing the number of public educational institutions from 2,188 to 1,484. This reorganization has resulted in the removal of 704 administrative entities, creating large-scale 'mega-schools' that present new management challenges.

One example is the Tan Dinh Primary and Secondary School, formed by the merger of Van Lang Secondary School, Duoc Song Primary School, and Tran Khanh Du Primary School. The new institution manages 57 classes, approximately 1,400 students, and 110 teachers across three separate campuses.

To manage these larger scales, school leaders are adopting new strategies, such as delegating authority to vice principals for specific campuses while maintaining direct control over personnel and finance. Schools are also increasingly utilizing digital signatures, digital student records, and information technology to ensure smooth operations and unified communication across merged units.