Exciting special opening ceremony

Nearly 32 million students and teachers nationwide participated online in the ceremony to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the education sector's tradition and the opening of the 2025-2026 school year this morning (September 5) at the National Convention Center (Hanoi) organized by the Ministry of Education and Training.

This is the first time all educational institutions nationwide will salute the flag and sing the national anthem at the same time during the opening ceremony of the new school year.

The Ministry of Education and Training said that the ceremony to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the education sector's tradition and the opening of the 2025-2026 school year will take place from 8:00 to 9:30 a.m., broadcast live on VTV1 channel, connecting online all educational institutions nationwide with the participation of about 1.7 million teachers and nearly 30 million students nationwide.

GENERAL SECRETARY OMAHA WILL GIVE A CONGRATULATIONAL SPEECH

As expected, the ceremony was attended by General Secretary To Lam, President Luong Cuong, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man , leaders and former leaders of the Party and State; leaders and former leaders of the Ministry of Education and Training through different periods...

According to the scheduled program, at the ceremony, General Secretary To Lam will deliver a speech congratulating the 80th anniversary of the education sector and opening the new school year. Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son will deliver a speech celebrating the 80th anniversary of the education sector and opening the 2025-2026 school year; representatives of students nationwide will give speeches.

Students and teachers across the country are entering the new school year with joy. In the photo: teachers and students of Tran Hung Dao Primary School (Cau Ong Lanh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City) preparing for the opening day.

PHOTO: DAO NGOC THACH

Within the framework of the ceremony, Party and State leaders will present the First Class Labor Medal to the Ministry of Education and Training, give a speech and beat the drum to open the 2025-2026 school year.

Before the ceremony, Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son shared: "The opening ceremony of the 2025-2026 school year takes place in a special context: the whole country celebrates the 80th anniversary of National Day; carries out the historical "rearrangement of the country"; organizes Party congresses at all levels... For the education sector, the beginning of the new school year is also an occasion to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the tradition of the education sector, as well as the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the Ministry of National Education. This is not only an opportunity for us to look back on the 80-year journey of education to develop the country, but also an opportunity to be more aware of the mission and responsibility of education in creating people, building and developing the country, and striving to integrate in the new era".

According to the Minister, the meaning of the opening ceremony is even more profound when 52,000 educational institutions across the country connect online and broadcast live, with the presence of the highest leaders of the Party and State, to spread the belief, spirit and determination to bring Vietnamese education to new heights.

THE KEYWORD OF THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR IS "IMPLEMENTATION"

Minister Nguyen Kim Son shared with teachers and students nationwide: 2025 - 2026 is a very important school year, with many big things to do and many opportunities for innovation. The keyword of this school year is "implementation". That is to focus on implementing well the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's laws on education as well as the 10 key tasks and solutions for the 2025 - 2026 school year of the education sector. That is the way for the whole sector to inherit and promote the achievements of the past 80 years, overcome existing shortcomings and limitations and open up new paths for Vietnamese education in the coming time.

Nearly 32 million students and teachers nationwide participated in a special opening ceremony this morning (September 5).

PHOTO: DAO NGOC THACH

"Education is a hundred-year career, requiring vision, perseverance, a spirit of fairness and the highest responsibility. I call on the entire industry, from managers to teachers, staff, and all students to prepare the best mindset, spirit and conditions, to unite and join forces, so that the new school year becomes a busy but joyful and successful year," Minister Nguyen Kim Son emphasized.

FIRST SCHOOL YEAR OF FREE TUITION FROM KINDERGARTEN TO HIGH SCHOOL

Before the opening day, the Government issued Decree No. 238/2025 guiding the implementation of Resolution No. 217/2025/QH15 of the National Assembly on exemption and support of tuition fees for preschool children, general education students, and students of general education programs in educational institutions in the national education system. The Decree takes effect from the date of issuance (September 3), and will be implemented immediately in the 2025-2026 school year.

Accordingly, the regulations on tuition fee framework (floor - ceiling) or tuition fee ceiling for all levels and tuition fee roadmap inherit the provisions of Decree No. 81/2021 and Decree No. 97/2023. The goal is to ensure stable tuition fee policy, create initiative and convenience for learners, educational institutions and management agencies, and at the same time implement a roadmap to gradually compensate for salary costs, direct costs, management costs and depreciation of fixed assets, and other costs according to the provisions of the law on prices.

In addition to inheriting previous regulations, the new decree supplements and provides specific guidance according to Resolution 217 of the National Assembly: exempting tuition fees for preschool children, high school students, and students studying general education programs at public educational institutions; supporting tuition fees for preschool children, high school students, and students studying general education programs at private educational institutions at a level prescribed by the Provincial People's Council, but not exceeding the tuition fees of private institutions.

The method of implementing tuition exemption and support for learners is regulated in the direction of maximum administrative procedure reform, specifically: preschool children and high school students do not need to submit applications for tuition exemption and support; at the same time, it is regulated the method of handling administrative procedures through exploiting electronic data available in the National Population Database, other specialized databases and adding the form of submitting documents through the national public service portal to facilitate learners.

Hanoi supports boarding meals for primary school students

In the 2025-2026 school year, Hanoi will have more than 2,900 kindergartens and primary schools with more than 2.3 million students, an increase of about 60,000 students compared to the previous school year. Notably, this school year Hanoi will have 43 more public schools at all levels, increasing learning opportunities, reducing class size, and reducing pressure on people.

Schools in Hanoi are ready for the opening ceremony. With this year's special opening ceremony, according to the instructions of the Department of Education and Training, schools will arrange for students to attend differently depending on each grade and level. Some kindergartens and primary schools will arrange for students in lower grades to attend the opening ceremony in class, watching on TV screens. Students in higher grades will gather in the school yard to watch on LED screens.

Because each locality will have a connection point to the National Convention Center (where the live program takes place), Hanoi chose Phan Huy Chu High School - Dong Da, as the connection point of the city.

Hanoi allocates more than 3,000 billion VND to support the implementation of the resolution to support boarding meals for primary school students.

PHOTO: P.HOA

This is also the school year that begins to implement special policies for students. In addition to the general policy of exempting tuition fees for students from kindergarten to high school, this is the first school year that Hanoi has implemented a resolution to support meals for primary school students. The total support budget is up to more than 3,000 billion VND, for about 768,000 students at public and private schools (except schools with foreign investment). This policy not only reduces the financial burden on parents but also demonstrates the government's concern for the comprehensive development of students.

Director of the Hanoi Department of Education and Training Tran The Cuong emphasized: "The 2025-2026 school year will be an important turning point for the capital's education sector. With a policy of free tuition, lunch support, and the synchronous organization of the national opening ceremony, the whole sector is gradually building a high-quality, integrated, and equitable education system."

Besides, Mr. Cuong said, Hanoi will deploy the best conditions with the theme "Discipline - Creativity - Breakthrough - Development", in which special attention will be paid to instructing wards, communes, and schools in the area on revenue and expenditure at the beginning of the school year; on teaching 2 sessions/day; extra teaching, extra learning; joint ventures and partnerships in schools.

Snow Plum

Ho Chi Minh City, a megacity with more than 2.5 million students, adds 1,434 new classrooms

The 2025-2026 school year is the first year that the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training has merged and consolidated the Departments of Education and Training of the three localities of Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, and Ba Ria-Vung Tau. The merger has turned Ho Chi Minh City into a megacity with nearly 3,500 educational institutions, with about 2,528,789 students from preschool to high school (an increase of 39,632 students compared to the previous school year).

In the new school year, Ho Chi Minh City put into use 1,434 new classrooms (an increase of 1,072 classrooms compared to the previous school year), with a budget of more than 4,522 billion VND from the budget.

Ho Chi Minh City students prepare to welcome the new school year

PHOTO: DAO NGOC THACH

According to records at high schools on September 4, preparations for the national opening ceremony and the 2025-2026 school year have been completed and well-organized. At Can Thanh High School (Can Gio Commune), the school has prepared facilities and equipment to organize the opening ceremony of the new school year with 651 students. Mr. Ngo Van Hoi, Vice Principal of the school, said that before the opening ceremony takes place, the school will organize activities to welcome 10th grade students. After 9:30, the school will organize a scholarship award ceremony and students will participate in the festival activities of the opening ceremony to connect and exchange.

Similarly, Nguyen Tat Thanh High School (Binh Phu Ward) mobilized teachers, staff and students to participate in the preparation for the opening day of the new school year. Mr. Nguyen Quang Dat, Principal of the school, shared that each department from teachers to students, each person has a job, suitable and join hands in the preparation with the goal of a happy new school year and achieving the desired learning results.

Bich Thanh

Hope for a successful school year

This year I am starting a new school year, studying in a new school, meeting new friends and teachers, I am very excited. In the special atmosphere of the opening day, I hope that I and my friends will have a school year with many good results.

Luu Gia Tue (6th grade student, Nguyen Van Troi Secondary School, Hanh Thong Ward, Ho Chi Minh City)

Excited mood

I heard the teachers announce the special opening ceremony, we heard the drum beat at the same time as all other schools in the country so we were very excited. Not only me, my friends are also waiting for September 5 to come quickly.

Thai Bao Vy (3rd/4th grade student, Tran Hung Dao Primary School, Cau Ong Lanh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City)

Thuy Hang (written)

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nao-nuc-le-khai-giang-dac-biet-185250904235349926.htm