Question about zoning grade 1 in Ho Chi Minh City: What is a 'near home' school?

Many readers sent comments and questions to the Thanh Nien Newspaper editorial office, wondering about the zoning of first graders in Ho Chi Minh City, why their children cannot attend schools near their homes, but have to attend schools far away from home.

A parent contacted the editorial office and asked, "My house is only a few hundred meters from the school, but my child was assigned to a primary school more than 1 km, up to 1.5 km, from my house. It is very inconvenient for the family to pick up and drop off their child." The general policy of Ho Chi Minh City is to create conditions for students to go to school near their current place of residence, in accordance with the actual situation of the locality. So, what is considered "close to home"?

Parents complete admission procedures for first grade students for the 2025-2026 school year in Ho Chi Minh City

PHOTO: NHAT THINH

No more than 4 km for preschool and primary school students, no more than 7 km for secondary school students

In the plan to mobilize children to go to school and enroll them in the first grades of the 2025-2026 school year issued by the People's Committee of Tan Phu District, Ho Chi Minh City on April 18, 2025, the requirements and principles of enrollment are clearly stated:

"Using the results of Project 06, combined with the city's shared digital map system, to accurately determine students' actual current residence data through identification codes and support the work of arranging study places for students";

"The Department of Education and Training shall base on the city's plan, the guidance of the Department of Education and Training, the conditions of schools and the actual situation in the district to guide the work of mobilizing children to go to school and enrolling students flexibly, not following the administrative boundaries of wards, in order to create conditions for all citizens of universal education age residing in the district to go to school; strive to arrange places of study with the distance from home to school not further than the regulations in Clause 1, Article 2 of Joint Circular No. 65/2011/TTLT-BGDĐT-BTC-BKHĐT dated December 22, 2011 of the Ministry of Education and Training - Ministry of Finance - Ministry of Planning and Investment (not more than 4 km for preschool children and primary school students, not more than 7 km for secondary school students)".

In addition: "Information on the student's current residence (including "relationship with the head of household" and related information) determined through the electronic identification application (VNeID) of the student's parents or legal guardians must be declared within the data review time frame according to the document issued by the Department of Education and Training, ensuring that paper records are minimized. In special cases, follow the instructions of the Department of Education and Training and the Department of Education and Training, and at the same time, declare on the system and store full evidence at theeducational institution".

Parents complete admission procedures for their children at an elementary school in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.

PHOTO: NHAT THINH

An official from the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City said that parents' needs are diverse, some want to study at a school close to their home, others want to study at a school several kilometers away because there is a boarding school there, with better facilities... However, Ho Chi Minh City has many localities with high student pressure, high population growth rate, the top priority is to strive to have enough places to study for 100% of school-age students, who actually reside in the locality. For example, in the same apartment building in a ward, there are 500 children who are all of age to enter grade 1, but the primary school next to this apartment building can only accept 300 first-grade students. So the remaining 200 children must be assigned to another primary school, within the legal scope.

So what is valid? According to the plan to mobilize children to go to school and enroll them in the first grades of the 2025-2026 school year issued by the People's Committee of Tan Phu District, Ho Chi Minh City, the competent authority "strives to arrange places for students whose distance from home to school is not further than the regulations in Clause 1, Article 2 of Joint Circular No. 65/2011/TTLT-BGDĐT-BTC-BKHĐT dated December 22, 2011 of the Ministry of Education and Training - Ministry of Finance - Ministry of Planning and Investment ". Specifically, the school is no more than 4 km from home for preschool children and primary school students; the school is no more than 7 km from home for secondary school students.

Two brothers go to the same elementary school, the older brother goes to one school, the younger brother is assigned to a different school for first grade.

Reader Phuong Le (phone number 0377284xxx) sent a message to Thanh Nien Newspaper: "I am a resident of Thu Duc City who is having difficulty enrolling students for first grade. My family has 2 children, the older child was born in 2018, the younger child was born in 2019. The older child was assigned to one school last year, the younger child was assigned to another school this year, 2 schools in opposite directions. I have submitted an application to the Department of Education and Training of Thu Duc City, but it has not been resolved yet and I am still being told to wait in vain, while children of the same age have submitted their application for admission, while my child has not yet."

For readers who have problems with the above-mentioned first grade zoning, Thanh Nien Newspaper reporters have contacted and forwarded readers' information to the Department of Education and Training of Thu Duc City so that the Department of Education and Training can contact and support them.

Parent D.H.Sang, whose permanent address is in Phu Trung ward, Tan Phu district, wondered why his house is right behind Ho Van Cuong Primary School, but he was assigned to Le Thanh Tong Primary School, which is further away from home, for his first grader, while his mother (who picks up and drops off the child after school because he and his wife work in Binh Chanh district) has difficulty moving, she only has one leg. In this case, the reporter contacted the Department of Education and Training of Tan Phu district. The student's parents were instructed to fill out a form for support.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/thac-mac-phan-tuyen-lop-1-tphcm-the-nao-la-truong-gan-nha-185250623155806402.htm