Building an inter-level boarding school in a border commune: Realizing the dream

People support and expect

Talking about the policy of building a boarding school in the border commune of Coc Pang ( Cao Bang ), Mr. San Mi Phu, a Mong ethnic in Che Ly B hamlet, his eyes lit up as if he had found gold. For many years, his children had to stay at boarding schools even though they had gone to the nearest school.

Mr. Phu said: I am very satisfied. My child will have a nice school, a nice classroom, a place to eat and live, something I have never dared to dream of in my life. The most important thing is that he will study, and if he is good, he will be able to do something greater than what I have done.

During the flood season, many times Vi Thi Thao Quyen, daughter of Nong Thi Le, Ban Po hamlet, Duc Long commune (Cao Bang), had to cross the flood to get to school.

Ms. Nong Thi Le, Ban Po hamlet, Duc Long border commune (Cao Bang), parent of Vi Thi Thao Quyen, grade 8, Duc Long Primary and Secondary School, said: The state creates conditions for building boarding schools, so the people benefit. Our children are guaranteed to have a full education, with facilities, and comprehensive development. In particular, my house is close to the border, during the rainy and flood season, my child often has to cross flooded areas to get to school, which is very dangerous. I hope that my child will limit his travel while staying at the boarding school for safety.

Mr. Hoang Van Chu in Con Cam village, Khuat Xa commune ( Lang Son ) emotionally said: "If there is a boarding school, I will call my nephew Hoang Bao Lam to study there. I hope that when there is a boarding school, no student will have to drop out of school anymore."

Mr. Hoang Van Chu's family (Con Cam village, Khuat Xa commune, Lang Son province) is in very difficult circumstances.

The people we met and interviewed all expressed their support for the policy of building boarding schools, and were willing to send their children to study there because they would be able to study in better conditions, with the State supporting them with food, accommodation, and living expenses, while the quality of local education would also be improved.

Resolutely take action, regardless of day or night

Immediately after the Politburo issued Notice No. 81-TB/TW dated July 18, 2025, the leaders of Cao Bang and Lang Son provinces immediately reviewed and implemented. Mr. Quan Minh Cuong, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Head of the National Assembly Delegation of Cao Bang province, immediately directed the Provincial People's Committee, departments and branches to study the policy and conduct field surveys to quickly and effectively implement the work contents.

Mr. Quan Minh Cuong, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Head of the National Assembly Delegation of Cao Bang province, directed the provincial authorities to review and build boarding schools in border communes immediately after Notice No. 81 was issued.

Cao Bang province also immediately organized an urgent meeting at night. All relevant departments, agencies and sectors were thoroughly informed and clearly defined about their functions, tasks and deadlines in implementing this important policy.

Cao Bang Provincial Party Secretary Quan Minh Cuong said: Implementing the direction of the Politburo and the Government, immediately after the announcement No. 81, the province has urgently implemented the plan to build a system of inter-level boarding schools in border communes. Initially, the province plans to invest in building 10 schools in the area. Each school is systematically planned, ensuring the best learning and boarding conditions for about 1,000 students, with a scale of 30 classes, on a minimum area of 5 hectares.

“Not only an educational facility, each school is also a symbol of faith, a place to inspire knowledge, preserve national culture, and nurture local cadres for the future,” Mr. Quan Minh Cuong emphasized.

Mr. Trinh Truong Huy, Vice Chairman of Cao Bang Provincial People's Committee, said that the province has assigned departments, branches and localities to carefully review, propose land use planning, determine suitable locations for school construction, ensuring terrain, traffic, population conditions and long-term development capabilities.

At the conference to deploy tasks for the 2025-2026 school year, Vice Chairman of Cao Bang Provincial People's Committee, Mr. Trinh Truong Huy, spoke, emphasizing the task of building inter-level boarding schools in border communes.

As for Lang Son, the province has 11 border communes and has selected 11 locations to build boarding schools. To implement this policy, the People's Committee of Lang Son province has surveyed and specifically identified the land areas planned for investment and construction and the ability to mobilize students for these schools. The target land area will be 5 hectares or more, with a scale of about 30 classes and mobilizing about 1,000 students per school.

Mr. Duong Xuan Huyen, Permanent Vice Chairman of Lang Son Provincial People's Committee informed: The province determined to invest synchronously to ensure technical standards, scale, classroom area and have enough facilities to serve learning, training as well as cultural, spiritual and physical activities.

Lang Son is also planning to build and start construction of 3 to 4 schools this school year according to the approved list. After approval, the specific locations will be determined and these schools will be the experience to continue implementing in the following time - Mr. Duong Xuan Huyen emphasized.

Ready to start

Initially, Cao Bang province is planning to invest in the construction of the Phuc Hoa Primary and Secondary Boarding School project in Ban Moi hamlet, Phuc Hoa commune. When we came here to survey, we saw that this was a large, flat area of land, currently planted with sugarcane.

Comrade Vu Anh Tuan, Secretary of the Party Committee of Phuc Hoa Commune (Cao Bang) said: Immediately after receiving the direction of the province, the commune reviewed and selected the location in Ban Moi hamlet. This is a central location, with a large land fund, convenient for construction. The school is expected to be built on an area of 6 hectares, with 36 classes, 1,260 students, each class has a maximum of 35 students.

Leaders of Phuc Hoa commune (Cao Bang) surveyed the area planned to build an inter-level boarding school.

Comrade Be Van Phung, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Phuc Hoa Commune (Cao Bang) shared: After selecting the location, in less than a week, Phuc Hoa Commune has basically "cleared the land in the hearts of the people", meaning that the people agree to take the land at any time. The commune is urgently completing the procedures and legal documents to start building the school as soon as possible.

PV of GD&TĐ Newspaper investigated the area planned to build the Khuat Xa Commune Boarding Primary and Secondary School for Ethnic Minorities in Pan Pe village, Khuat Xa commune, Lang Son province.

Lang Son province plans to propose the construction of the first inter-level boarding school, the Khuat Xa Inter-level Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities with a scale of 5.05 hectares in Pan Pe village. The school will be built on a total planned area of 9.6 hectares of land with investment in technical infrastructure such as roads, water supply stations, and power transformer stations, which were previously part of the infrastructure investment project for the Ho Ban Lai Resettlement Area.

Directly surveying, reporters from Education and Times Newspaper saw that the large land already had traffic infrastructure, electricity, lighting and many other items.

Mr. Vi Van Phong, Chairman of Khuat Xa Commune People's Committee, said: The school construction project is very favorable because there is no need to carry out compensation for site clearance. The land has been invested in building technical infrastructure, has high feasibility in construction and can start construction soon. Authorities at all levels are resolving difficulties in procedures for converting usage functions; adjusting, updating planning and converting residential land to educational land.

Local survey

In addition to Phuc Hoa, 21 border communes of Cao Bang and 11 border communes of Lang Son were surveyed in detail for construction sites. Cao Bang and Lang Son provinces have established an interdisciplinary working group to directly conduct the survey.

An interdisciplinary working group of Cao Bang province surveyed the construction site of an inter-level boarding school in Be Van Dan commune.

Mr. Luong Tuan Hung, Director of the Department of Construction, the unit leading the survey team directly at the border communes of Cao Bang province, said: The working group carried out the task with a spirit of speed, regardless of day or night, working in the field, not just on paper. The spirit of only discussing work, not backtracking, which Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh mentioned many times, was thoroughly promoted by us during the working trips. In the field, the team sought every solution to overcome difficulties, choosing the most beautiful location with the area according to the direction of the superiors.

On the afternoon of August 25, the Ministry of Construction held an online meeting with the Department of Construction and the Department of Education and Training of localities on the design of architectural models for inter-level boarding schools in land border communes.

According to the design, the school will have full functional blocks: Study, administration, activities, sports and boarding. The design aims for synchronization, modernity, but still flexible to adapt to the terrain and climate of each region. - Director of the Department of Construction of Lang Son province Duong Cong Vi shared.

It is expected that the project to build an inter-level boarding school will be assigned by Cao Bang province to the Provincial Investment and Construction Project Management Board as the investor. Comrade Nguyen Huy Hoang, Director of the Board, expressed his determination: We have sent people to join the delegation to survey the construction site and actively prepare to implement the project quickly and best when all conditions are met.

It can be seen that the two provinces of Cao Bang and Lang Son are implementing synchronous solutions with a proactive, transparent and strict spirit. Mr. Trinh Truong Huy, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, said: The organization of building schools in border areas is carried out according to the "6 clear" principles directed by the Prime Minister: clear people, clear work, clear time, clear results, clear responsibilities and clear authority.

"The province has established special working groups to conduct field inspections, determine investment plans, designs, and make estimates in accordance with technical standards and educational goals, ensuring compliance with the law, and absolutely preventing loss, waste, and negativity during the implementation process," the Vice Chairman of Lang Son Provincial People's Committee stated.

Cao Bang province is striving to build an inter-level boarding school in Phuc Hoa commune, and Lang Son province in Khuat Xa commune, as soon as possible. And now, an extremely important and heavy task is to "breathe life" into these schools. This issue will be mentioned in part 3: "Breathing life into new schools".

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/xay-dung-truong-noi-tru-lien-cap-xa-bien-gioi-hien-thuc-hoa-giac-mo-post746372.html