This marks not merely a scale adjustment, but a key step in consolidating the educational network to better align with demographic realities and population distribution, creating conditions to concentrate resources, enhance management efficiency, optimize facility usage, and elevate education quality.

As of July 1, 2025, the entire province had 466 public educational institutions, comprising 429 schools managed by commune-level People’s Committees, 37 units managed by the Department of Education and Training, and a system of 1,135 satellite school sites. In the current context, rearranging and streamlining the public educational institution network is critical to aligning with the two-tier local governance model, shifting focus from mechanical reduction of administrative focal points to restructuring the network based on population scale and distribution.

This restructuring process also drives innovation in school governance, expanding school and class sizes to make efficient use of physical facilities, teaching staff, management cadres, and investment resources. It couples institutional rearrangement with streamlining administrative focal points and restructuring personnel under the guideline of “reducing education management personnel, increasing direct teaching staff.”

Reorganizing school networks in a mountainous, border province is not simply a matter of cutting administrative units, but also addressing the challenge of maintaining student enrollment and keeping highland pupils attending school fully, safely, and steadily. Throughout the formulation of the arrangement scheme, the Education sector coordinated closely with localities to thoroughly review the status of each school, satellite campus, and residential route, while holding numerous direct working sessions at the commune and ward levels to analyze practical conditions and agree on appropriate roadmaps.

Under the overall arrangement plan for public kindergarten, general education, and continuing education institutions ratified in Decision No.1894/QĐ-UBND dated August 22 by the provincial People’s Committee, the total number of school units across the province will decrease from 466 to 194 - a reduction of 272 units.

Specifically, educational institutions managed by commune-level People’s Committees will decrease from 429 to 160 schools (a reduction of 269 schools, or 62.7%); units under the Department of Education and Training will decrease from 37 to 34 units (an 8.1% reduction). Following rearrangement, the province’s educational network comprises: 50 kindergarten schools, 42 primary schools, 40 Secondary schools, 13 combined primary and Secondary schools, 15 primary and Secondary ethnic boarding schools in border communes, 4 combined lower and upper secondary schools, 29 upper secondary schools, and 1 vocational education - continuing education center.

Parallel to streamlining focal points, the reassignment and task allocation for cadres and teachers have been carried out synchronously and flexibly to optimize instructional capacity. Lò Thị Nga, formerly a teacher at Na Ư Semi-Boarding Primary and Secondary Ethnic School, now transferred to Sam Mứn Secondary School, shared: “When the policy on adjustments, mergers, and teacher transfers was first introduced, my colleagues and I naturally felt initial anxiety regarding travel conditions, daily life, and the new working environment. However, through explanatory meetings and direct dialogues, we realized this is also an opportunity for teachers across schools to exchange experiences, learn from one another, innovate professional activities, and improve our qualifications.”

In Điện Biên Phủ ward, following the rearrangement plan, the number of educational institutions decreased from 23 to 7 units (a reduction rate of nearly 70%). Despite the heavy workload, with high proactivity and consensus, the locality is actively consolidating its staff of cadres and teachers, urgently preparing all necessary conditions for the new school year. Nguyễn Thị Kim Huệ, Deputy Head of the Socio-Cultural Division of Điện Biên Phủ ward, stated: “As one of the localities with the largest number of schools undergoing rearrangement in the province, the workload is massive. However, thanks to the relatively advantageous location of local educational institutions, we proactively formulated the most optimal plan for administration as well as teaching and learning activities. All steps are being carried out urgently to ensure adherence to schedule.”

According to the plan, commune-level People’s Committees and the Department of Education and Training (under decentralized authority) will rearrange educational institutions and consolidate key leadership positions (Principal, Director, Vice Principal, Deputy Director, Chief Accountant) before August 30, 2026, to ensure stability ahead of the 2026-2027 school year. For cadres and staff yet to receive equivalent appointments, units will compile lists alongside specific arrangement plans, ensuring the overall structure and staffing of managers and educational support personnel are finalized before September 30, 2026, without disrupting the organization of the 2026-2027 school year.

According to Cù Huy Hoàn, Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training, rearranging educational institutions preserves the status quo of facilities, finances, and assets of units; avoids loss or alteration of assets, land, and equipment during mergers and consolidations; and ensures all property is inventoried and handed over intact to the new administering units in compliance with regulations.

With proactivity, consensus, and high resolve, the province is steadily perfecting its school network toward streamlined, rational, and effective operations. This concentrates resources to improve teaching and learning quality, meeting educational demands in the new phase. It also provides the foundation to progressively innovate school governance methods, optimize the teaching workforce, physical infrastructure, and investment capital, enabling educational institutions to better fulfill their roles and functions in executing educational missions.