In Điện Biên province, 15 combined schools will be constructed in border areas, creating favorable conditions for students to study, live, and pursue their dreams of learning. Notably, the first such school nationwide, the Combined Primary and Secondary School in Si Pa Phìn commune, was inaugurated on July 27, 2025, with the attendance of Party General Secretary Tô Lâm. The project has a total investment of VND 220 billion, including 31 classrooms, subject rooms, a multi-functional hall, dormitories, a library, sports grounds, and even a swimming pool, meeting the learning and living needs of over 1,000 students from ethnic minority families in the border commune. Funding comes from Hà Nội City’s support and socialized resources.

At the groundbreaking ceremony, Party General Secretary Tô Lâm emphasized that education and training are always identified by the Party as the foremost national policy and the foundation for rapid and sustainable development. The construction of Si Pa Phìn Combined School is not only an educational project but also a symbol of solidarity and sharing between the lowlands and the highlands, between the capital city of Hà Nội and the heroic province of Điện Biên. With this special significance, provincial authorities have closely coordinated in land clearance and construction to ensure progress and quality, providing highland and border students with a spacious, modern school.

In reality, education in border highlands has long faced difficulties: underdeveloped transport infrastructure, inadequate school facilities, and poverty among ethnic minority households. Teachers often travel from village to village after summer breaks to encourage parents to send children back to school. With long distances, poor roads, and economic hardship, dropout rates remain high. The establishment of combined boarding schools will not only shorten travel distances but also provide food and accommodation, ensuring the best conditions for study and opening the door to a brighter future.

Alongside this initiative, 2025 also marks the implementation of several humanitarian education policies by the Party, State, and Government to promote equitable and comprehensive access to education. These include nationwide tuition waivers from preschool to high school, and subsidies for lunch meals for children in nursery boarding schools. The State will also support lunch meals for primary and lower secondary students in border communes.

In Điện Biên, boarding and semi-boarding students in their final high school year will receive a one-month meal subsidy after the school year ends, an important policy approved by the provincial People’s Council to help reduce the financial burden on families during the June graduation exam preparation period. With tuition waivers alone, more than 200,000 students across the province will benefit, significantly easing the financial pressure on households.

Investing in education is investing in the future. With humane and meaningful policies, children are given better opportunities to study and to access comprehensive educational development, a foundation for breakthroughs in the nation’s progress.