(VOVWORLD) - The simultaneous groundbreaking on Sunday of 72 new inter-level boarding schools for ethnic minority students, covering primary and lower secondary levels, in multiple border communes was a powerful demonstration of Vietnam’s commitment to fulfilling human rights obligations. They include the right to education, equal access for children in disadvantaged areas, and the right to comprehensive development for ethnic minority communities.
 Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of boarding schools in Thanh Hoa province. (Photo: VOV) |
The 72 schools launched during this phase, together with 28 previously started projects, fulfill the target of breaking ground on 100 inter-level boarding schools in border communes this year. These 100 schools are part of a larger plan to build 248 schools in 248 border communes over the next two to three years, with total funding of over 870 million USD from the central budget.
Narrowing inequality
International human rights documents say human rights include, not only the right to exist, but also the right to develop. In Vietnam, this principle holds special significance for border communes, where students face daunting challenges in getting an education due to harsh terrain, economic hardship, and remoteness from population centers. Inter-level boarding schools ensure that children can study continuously, reducing the number of students dropping out of school to get married or go to work, a problem which is still common in border areas.
The new boarding schools are designed to support students’ full learning and living needs, including dormitories and dining facilities, as well as on-site housing for teachers. Pham Thanh Binh, Principal of Luong An Tra Lower Secondary School in An Giang province, which will be part of the new Vinh Gia Primary–Lower Secondary Boarding School, said: “Such a boarding school will create fair learning opportunities for all students in remote ethnic minority areas and improve the quality of their education by giving them a place to study, live, and play.”
 Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, delegates and students at the groundbreaking ceremony. (Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac) |
This initiative goes hand in hand with policy reform to ensure equality by addressing regional disparities, an essential measure of human rights progress worldwide. Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son said: “This will be a breakthrough, transformational, comprehensive improvement for education in border areas that reflects the deep concern of the Party and the State for disadvantaged regions. It will help to narrow regional gaps and ensure fairness in access to education across Vietnam.”
Human rights in action
Vietnam recognizes that human rights are inseparable from the well-being of its people. Large-scale education projects in border areas demonstrate sound policy direction, meaningful investment, and coordinated action from the central to the local level. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said at the groundbreaking ceremony of Yen Khuong Boarding School in Thanh Hoa province on Sunday: “Each new school will be a place where knowledge is sown, dreams are nurtured and aspirations realized; a symbol of great national unity, and of the compassion and responsibility of the Party, the State, and the people toward our fellow citizens in the frontier regions of the nation.”
In the context of global integration, providing education and a better quality of life for all children, regardless of geography, is Vietnam’s way of demonstrating a practical, human-centered approach to human rights, not merely a rhetorical commitment.
All 100 new boarding schools are expected to be completed no later than August next year and operational in time for the 2026–2027 academic year. In the borderlands, a new school is not just a place of learning, it’s a place to nurture aspirations and give thousands of children in disadvantaged communities an opportunity to rise and thrive.