According to reports, Nguyen Du Primary School has implemented smart classrooms in grades 1 and 2 on the voluntary basis of parents. In this smart classroom, each student must pay nearly 2 million VND for installing shared equipment and must equip themselves with a tablet worth 8.5 million VND.
For parents who do not register their children for smart classes, the school still teaches the children according to the normal class program as before.
Regarding the above incident, social networks have debated whether or not to implement smart classrooms. Supporters believe that this is a new model to help students access information technology early, helping children be interested in learning because it increases interactivity.
However, many other opinions suggest that the smart classroom model should not be implemented at the primary school level, especially for first-grade students because they are still young and will affect their eyesight.
In particular, it should not be implemented because public schools must create a fair and equal learning environment, avoiding creating class discrimination and nobility through this smart classroom model. Because, families in difficult circumstances who do not have the conditions to register their children to study in smart classrooms can make children feel self-conscious and inferior to their friends.
Ms. Tran Thi Kim Cuc - Principal of Nguyen Du Primary School said that the deployment of the smart classroom model is implemented by the school according to the 2018 general education program of the Ministry of Education and Training.
In the 2024-2025 school year, the school piloted smart classrooms for 3 grades 1. In the 2025-2026 school year, based on the voluntary spirit of parents, the school piloted 8 smart classrooms, including 5 grades 1 and 3 grades 2.
According to Ms. Cuc, the learning program between smart and regular classes has a basic difference in the teaching support method using technology through tablets that each student has equipped.
Regarding the fact that each student has to pay more than 10 million VND to study in a smart classroom, the Principal of Nguyen Du Primary School said that the large amount of money is mainly due to parents having to buy tablets for their children to study. These tablets are registered to be purchased directly by parents with the supplier.
Regarding concerns about the health risks when students use tablets early, Ms. Cuc said that the use of devices in smart classrooms is deployed flexibly, depending on each lesson and review content, computers are used for a suitable period of time.
Regarding concerns that it will create inferiority and self-consciousness for students who are not taught in smart classrooms, the Principal of Nguyen Du Primary School said that in normal classrooms, children are also taught in shared computer classrooms.
On the morning of May 9, in an exchange with a reporter from Lao Dong Newspaper, Ms. Tran Thi Thuy Nga - Vice Chairwoman of Thanh Sen Ward People's Committee said that on the morning of May 8, leaders of the Ward People's Committee worked with Nguyen Du Elementary School regarding the content of implementing the smart classroom model.
At the working session, the ward leaders requested the school to review the entire implementation process, sponsorship mobilization dossiers and strengthen propaganda about the purpose and effectiveness of the model in order to create consensus among parents and public opinion.
According to Ms. Nga, in Ha Tinh city (old), from the 2022-2023 school year, smart classrooms have been piloted in some primary schools.
To date, this model has been implemented in primary schools: Nguyen Du, Bac Ha, Thach Linh, Tran Phu and Tan Giang.
Ms. Nga said that the deployment of smart classrooms is well-founded and implemented in accordance with the central government's guidelines and resolutions and has also been implemented in previous years. However, recently, due to Nguyen Du Primary School not doing well and thoroughly in the deployment and propaganda work, there has been controversial debate on social networks.
