Cramped classrooms and unfinished semi-boarding dreams
Pointing to the new school (facility 2) with an area of 35,000m2 with 3 classroom blocks and semi-boarding area, Mr. Dang Ba Sy - Principal of Phong Hai Secondary School, Lao Cai province regretted that the project had been completed and built since the end of 2025 but could not be used. 3km away, facility 1, more than 10,000m2 wide, is always in a state of lack of classrooms, lack of functional areas, especially the dilapidated and cramped semi-boarding house.
According to Mr. Sy, Phong Hai Secondary School currently has 873 students, most of whom are children of ethnic minorities. In a land with many difficulties, literacy has long become a "door" to help them step out of poverty. However, a paradox exists when a new spacious school has completed the "framework" part, but cannot be used due to lack of essential items.
For many years, facilities have always been the biggest "bottleneck" in the teaching and learning career. Level 4 rooms for boarding students are small but narrow, but dozens of students have to be arranged to live together, 2 children for one bed. In winter it is cold, in rainy season it is humid, and in summer it is hot. Students' lives and studies are all affected" - Mr. Sy recounted.
Many students in remote villages have to walk for hours to get to class. Therefore, the boarding model is considered a "lifesaver" to keep them going to school. However, limited living conditions make many families hesitant.
Giang Thi M - an 8th grade student - confided: "It's too crowded in semi-boarding, it's difficult to study in the evening. Many friends have to go home in the middle of the week because they are not used to it.
Such stories are not uncommon in Phong Hai - where each meal and each sleeping place also directly affects students' learning journey.
Tens of billions of VND project completed but cannot be used
After many years of petitions and expectations, in December 2024, the project to build Phong Hai Farm Town Secondary School (phase 1) with a total investment of 32.2 billion VND was implemented.
By the end of 2025, the project including 3 building blocks - including classrooms and semi-boarding areas - will be basically completed. The new spacious buildings, painted brightly, stand out in the school grounds, bringing great hope to teachers and students.
However, the joy is not complete. Due to the lack of investment in phase 2, important items such as multi-purpose buildings, subject classrooms, parking garages, playgrounds, auxiliary systems... are still lacking. This makes it impossible for the entire project to be put into synchronous use.
Secondary school lacks multi-purpose buildings, subject classrooms, yards and auxiliary items, so it cannot be used yet. Every time we pass by here, looking at the newly abandoned school, teachers, students and parents are all regretful" - Mr. Sy confided.
Talking to Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. Do Giang Nam - Director of the Bao Thang Regional Construction Investment Project Management Board - said that from August 2025, the unit has submitted a report to the Lao Cai Provincial People's Committee requesting capital allocation to implement phase 2 of the project, with a total investment of about 27 billion VND.
However, so far, the locality has not received an official response. "Early allocation of capital will help the project be implemented continuously, avoiding waste and degradation of completed works" - Mr. Nam said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Vu Trung Dung - Chairman of Phong Hai Commune People's Committee - emphasized that the need to complete Phong Hai Secondary School is very urgent.
Currently, the number of students is large, while facilities conditions have not been met. If phase 2 continues to be delayed, it will directly affect the quality of teaching and learning. We really hope the province will soon consider and allocate capital for the project to be implemented, in time to serve the second semester of the 2026-2027 school year" - Mr. Dung said.
According to the Chairman of Phong Hai Commune People's Committee, a project worth tens of billions of VND has been completed but cannot be used effectively, which is a concern not only for the school but also for parents and local authorities.
We only hope to have enough conditions for students to study better and live better. If the project is not put into use in time, completed items may degrade over time, incurring repair costs. At the same time, the opportunity to improve learning conditions for students also becomes difficult" - Mr. Vu Trung Dung shared.
