Hanoi aims to have more than 170 new national-standard schools this year, an increase of 22% from the previous year, according to the municipal Department of Education and Training.

Representatives of new national-standard schools in Hanoi receive certificates from the Department of Education and Training. Photo: The Hanoi Times

A total of 130 new national-standard schools, including 46 kindergartens, 53 elementary schools, 28 secondary schools, and three high schools, were to be built this year under the original proposal from the department.

As of the end of February, local authorities expected the city's overall number of national-standard schools to rise by 40 units to 173 for the year.

In 2022, Hanoi had 142 new national-standard schools certified, more than doubling the target of 70 new national-standard schools established at the start of the year.

Despite challenges, the districts of Ba Vi, Bac Tu Liem, Ha Dong, My Duc, and Me Linh had at least doubled their estimates for the number of new national-standard schools by the beginning of 2022.

Hanoi now has over 1,620 national-standard schools, accounting for 72.3% of all institutions in the city.

The proportion is highest in the secondary sector, where 80% of all schools satisfy national requirements. Kindergarten (71.3%), primary level (67.9%), and high school level (66.1%) follow.

Tran The Cuong, Director of the Hanoi Department of Education and Training, credited the schools for their accomplishments.

"National-standard schools hold an important role in the city’s educational quality," he said at a ceremony that honored the new national-standard schools on March 29.

The director asked local authorities to support and facilitate the schools to renovate and improve their facilities and better serve the students.

"Local authorities need to better implement their plans for the development of the local school network, and hasten the construction of the school projects as approved," he said.

According to the Ministry of Education and Training, national-standard schools are subject to circulars 17, 18, and 19, dated August 22, 2018.

According to the circulars, a school must meet the requirements regarding the number of teachers, teaching qualifications, playing and learning areas per student, teaching and learning qualities, and physical and mental targets that each student must fulfill after a certain time.