Điện Biên, July 28, 2025 – The Europe Today: Party General Secretary Tô Lâm on Sunday reaffirmed the Party’s unwavering commitment to education as a top national priority and a driving force for sustainable development, while attending the groundbreaking ceremony of the Si Pa Phìn Primary and Junior Secondary School in the mountainous northern province of Điện Biên.
Addressing the ceremony, the Party leader emphasized that although the Party and State have paid increasing attention to border areas in recent years, challenges remain — particularly a shortage of schools, including inter-level boarding institutions in border communes, which continue to hinder learning conditions for students.
The Si Pa Phìn School is the first initiative under a new Politburo policy to construct 248 boarding primary and junior secondary schools in border areas across the country. This policy, Lâm noted, carries significant humanitarian and strategic value, aimed at improving education, promoting cultural preservation, and strengthening national defence and territorial integrity.
Located in a province with a particularly strategic border position and home to 19 ethnic groups, the new school will serve over 1,000 students — most of whom belong to ethnic minorities — and will be equipped with 31 classrooms, dormitories, a multi-purpose hall, library, sports facilities, and a swimming pool.
The VNĐ220 billion (US$8.4 million) project is funded by financial support from Hanoi and other legal contributions, with the provincial Department of Education and Training serving as the main investor.
“This is not just a school — it is a project of the people’s hearts,” said General Secretary Lâm. “For the future of our children, it must not be delayed.” He called on the provincial Party Committee, People’s Committee, and authorities in Si Pa Phìn Commune to treat the project as a top political priority, ensuring timely construction, capital disbursement, and readiness for future teaching needs.
He urged all construction and supervision units to work with dedication and a deep sense of responsibility, treating the project as a space entrusted with the hopes and dreams of the local community. Strict attention must be given to construction quality, worker safety, and aesthetics, making the school a model for border regions.
Lâm also underscored the importance of encouraging regular school attendance, particularly among children in ethnic minority areas. He stressed that literacy education must be coupled with moral education and love for the homeland.
He called for urgent efforts to develop mechanisms for a green, clean, friendly, and comprehensive educational environment, and to ensure a capable and committed teaching staff in border areas. With the unified determination of the political system, the support of local people, and the dedication of teachers, he expressed confidence that all 248 planned schools would be successfully completed, providing children in remote mountainous areas with opportunities for a brighter future.
At the ceremony, Secretary of the Điện Biên Provincial Party Committee Trần Quốc Cường highlighted the province’s progress in socio-economic development, national defence, and education, thanks to the support and guidance of the Party Central Committee, National Assembly, and Government.
He affirmed that Điện Biên would work closely with relevant agencies to implement the project on time, to a high standard, and with safety as a priority. The province will also ensure a strong teaching and management team to make the school a place where knowledge and aspirations of future generations — especially those from ethnic minority communities — are nurtured and fulfilled.
