Kindergartens of thousands of square meters

" HAPPY HOME"

One day in February 2025, walking among the smiling children at the sports festival held at Long Binh Kindergarten, Ms. Kieu My Chi, Deputy Head of the Department of Education and Training of Thu Duc City (HCMC), was moved: "This is the largest public kindergarten in Thu Duc City, with an area of ​​over 12,000 ^m2 and a scale of 700 children. Kindergartens have truly become "happy homes", where children are raised in love, science and safety".

Tan Phong Kindergarten, District 7, spacious, modern, 7,500 m2 wide

PHOTO: THUY HANG

What I am most proud of is that the city's preschooleducation is not only focused on and strongly invested in in terms of facilities and school size, but the program is also innovated in an integrated direction, focusing on developing life skills, creative thinking, and humanity.

Ms. PHAM BAO HANH (Principal of Tan Phong Kindergarten, District 7, HCMC)

Ms. Le Thuy My Chau, Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City, said that in 1975, preschool education in Ho Chi Minh City began to be built from small-scale childcare facilities, mainly serving the children of officials and employees in the context of the newly unified country, with many shortages. The first preschools such as 19/5 City preschool and City preschool were established, marking the beginning of the formal preschool education system.

Ms. Chau added that in the 1980s, along with the country's renovation, preschool education was given more attention, with the expansion of public educational institutions and the participation of non-public institutions, meeting the growing needs of society. By the 1990s, the city had made important strides in standardizing preschool education programs, building a team of professional teachers and upgrading facilities. The number of preschool education institutions increased significantly, from a few hundred to thousands, covering all districts...

Entering the 21st century, the city's preschool education has received new opportunities in the context of international integration. Advanced educational programs have been applied, and national standard preschools have been established one after another. Up to now, the city's preschool education system with 3,252 spacious facilities and heavily invested equipment clearly demonstrates its remarkable development.

In April 2025, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the country's reunification, Ho Chi Minh City inaugurated a series of large, modern public kindergartens across the localities. For example, Son Ca Kindergarten - a national standard school in Ward 6, Tan Binh District (area 6,348.5 m²; scale 1 ground floor, 3 floors with 20 classrooms, functional rooms). Kindergarten 12, District 4, total usable floor area 1,663.2 m²

with a total investment of more than 36 billion VND. Kindergarten 12, Ward 12, District 3, built on an area of ​​836.7 m² with a total investment of more than 28 billion VND. Facility 2 of Vang Anh Kindergarten, Phuoc Kien Commune, Nha Be District, with a total investment of nearly 49 billion VND, and a total floor area of ​​2,900 m²...

CHEAP CONFIDENT, TECHNOLOGY APPLICATION

In the school space filled with red flags and yellow stars preparing for the 50th anniversary of the country's reunification, Ms. Pham Bao Hanh, Principal of Tan Phong Kindergarten, District 7 - a 7,500 m² public school - was moved: "I started working as a kindergarten teacher 30 years ago, and have witnessed many changes and developments in preschool education in the city. What I am most proud of is that preschool education in the city is not only focused on and invested in strongly in terms of facilities and school size, but the program is also innovated in an integrated direction, focusing on developing life skills, creative thinking, and humanity. Along with that is practicing digital transformation, applying technology in teaching and learning, so that the first years of children's lives are developed best".

Ho Chi Minh City preschool children perform at various locations to celebrate 50 years of national reunification.

PHOTO: THUY HANG

Ms. Kieu My Chi believes that the proud mark of the city's preschool education over the past 50 years is not only the investment in facilities but also the care and development of the team of teachers, staff, and managers - those who directly care for, nurture, and educate children every day. They are also the ones who have effectively implemented digital transformation in management, teaching, and database application, to create increasingly confident generations of children. Children participate in many extracurricular activities, sports, learn English, receive STEM education, scientific experiments, and study in smart classrooms...

"I have seen many preschool children give presentations and speak confidently and impressively. I have been surprised many times by the works of art created from colors, clay, and other materials by preschool children. I remember one time I went to a class, the teacher was teaching about the parts of a rabbit, a child suddenly asked: "Teacher, why doesn't the rabbit cry?". The teacher was not confused at all and answered the children in an easy-to-understand and lively way. To do that, I think the teacher read books and worked hard to find out a lot of knowledge around her," said Ms. Kieu My Chi.

According to Ms. Chi, the preschool generation is becoming more confident and more talented day by day. That is the result of a journey in which the preschool education program has been built and developed in an open direction, with children as the center, approaching the open trend and the progress of preschool education in many countries. And preschool teachers in the city are also constantly learning and upgrading themselves to meet increasingly high job requirements.

Preschool children study and live in spacious facilities with strong investment in equipment to have conditions for comprehensive development.

Photo: Thuy Hang

Ms. Le Thuy My Chau affirmed that in the present and future, the city's preschool education will continue to pioneer in applying technology, innovating teaching methods and building a comprehensive educational ecosystem. All of this is to ensure the goal of improving the quality of nurturing, caring for and educating children to be healthy, intelligent, compassionate and responsible to the community; building a safe, friendly and modern learning environment.

Interest in independent preschools

Ms. Le Thuy My Chau said that out of more than 3,200 preschools across the city, there are 2,024 independent preschools, of which 1,590 are in urban areas and industrial parks, equivalent to a ratio of 3/4.

Ho Chi Minh City currently has 309,000 children of preschool age; the number in urban areas and export processing zones alone is 209,000 children, accounting for 2/3. The city always determines to do a good job of managing public and non-public preschools, doing a good job of thoroughly disseminating and synchronously implementing documents of the Ministry of Education and Training and the Government, ensuring policy benefits for teachers and staff, and protecting children's rights.

With 5,200 preschool teachers not meeting standards, the Department has coordinated with Saigon University to train and improve the standards of the teaching staff. The Department of Education and Training continues to propose to remove difficulties, so that there are more teachers, independent preschools can benefit from Resolution 27/2021/NQ-HDND on policies for developing preschool education in areas with industrial parks in Ho Chi Minh City.

Mr. Luong Trong Binh, Deputy Head of the Department of Education and Training of District 3, said that currently in districts, towns, and Thu Duc City of Ho Chi Minh City, there is a very good model, which is to have a team of instructors (including managers, principals and vice principals of public kindergartens, excellent teachers, preschool experts, etc.) to guide independent classes in their locality, in many aspects, from professional work, training materials, training organization, operation, facilities, etc. From there, independent preschools have more stability, improving the quality of children's education.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nhung-truong-mam-non-hang-ngan-met-vuong-185250420184654068.htm