Ho Chi Minh City Cuts More Than 700 Public Schools and 46.7% of Management Posts After Restructuring

Ho Chi Minh City has reduced its public education network by 702 facilities, a larger cut than initially planned, while nearly half of management positions have been eliminated.

Nguyen Tan Phat, director of the city’s Department of Education and Training, reported the figures at a socioeconomic meeting on Sept. 4. As of Sept. 3, the number of public education facilities had fallen from 2,188 to 1,486, a 32.08% reduction that exceeded the original target of 657 units.

The changes included 268 fewer preschool facilities, 282 fewer primary schools, 137 fewer lower-secondary schools and 15 fewer continuing education and vocational education facilities. At the same time, the number of combined primary and lower-secondary schools rose from 14 to 44, allowing them to share facilities and simplify management.

The restructuring also removed 2,745 management positions, or 46.7%. Among support staff such as accountants, cashiers and clerks, 123 positions became redundant. The city reassigned 70 employees and transferred 53. Another 102 education support workers were affected, with 91 reassigned and 11 still receiving help to find suitable positions.

Administrative work continues for some institutions. By Sept. 3, 1,273 facilities had completed their legal procedures, 1,073 had finalized key leadership appointments, 776 had received new seals and 788 had completed the process of opening accounts with the State Treasury and banks. The city also completed 1,027 new classrooms before the school year, 27 more than planned. Of these, 991 came from 53 completed projects, while two large schools had completed 38 of 91 planned classrooms, with the remaining work expected in December 2026.