263 Billion VND Boarding School with Modern Facilities Opens in Vietnam's Border Area

A state-of-the-art boarding school, the Pa Tan Primary and Secondary School for Ethnic Minorities, has officially opened its doors on August 16 in Pa Tan village, Lai Châu Province, located in Vietnam's northern border region. The project, spearheaded by the Lai Châu Provincial Police, boasts a total investment of over 263 billion VND (approximately $10.3 million USD). Spanning 7.47 hectares, the school is designed to accommodate around 1,000 students across 30 classrooms. Construction commenced in August 2025. Starting from the 2026-2027 academic year, the facility will serve approximately 1,050 students from various ethnic groups, including Mang, Mong, Ha Nhi, and Thai, who reside in the border area. The comprehensive campus includes a two-story administrative building, modern classrooms, dormitories, a dining hall, and a gymnasium. Notably, the school features a swimming pool and pickleball courts, facilities aimed at enhancing students' physical fitness and recreational activities. This development is part of a broader national initiative to establish 248 boarding schools in border areas, a policy approved by the Politburo in July 2025. The initiative aims to improve educational standards, cultivate human resources, create a local cadre of officials, and enhance the material and spiritual well-being of border communities, thereby strengthening national defense and security. A cultural house, designed in the traditional stilt-house architecture of the Thai ethnic group, will serve as a communal gathering space and foster student interaction. The campus also includes green spaces with a monument to President Ho Chi Minh, an experimental garden, and specialized functional rooms such as a biology laboratory and a computer room equipped with modern technology. A spacious auditorium is available for meetings and cultural events. The student dormitories consist of four buildings, with each room designed for six students and equipped with private bathrooms. Between the dormitory blocks, students have access to courts for volleyball, badminton, and pickleball, as well as sports training equipment. Information source: VnExpress