On 11/3, Nguyen Van Phong, Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training, announced that this year, the city expects over 197,500 children to enter first grade and 185,700 students to enter sixth grade. These figures represent a decrease of approximately 6,100 and 2,200 students respectively compared to last year.

School placement will be flexible, based on three factors: the local and adjacent areas' school network, the number of age-appropriate children, and actual distance from home.

The city utilizes a geographic information system (GIS) to determine the distance from a student's home to school, facilitating education close to home for students.

TP HCM implemented this approach in 2024, and it is now extended to the former Binh Duong and Ba Ria - Vung Tau areas. Previously, these two regions relied on administrative boundaries for initial enrollment zoning.

Phong stated that school placement is solely based on a student's actual residence, according to VNEID data. In cases of relocation or a desire to study elsewhere, parents must provide reasonable proof for the commune or ward to decide.

For adjacent areas or those with disparities in the number of schools and classes across different levels, the Department will lead the allocation of school places, in coordination with the communes and wards. A survey revealed that many areas risk an imbalance in school capacity, such as Long Hai commune with 14 primary schools but only 7 junior high schools, and Binh Hung Hoa ward with 9 primary schools and 3 junior high schools.

Additionally, the Department prioritizes organizing two-session-per-day learning for grades 1, 5, 6, and 9. This involves increasing the number of classes and class sizes to accommodate all students in high-density areas. While this ensures all children in the area have a school place, it will exceed the class size and student-per-school standards set by the Ministry of Education and Training.

Students at Bui Van Moi Primary School, Phuoc Long ward, in 9/2025. Photo: Quynh Tran.

Parents register their children online via the city's enrollment website. There are two groups of students prioritized for enrollment:

The first group includes: children of the correct age for first or sixth grade residing in the area; students who have completed primary education through specific training programs at schools that conducted district-based enrollment in previous academic years.

The second group comprises the remaining cases, with the following order of priority: students who attended kindergarten or primary school in the area or adjacent regions; those whose parent(s) work at agencies or industrial zones within the area; residents of adjacent areas or those who moved from other localities after the registration deadline.

Le Nguyen