23 million Vietnamese students begin new school year

In Hanoi, many streets were busy from 6:30 a.m. as around 2.3 million students traveled to school for the opening ceremony.

At the gates of the Yen Nghia Primary School in Ha Dong District, Trinh Minh Khang, a 4th grader, said he rode a bicycle to school from home from 6 a.m.

"I did not sleep well last night. I woke up once in a while over excitement," he said, adding that he and his schoolmates have been practicing for an art performance for the school for an entire week. Khang said he also prepared his school items like books and notebooks himself.

Hanoi has the highest number of students and schools throughout Vietnam.

Tran The Cuong, director of the city's Department of Education and Training, said it is dealing with teacher shortages. With 123,000 teachers available however, Hanoi is still able to meet the education demands of the current curriculum.

In HCMC, over 1.7 million students and kindergarteners go to school this year, an increase of 35,000 compared to last year.

Students at Bui Thi Xuan High School in HCMC dance during the ceremony to begin the new school year, September 5, 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Le Nguyen

At the Bui Thi Xuan High School in District 1, the school opening ceremony saw the appearance of two celebrity rappers: Ricky Star and Freaky. Principal Huynh Thanh Phu said inviting young artists to the school is also a way to encourage students to utilize their talents and express themselves.

"The school wishes for students to enjoy the ceremony as if it was a festival for them," Phu said.

Minh Thu, a 10th grader, said she was impressed with the ceremony.

"We got to celebrate in the best way," she said, adding that she wished for three beautiful years under the school.

In the central province of Quang Nam, many students climbed mountains while others had to cross a river on a raft to get to school on the opening day.

Tra Thi Thu, a teacher in Quang Nam in central Vietnam, wears a yellow ao dai as she leads her students up a hill to their school for the opening ceremony, September 5, 2023. Photo by Tra Thi Thu

"The students and the school encounter many difficulties, especially during flood seasons, when there are strong river flows," said Nguyen Van Hoi, a teacher in Quang Nam.

In the southernmost province of Ca Mau, dozens of children from coastal areas went to school by boat on Tuesday.

Nguyen Thi Hang, 37, said her whole family got up early to prepare for her two children, a fourth grader and a ninth grader, to go to school on time. It took her nearly 50 minutes driving the boat to their schools.

"Hope they will have a school year full of joy," Hang said.

Nguyen Thi Hang drivers a boat to bring their two children to school in Ca Mau Province, September 5, 2023. Photo by Chuc Ly

Vietnam’s education sector currently lacks over 118,000 teachers. 40,000 of them have quit over the past three years, while their incomes are considered too low for their workload.