On October 11, 2025, two significant events unfolded in Vietnam, each underscoring the nation’s enduring commitment to youth development and education, particularly in regions where challenges are most acute. From the bustling port city of Hai Phong to the remote borderlands of Nghe An province, leaders, educators, and young people gathered to chart a course for the future—one defined by resilience, innovation, and opportunity.
In Hai Phong, the grassroots Youth Union of Factory X46, under the Navy Logistics - Technical Department, convened its congress for the 2025-2030 term. Senior Lieutenant Colonel Pham Van Tra, Secretary of the Party Committee and Political Commissar of the Factory, presided over the meeting, guiding the proceedings and setting the tone for the next five years. According to HQ Online, the congress was not merely a formality but a clear demonstration of the Youth Union’s dedication to the directives and resolutions of the Party committees. Attendees reflected on how, in recent years, the Union had reimagined its approach—renewing content, forms, and methods of youth work to better align with both political tasks and the practical realities faced by its members.
The results, delegates agreed, were tangible. The quality and effectiveness of youth work at Factory X46 had steadily improved, contributing directly to the Factory’s political mission and the construction of a robust, exemplary Party Committee. The congress’s central theme for the new term—"Moral training, talent cultivation, pioneering, creativity, mastering technical weaponry"—captured the spirit of the moment. The new Executive Committee, elected with high confidence, consists of five members who will lead efforts to educate, nurture, and empower young officers and workers, ensuring they are equipped not only with technical skills but also with a strong sense of responsibility and ethical grounding.
"The Youth Union has implemented strictly the resolutions and directives of the Party committees, focusing on political tasks and practical activities, renewing content, forms, and methods of youth work," HQ Online reported. The congress also saw the election of the Secretary, Deputy Secretary, and the selection of delegates to the Navy Logistics - Technical Department's Youth Work Conference, all chosen with overwhelming support—a testament to the trust placed in this new generation of leaders.
Meanwhile, hundreds of kilometers away in Na Ngoi, a particularly challenging border commune of Nghe An province, another gathering was taking place—one that could change the lives of thousands of children for years to come. General Secretary To Lam, accompanied by a high-level Central delegation, attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the Na Ngoi inter-level boarding school. The event drew an impressive roster of attendees: Politburo members, Central Party secretaries, ministers, and provincial and military leaders all stood together in support of the project. The significance of their presence was not lost on anyone in attendance.
Nghe An, located in Vietnam’s northern central region, is no stranger to adversity. With a strategic position in socio-economic development, defense, and foreign relations, the province boasts a sprawling 419.5 km border with neighboring Laos. Na Ngoi itself is emblematic of the region’s difficulties: a border commune with a 39.8 km boundary, an area of over 341 square kilometers, and a population of 9,536—more than 98% of whom are ethnic minorities such as the Mong, Thai, and Kho Mu. The commune’s remoteness, some 250 km from the provincial center and 37 km from the nearest major highway, makes access a daily challenge.
Currently, Na Ngoi’s four primary and secondary schools serve around 1,900 students, most of them ethnic minority children enduring difficult learning conditions. The new boarding school aims to address these hardships head-on. According to ĐCSVN, the project will establish a modern, closed, and synchronous facility designed to meet the academic, living, and training needs of 1,457 students in this border area. The blueprint includes classrooms, functional rooms, dormitories, a canteen, playgrounds, experiential areas, and zones for production enhancement—creating, in effect, a comprehensive, connected, and safe environment for learning and growth.
General Secretary To Lam’s remarks at the ceremony underscored the broader significance of the project. "Education is a top national policy, a key motivation for sustainable development," he declared, as reported by ĐCSVN. He acknowledged the Party and State’s sustained focus on border areas, even amid ongoing difficulties, and highlighted the essential role of education in uplifting these communities. "We must particularly invest in building inter-level boarding schools so that every child, regardless of ethnicity or location, has the chance to go to school and develop comprehensively," he urged.
The ceremony was rich in symbolism and practical gestures. General Secretary To Lam presented the school with a photo of President Ho Chi Minh gifting red scarves to students—a poignant reminder of the nation’s enduring values. He also distributed warm uniforms to 30 students, representing the 1,903 children enrolled, and provided gifts to 50 households facing hardship. These acts, while modest, carried profound meaning for a community accustomed to doing more with less.
But the General Secretary’s message was also a call to action. He pressed design, construction, consultancy, and supervision units to bring the project to life with the highest standards of quality, safety, and aesthetics, stating, "This is not just a construction project, but a place that embodies the hopes and dreams of borderland communities." Local authorities, he said, must treat the project as a matter of utmost political importance—one that cannot be delayed or executed halfheartedly. He encouraged the people of Na Ngoi to take ownership of the school, to safeguard and nurture it as a vital community asset.
Beyond bricks and mortar, the vision for the school is holistic. The facility is intended to be a "model school"—one where academic learning goes hand in hand with cultural preservation, moral education, and the development of life skills. General Secretary To Lam emphasized the need for a dedicated, long-term teaching staff, for policies that support teachers’ commitment to these remote areas, and for a concerted effort to ensure the school is green, safe, and reflective of local identity.
He concluded with an expression of confidence that, with the collective will of the Party, State, educators, and local communities, the goal of establishing a network of inter-level boarding schools across all 248 border communes could be realized. "With determination and unity, we will build a system where every child in the highlands and remote areas has the opportunity to study and reach for a brighter future," he said. The expectation is that, by the 2026-2027 academic year, students will be learning in their new school—a symbol of hope and progress on the nation’s frontier.
These two events—one in an industrial hub, the other in a remote borderland—reflect a shared conviction running through Vietnamese society: that investing in youth and education is the surest path to a stronger, more equitable future. Whether through technical mastery and innovation or through the nurturing of young minds in the country’s farthest reaches, Vietnam’s leaders and communities are working together to ensure that no one is left behind.
