LookAtVietnam – A VND500 billion (US$26.3 million) plan to replace and upgrade temporary classrooms in the capital is lagging behind schedule.

A VND500bil plan to replace and upgrade temporary classrooms in the capital is lagging behind schedule.

However, only 168 of 251 projects were currently under construction.

“Upgrading 1,514 classrooms shouldn’t be such a large task, but only 62 per cent of the city’s budget has been allocated for the plan,” Tu said.

Nguyen Huu Do, director of the municipal Department of Education and Training, said the implementation of the project had been delayed due to complicated procedures during land clearance and area enlargement. Some districts had also postponed their funding of 20 per cent, while the State had already given the allotted 80 per cent.

For example, Thach That, Thanh Oai, Dan Phuong and Chuong My districts had failed to follow their rates of progress, Do said.

Many districts had not yet created specific schemes and had failed to invest properly and comprehensively. Some had only focused on classrooms, ignoring other things like school gates and fences, he said.

A representative of Dan Phuong District People’s Committee, Nguyen The Khoi, said that it was not an easy task as temporary classrooms were scattered across the district and procedures took time.

According to Tu, the project’s total capital can reach up to VND800 billion ($42.1 million), as more 4,000 classrooms need to be upgraded by 2010.

Nguyen Van Quy, a representative from Gia Lam District People’s Committee, which has implemented the project successfully, said that a specific annual plan on education quality and infrastructure improvement, with regular reports and consultancy from authorities, was essential during the process.

Tu said that the education department would work with authorities in localities to re-examine the situation and ask for help from the districts in overcoming difficulties and achieving goals.

Municipal People’s Committee vice chairwoman Ngo Thi Thanh Hang said that the committee would use leftover money from other districts to help those lagging behind in their projects.

She said that districts would ultimately be responsible for the implementation of their projects.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News