Although they manage to open increasing numbers of classrooms at the beginning of each academic year, HCM City authorities are unable to meet rising demand, leading to a chronic shortage of facilities as well as greater pressure on existing ones.

Students attending a meeting at a school in HCM City

This will lead to a cramming of students into existing classrooms, Le Hong Son, head of the municipal education department, said at a conference held yesterday to review the 2012-13 school year.

In Hoc Mon District, for example, the number of students in each classroom for the upcoming school year cannot be reduced from 46, which is much higher than the ideal number.

The district's education department has said it will not be able to open boarding facilities planned for the upcoming school year.

Currently, the district has 70 schools at all levels. Eleven new ones are being built, but progress is slow because of a shortage of funds for land clearance compensation.

The number of students in the district surges by between 2,000-6,000 every year, according to district officials.

At the conference, representatives of schools and district administrations urged the municipal authority to speed up investment in facilities.

Last year, the municipal education department allocated VND1.5 trillion (US$71.4 million) for building new classrooms, nurse stations, medical room, gyms, and facilities for people with disabilities.

School libraries were provided with new equipment, Son said.

All schools in the city have been equipped with computers and Internet connections in order to facilitate teachers and students to apply IT in teaching and learning, he said.