Vietnam’s Ca Mau earmarks nearly $7mn for building, repairing over 800 school restrooms

According to the provincial Department of Education and Training, a new plan has been approved to upgrade school sanitation facilities through 2027.

The southernmost province currently has 839 restrooms that need to be built or repaired, including 188 new constructions and 651 renovations.

Each new restroom block is expected to cost VND350 million ($13,300), while repair projects will average VND175 million ($6,630) each, bringing the total estimated investment to nearly VND180 billion.

Funding will come from the state budget and other lawful sources.

The department said many existing restrooms have deteriorated severely, posing risks to health and affecting the psychological comfort of students and teachers.

Some schools also face overcrowding following the merger of smaller campuses, while old facilities are poorly designed and thus fail to meet new planning standards.

Nguyen Minh Luan, vice-chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, has assigned commune-level administrations to manage projects for preschools, elementary, and middle schools, while high schools will handle their own construction.

The provincial Department of Construction will issue standardized design templates and technical guidance to ensure consistency across localities.

In many rural and remote areas, school sanitation facilities remain limited.

For example, Ben Bao Elementary School in Quach Pham Commune has five restrooms, but three are in disrepair.

Thuan Hoa Elementary School in Tan Thuan Commune has 12 restrooms but nine of them are unusable.

Lam Hai Middle School in Dat Moi Commune needs repairs or replacement for six of its eight restrooms.

Ta Thanh Vu, deputy head of the education department, said outdated infrastructure and limited land space, coupled with a surge in student numbers, are the main causes.

“We’re working closely with local authorities to implement the plan effectively and on schedule,” Vu said.

“The goal is to create a clean, green, and friendly school environment where every student feels happy coming to school each day.”

By 2027, Ca Mau aims for all public schools in the province to have standardized, hygienic toilet facilities, eliminating the long-standing problem of students avoiding restrooms owing to poor conditions.