Implement the “Toilets for Children” program
(Chinhphu.vn) – The “Toilets for Children” program is being implemented in eight provinces and cities — Hung Yen, Nam Dinh, Thai Binh, Ha Tinh, Dak Lak, Khanh Hoa, Dong Nai, and Kien Giang — with 50 toilets to be equipped with advanced wastewater treatment technology, applied for the first time in Vietnam.
On the afternoon of April 26, the Central Committee of the Vietnam National Union of Students and KN Holdings Group Joint Stock Company held a signing ceremony to implement the “Toilets for Children” program in 2023.
The program aims to promote the role of the Youth Union and the Student Association in caring for and supporting communities, spreading compassion and kindness throughout society, and joining hands to provide facilities and resources that help improve teaching and learning conditions for students — especially those in disadvantaged areas.
In 2023, the two parties continued to implement the “Toilets for Children” program in eight provinces and cities — Hung Yen, Nam Dinh, Thai Binh, Ha Tinh, Dak Lak, Khanh Hoa, Dong Nai, and Kien Giang — with a total of 50 toilets, at a combined value of nearly 18 billion VND.
Applying advanced wastewater treatment technology, introduced for the first time in Vietnam.
Nguyen Minh Triet, Secretary of the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union and President of the Vietnam National Union of Students, stated that the program is an important component in fulfilling the target of “100% of schools having toilets for students, of which 50% meet the required number of toilets and 80% meet hygiene standards”, as approved by the Prime Minister under the School Health Program for the 2021–2025 period.
The “Toilets for Children” program not only plays an important role in healthcare efforts and in creating a friendly learning environment that helps students study with peace of mind, but also contributes to educating and raising students’ awareness and attitudes toward environmental protection, clean water, and personal hygiene. Moreover, it highlights the role of the Youth Union and Student Association in caring for and supporting children.
According to Nguyen Minh Triet, equipping, repairing, and constructing standard-compliant toilets for students is one of the key tasks carried out by the Youth Union, Student Association, and Team to ensure that toilets are no longer seen as secondary facilities, thereby better caring for students.
“Specifically, the Toilets for Children built in 2023 will apply advanced wastewater treatment technology, introduced for the first time in Vietnam,” said the President of the Vietnam National Union of Students. He also emphasized that, based on the contents of the signing agreement, the eight provinces and cities receiving the program should implement it as soon as possible, especially during the 2023 Summer Volunteer Youth Campaign, so that students can use the new toilets at the beginning of the 2023–2024 school year.
33% of student toilets need upgrading or reconstruction.
According to statistics from the Ministry of Education and Training, there are currently 188,000 student toilets nationwide across all education levels, of which 67% are solidly constructed, while the remaining 33% require investment and support for upgrading or reconstruction.
However, in many localities — particularly in mountainous areas, remote and isolated regions, and communities of ethnic minorities with difficult socio-economic conditions — schools still lack a significant number of toilets. Therefore, the “Toilets for Children” program has been implemented by the Central Committee of the Vietnam National Union of Students since 2021. To date, resources have been mobilized to implement the construction of 25 school toilets in 11 provinces and cities nationwide.
During the 2022 Summer Volunteer Youth Campaign alone, the provincial and city Youth Unions and Student Associations constructed 428 new school toilets and renovated or upgraded 1,305 school toilets, with total resources valued at over 70 billion VND.
