Private sector participation in textbook production: A breakthrough policy in Vietnam

Inviting the private sector to compile and produce textbooks is a breakthrough policy as it abolished the monopoly held by the state, said Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son.

The minister made the remark in response to a petition from voters in the northern province of Hung Yen, submitted before the latest working session of the National Assembly (October 21-November 30, 2024).

The petition suggested that a unified set of textbooks for students of the same educational level nationwide should be considered. Voters expressed concerns that frequent changes to textbooks result in waste, as the books are non-reusable, creating challenges for sellers and citizens who struggle to find textbooks for their children.

Notably, they noted that in the event of natural disasters, students may lose their textbooks, and when organizations or individuals donate textbooks, they may not align with the set students are currently using, making them useless.

A breakthrough policy

In response, Minister Son highlighted that Resolution 88/2014 of the National Assembly calls for private sector participation in the compilation and publication of textbooks, with multiple textbooks available for each subject. This approach provides a range of options for each subject and educational activity.

“The policy represents a breakthrough by abolishing the monopoly in textbook publishing. It creates opportunities for capable individuals and organizations to participate in the compilation and publication of textbooks,” he emphasized.

This policy also fosters competition, motivating authors and publishers to produce high-quality textbooks, he added.

According to the minister, the Politburo issued Conclusion 91/2024, which continues the implementation of Resolution 29/2013 from the 11th Party Central Committee on comprehensive educational reforms.

This resolution is aligned with the goals of industrialization and modernization within a socialist-oriented market economy and Vietnam's international integration.

The conclusion outlines the ongoing mission of improving and effectively implementing the new general education program. A key element of this mission is the development of a unified national general education program, with one or more textbooks for each subject, alongside the socialization of textbook compilation, the minister noted.

In terms of teaching organization at local educational institutions, the minister confirmed that the program is aligned with the 2018 national general education curriculum.

Textbooks are designed to meet the objectives, content, and quality standards set by the curriculum, specifying the qualities and competencies students should develop while guiding teaching methods, assessment approaches, and educational quality evaluations.

Successful textbook socialization

Minister Son also pointed out that the 2018 general education curriculum is now being implemented up to grade 5 in primary education, grade 9 in secondary education, and grade 12 in high school.

The socialization of textbook compilation has been successful, with 3-9 textbook sets available for each subject and educational activity. Teachers and students now have the flexibility to choose textbooks that best suit the socio-economic conditions of their locality and the specific teaching and learning capabilities of their educational institutions, he said.

“The implementation of the 2018 general education program and textbooks is now in its fifth year. Localities and educational institutions have expressed appreciation for the program, and its implementation is gradually stabilizing with an improvement in quality,” the minister added.

He further noted that the Ministry of Education and Training is currently assessing the textbook compilation process, focusing on the socialization of textbook compilation. Based on this assessment, the ministry plans to report to the Government and National Assembly on the necessity of issuing a unified and standardized set of textbooks nationwide.