Why Vietnam chose a single nationwide textbook series for schools

Vietnam will adopt a single nationwide textbook series, “Ket noi tri thuc voi cuoc song” (Connecting knowledge with life), starting from the 2026-2027 academic year, as part of a broader education reform strategy aimed at standardizing teaching materials and eventually providing free textbooks to all students by 2030.

Pham Ngoc Thuong, permanent Deputy Minister of Ministry of Education and Training, said the policy follows Resolution No. 71-NQ/TW issued by the Politburo in August 2025 and Resolution No. 281/NQ-CP issued by the Government to implement the education reform agenda.

Both resolutions set the goal of establishing a unified national textbook system while moving toward free textbooks nationwide by 2030.

“One curriculum, multiple textbooks” model to end

The decision marks a shift away from Vietnam’s earlier “one curriculum, multiple textbooks” policy introduced under Resolution 29-NQ/TW, which allowed different publishers to develop competing textbook series based on the same national curriculum.

Currently, Vietnam uses three main textbook series under that socialized model: “Canh Dieu” (Kite), “Chan Troi Sang Tao” (Creative Horizons), and “Ket noi tri thuc voi cuoc song.”

However, under Resolution 281, the country must transition to a single textbook set beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, leaving only a few months for implementation.

According to Thuong, creating an entirely new textbook series was considered impractical because the process would require two to three years and a large number of authors and experts.

Authorities instead evaluated whether to combine elements from the three existing series or select one as the unified national standard.

The Ministry of Education and Training established a research committee, consulted provincial education departments and experts, and developed selection criteria before deciding to adopt “Ket noi tri thuc voi cuoc song,” published by Vietnam Education Publishing House, a fully state-owned company.

Thuong said the education minister formally approved the textbook series on December 26, 2025.

Adjustments, teacher training and lower prices

To prepare for the rollout, the education ministry has instructed local authorities to implement the unified textbooks and revise content reflecting administrative restructuring as Vietnam transitions from a three-tier to a two-tier local government system (city/provincial and commune levels, with district level removed).

Subjects including history, geography and civics education have already been updated.

The ministry has also directed Vietnam Education Publishing House to complete printing and distribution to ensure schools and teachers receive textbooks at least 20 days before the start of the new academic year.

Most regional distribution centers have already completed warehousing, while textbook prices have reportedly been reduced by an average of 13.3%.

Teacher training is also being streamlined. Rather than organizing large-scale retraining programs, the ministry said it would focus only on issues teachers identify as unclear or difficult in order to reduce unnecessary costs and time.

Textbooks not viewed as the sole source of knowledge

Thuong emphasized that using a single textbook series nationwide does not mean teachers and students are restricted exclusively to those materials. “Textbooks are not laws. They are learning materials,” he said.

Teachers and students may still consult other textbook series and additional sources to enrich lessons, broaden knowledge and support assessments, he added.

The approach aligns with Vietnam’s broader education reform strategy of shifting away from rote knowledge-based teaching toward developing students’ skills, competencies and personal qualities.

Curriculum to remain stable but updated

On broader curriculum reform, Thuong said international practice generally favors maintaining a core education curriculum for 10 to 15 years before major overhauls. However, Vietnam’s education sector will continue annually reviewing and updating content.

The ministry plans to add more topics related to STEM, innovation, digital transformation and artificial intelligence education in schools while strengthening life skills, arts and cultural education without overburdening students.

According to Thuong, the most important goal remains improving teaching methods and assessment systems while helping students develop stronger self-learning abilities.

“When students have strong self-learning capacity, they can adapt to any curriculum and any textbook,” he said.