Principal Vo Thi Minh Phuong of Tran Hung Dao Junior High School in Da Nang City shared that the availability of multiple textbooks for the same subjects allows teachers to expand their teaching materials conveniently and innovatively.
However, as stated by Principal Huynh Thi Thu Nguyet of Le Dinh Chinh Primary School in Da Nang City, the content in those books is not truly complete. Therefore, to use them, teachers have to adjust or add more information and design extra activities.
Literature teacher Nguyen Thi Huong from Quynh Luu 2 Senior High School in Nghe An Province commented that the curriculum development for the literature subject in grades 10, 11, and 12 is total different from the old program so that students can obtain comprehensive growth. Despite the positive of this idea, in reality, as the levels of students in different localities are not the same, teacher have encountered various obstacles in their professional activities.
Another concern comes from the organization of knowledge in the textbook sets. Even though the knowledge gap is insignificant, it is the mismatch in knowledge unit arrangement that makes the establishment of a common test bank a tough mission. Some localities agree to use only one textbook set, while others give freedom to schools to choose their own.
In addition, although the professional training provided to grassroots levels is consistent, the implementation in different schools is not the same. Some decide to have 70 percent of multiple-choice questions and 30 percent of essay-type questions in their test format. Others opt for the 80-20 percent or even 100-percent multiple-choice format.
This leads to the question of whether it is necessary to have multiple textbook sets for the new General Education Program or not. This should be addressed before the introduction of this new program, not at this time.
However, the more worrying problem for the public lies in the retail price of these textbook sets. In the first academic year to apply the new General Education Program (2020-2021), many parents were shocked with the retail price of the textbook pack for grade 1, which doubled its older version. A year later, the packs for grade 2 and 6 were introduced with triple price of their older versions.
In response to the proposal of the Education and Training Ministry, the Finance Ministry delivered a formal dispatch to publishers for the control and cost saving when releasing new textbooks. As a result, the prices dropped by 2.4-9 percent. However, the other packs for the remaining grades also have their prices double or triple those of the older versions.
To explain for such high prices, textbook publishers said that this price depends on firstly the number of released copies and secondly the price calculation mechanism. Formerly, State budget took care of material composing and part of the publishing process. Now that the policy to mobilize social resources comes into effect, these publishers have to cover these expenses, meaning higher retail prices.
To amend the situation, the Ministry of Education and Training suggested entering textbooks into the list of items priced by the State. This was stipulated in the 2023 Price Law, approved by the National Assembly on June 19, 2023 and effective as of July 1, 2024.
Obviously, in the first time introducing multiple textbook sets for the General Education Program, there exist various inadequacies although the quality of these material does witness a rise.
Vice Chairwoman of the NA’s Social Committee Nguyen Thi Kim Thuy stated that it is necessary to stick to this policy of mobilizing social resources for textbook composing and publishing. However, a sensible solution to reasonably price these books and to fight against monopoly in this field in respect of the market rules is needed.
Director Thai Van Thanh of the Education and Training Department of Nghe An Province commented that the 2018 General Education Program honors liberal education to promote individual talents of students and allow greater autonomy to schools in the teaching process.
Since there is only one year to complete the transformation circle, it is advisable that the Education and Training Ministry focus on evaluating the quality of the last three textbook packs for grades 5, 9, and 12, followed by serious reviews and adjustments of newly published textbooks when needed.
He added that certain subjects like Natural Science and Technology do not require textbook composing as the knowledge in these subjects are general, and thus can be used worldwide. It is the Social Science subjects that truly require careful textbook development as well as direction from the Education and Training Ministry to maintain the national identity and revolutionary ethics, traditional values.
Former Director of the HCMC Education and Training Department Nguyen Van Ngai shared that mobilizing social resources in textbook composing and publishing means a fair competition to release the most outstanding learning materials possible. Each locality will then select the most suitable one to use according to its own specific characteristics.
Therefore, it is unnecessary and finance-wasting for the Ministry of Education and Training to compose the fourth set. Instead, this money should be used for more practical purposes like teacher and educational manager training, equip remote areas with sufficient teaching tools.
The Education and Training Ministry should also prepare itself to cope with probable problems arising during this textbook composing and publishing processes. It should conduct evaluations and reviews of these processes to address inadequacies as well.
The composing of textbooks for the new 2018 General Education Program has attracted the participation of a large number of educational experts, scientists, and senior teachers. Since 2020, more than 194 million copies of 381 new textbooks have been approved and published. This is the great effort of the whole educational staff in the country.
(Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son)
