In its yesterday working session, the NA Standing Committee was considering implementation of the National Assembly’s resolution 88 on new textbooks. According to the new resolution, the National Assembly decided to call for social contribution for textbook compilation for each subject.
Moreover, the Ministry of Education and Training was assigned to write new textbooks for implementation of new curriculum.
Speaking at the session, Education Minister Phung Xuan Nha said that the Ministry will make a bid in textbook compilation using the World Bank’s official development assistance loan of US$16 million. The Ministry leader said that bidding was sped up at the end of 2018 to select editors but for different reason, it has not completed selection.
Minister Nha explained because all editors have been working on a contract with publishing houses to write textbooks for first grader and they nearly finished design of textbooks for second and sixth graders. Therefore, they are not eligible to sign contract with the Ministry upon textbook compilation for first to twelve graders.
Nevertheless, publishing houses were quick to finish design of textbooks for second and sixth graders for evaluation in 2020 as well as continue to work on textbooks of other grades for evaluation in following years. As a result, the Ministry will have new textbooks for the new curriculum.
From other aspect, without standard textbooks issued by the Ministry, it may be a facilitation for social contribution to textbook compilation promoting conditions of fair competition between publishing houses.
The Ministry will work with state related agencies to have plan to properly use the amount of US$16 million which was allocated to write textbooks.
The National Assembly (NA) Committee for Culture, Education, Youth, Adolescents and Children agreed not to use the country’s state budget on textbook compilation.
The Chairwoman of the National Assembly of Vietnam and some members of Standing Committee of the National Assembly also supported the government’s opinion not to spend the state budget on textbook compilation; furthermore, they put an emphasis on reduction of textbook price to help residents in disadvantaged regions in pursuit of education.
