The municipal Department of Education and Training announced the implementation plan on August 21, covering all students and learners at public and private educational institutions offering programs issued by the Ministry of Education and Training. The policy applies to students in the general education system, continuing education programs at lower and upper secondary levels, and literacy programs across the city.
Under the rollout plan, students will borrow textbooks free of charge from school libraries according to their actual needs in the 2026-2027 school year. Schools will then review borrowing demand, assess existing textbook stocks, and forecast additional requirements during the 2027-2028 and 2028-2029 school years to provide free textbooks to all students.
Schools have been instructed to maintain accurate enrollment figures and forecast changes in student numbers for the following academic year. Based on enrollment and existing library stocks, they must prepare lists of textbooks requiring new purchases or additional supplies.
Schools must submit annual textbook requirements to the education department or commune-level authorities, depending on their administrative oversight, for consolidation and submission to the municipal People's Committee by October 30.
Private schools will calculate funding needs based on actual enrollment, textbook demand, and prevailing textbook prices when preparing budget estimates. Public schools under ministries, ministerial-level agencies, research institutes, and universities will similarly prepare funding estimates based on enrollment and textbook prices and submit them to their supervisory budget authorities.
Under the policy, schools will lend textbooks through their libraries at the beginning of each academic year or semester. Distribution must be completed no later than 15 days before the start of the school year.
Students must return borrowed textbooks within 15 working days after the end of the academic year or when transferring schools or leaving school. Exceptions apply to students who need to retain textbooks for review, make-up examinations, or completion of their study programs in accordance with regulations.
Schools must establish library rules and annual inventory councils to assess textbook wear and classify books for reuse, replacement or disposal. They are also required to establish procedures for recovering or compensating for lost or damaged books, whether in kind or cash, in line with regulations. Textbook inventories must be publicly disclosed to allow students and parents to monitor implementation.
The Education Publishing House in Ho Chi Minh City, a subsidiary of Vietnam Education Publishing House, will be responsible for supplying textbooks to centrally administered provinces and cities in Southern Vietnam during the 2026-2027 school year.
Authorities have also identified four prohibited practices. Schools may not charge unauthorized fees related to textbook use, including deposits or improper preservation and library service charges. They may not supply textbooks outside approved lists, below required technical standards, or distribute pirated or counterfeit copies.
Fabricating enrollment figures or records of damaged or missing books to misappropriate State funds or improperly dispose of public assets is also prohibited. Schools are likewise barred from negligent management, storage, or use of textbooks that results in losses, waste, or damage to public property.
