On April 1, the Ministry of Education and Training announced a draft decree stipulating the provision of free textbooks for general education and outlining a roadmap for waiving tuition and course materials for National Defense and Security Education at higher education institutions and vocational training centers, inviting public feedback.
Accordingly, the draft decree stipulates the provision of free textbooks for general education students and learners at institutions implementing the general education program or the continuing education program at the high school level.
The policy will be implemented under a shared-library model. The State will invest in purchasing textbooks, including both printed editions and Braille versions, to stock the libraries of educational institutions. Students and teachers may borrow these textbooks for use during the school year or semester and are required to return them at the end of the usage period for continued management and reuse.
The list of textbooks eligible for free use will be based on the national textbook set, with the selection decided by the Minister of Education and Training for uniform application across the country.
The provision of free textbooks will be implemented nationwide starting from the 2029–2030 school year. Localities with the budgetary capacity are encouraged to implement the policy earlier, giving priority to border areas, islands, ethnic minority regions, mountainous areas, and localities facing particularly difficult socio-economic conditions.
Free tuition and course materials for national defense and security education
The draft decree also stipulates that the State will provide textbooks for national defense and security education free of charge to learners at higher education and vocational training institutions through a borrow-and-return system via libraries.
The nationwide provision of free textbooks is scheduled to begin in the 2027–2028 academic year.
In addition, learners will not be required to pay tuition for national defense and security education courses included in the mandatory curriculum, with the State budget directly compensating educational institutions for the waived tuition. This tuition exemption will be implemented from the 2027–2028 academic year, following the issuance of economic-technical norms in the 2026–2027 academic year. Learners who need to retake the course will not be eligible for the tuition exemption.
Strict prohibition of unauthorized fee collection
According to the draft decree, the funding for implementing the policies will be provided by the State budget in accordance with the current decentralization framework. At the same time, the mobilization of lawful resources from domestic and international organizations and individuals to support educational institutions is encouraged.
The management, procurement, allocation, use, and circulation of textbooks and course materials must be conducted openly and transparently, with strengthened accountability and oversight. Textbooks and course materials purchased with State funds are public assets and must be managed and used in accordance with the law. Accordingly, actions such as unauthorized fee collection, supplying books not on the approved list, falsifying records, or causing loss of public assets are strictly prohibited and subject to legal sanction.
Implementation will prioritize maximizing the use of existing textbooks, enhancing circulation among educational institutions through interconnected library systems to improve budget efficiency and minimize waste.
