Textbook shortages reported in several localities
In Hanoi, Nguyen Van Tuan of Hoang Mai Ward said his child would enter second grade this year. The family had spent the past week searching for textbooks and was still unable to find the Vietnamese Language textbook on August 17, despite checking both online retailers and physical bookstores.
A similar situation was reported in Nghe An Province, where Nguyen Thi Huong of Quynh Mai Ward said she had decided to buy textbooks independently rather than order them through her child's school. After contacting several bookstores, however, she was told the books would not be available until August 24.
Other parents said they had visited numerous bookstores and bought textbooks for individual subjects wherever they could find them. Several bookstores acknowledged that the shortage was partly linked to plans by many localities to provide free textbooks in the coming school year.
Fearing unsold inventory, some retailers had been reluctant to stock large quantities, resulting in localized shortages, they said.
A similar situation was reported in Lam Dong Province. On the morning of August 17, major bookstores in Phu Thuy, Phan Thiet, and Binh Thuan wards were found to have run out of textbooks for most grades. Some still had a few titles in stock, but not enough to make up complete sets, forcing parents to visit multiple stores.
Vo Minh Hai, a resident of Ham Liem Commune, said her two children were preparing to enter second and eighth grades but she had yet to buy complete textbook sets despite visiting numerous bookstores.
She said parents were increasingly anxious as the new school year approached and their children still lacked essential books.
An employee at a bookstore on Tran Hung Dao Street in Phan Thiet Ward said textbook shortages had persisted since mid-July 2026. Upper-secondary textbooks were almost completely out of stock, while only scattered titles remained for primary and lower-secondary students.
At N.H. Bookstore on Tu Van Tu Street in Phan Thiet Ward, around 100 parents came in each day seeking textbooks, but the store had little or no stock to meet demand. Staff were forced to source individual titles from various suppliers to meet part of the demand.
In Ho Chi Minh City, parents flocked to major bookstore chains and school-equipment distributors over the weekend to search for textbooks.
At Nguyen Tri Phuong Bookstore and School Equipment Store in An Dong Ward, textbooks for first and sixth grades were already unavailable.
Major chains such as FAHASA and Phuong Nam had only four or five individual titles remaining for some subjects on August 16. Parents seeking complete sets were forced to visit several stores and piece together the books one by one.
Ha Thi Thu Trang of Phuoc Thang Ward said she had still not managed to buy a complete set of sixth-grade textbooks for her child.
She said she had visited bookstores including Fahasa, Bach Dang, Hoang Cuong, and Nguyen An Ninh, as well as the bookstore operated by Ba Ria-Vung Tau Book and School Equipment JSC. She also tried ordering online but could not find a complete set anywhere.
To ensure her child had the necessary books before the school year began, Trang visited several bookstores, buying available titles wherever she could and ordering the rest online. Some of her online orders were still awaiting delivery.
According to Ms. Le Thi Lan, Deputy Director of Ba Ria-Vung Tau Book and School Equipment JSC, shortages were most acute for first-, sixth-, and 10th-grade textbooks. The company plans to bring in large quantities of books for those three grades over the next two weeks.
Textbooks for other grades are also being replenished, but in smaller quantities, as the number already distributed is roughly in line with student enrollment in the area, Ms. Le Thi Lan said.
The company has so far distributed 8,600 copies printed in 2025 and nearly 3 million newly printed copies for 2026, she added.
Bottlenecks from schools to bookstores
Addressing localized shortages at some retail outlets, Mr. Ngo Van Hoan, Deputy General Director of Vietnam Education Publishing House, said on August 17 that although textbook printing and distribution volumes had increased significantly from a year earlier, some customers had still encountered difficulties buying individual titles at certain stores at particular times.
Several factors were behind the situation, he said.
Demand for additional copies had risen sharply, as many parents had developed the habit of buying a second set for their children to keep at school, reducing the need to carry heavy schoolbags. Others wanted to obtain textbooks early so their children could read ahead of the new academic year.
This caused demand at retail outlets to surge in late July and early August, Mr. Ngo Van Hoan said.
Another factor was a lack of coordination in schools' ordering procedures. Some schools had not placed centralized textbook orders through Vietnam Education Publishing House's distribution network while waiting for details of free-textbook policies. As a result, students did not receive books from their schools and instead had to purchase individual titles themselves, creating confusion among parents and placing additional pressure on the retail network.
In addition, some parents lacked updated information about which textbooks would be used in the 2026-27 academic year. This led some customers to demand refunds after purchasing books because they mistakenly believed the textbooks would no longer be used.
Temporary shortages were also exacerbated by charitable programs run by individuals, organizations, and social groups to donate books to school libraries. Such programs often involve bulk purchases of textbooks from retail outlets, unintentionally depleting stocks at certain stores.
Vietnam Education Publishing House advised parents to prioritize official distribution channels when purchasing textbooks to ensure they obtain the correct books and avoid unnecessary trips.
The publishing house has published a complete list of bookstores within its distribution network on its official website, and parents are encouraged to consult the list to find the nearest outlet.
Parents should also consider reusing textbooks from previous years as part of efforts to promote thrift and reduce waste, Vietnam Education Publishing House said.
Ho Chi Minh City pledges sufficient supply
Speaking to SGGP on the afternoon of August 17, Mr. Nguyen Bao Quoc, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, said the city would ensure an adequate supply of textbooks for students before the new school year begins.
The department has proactively coordinated with publishers and distributors to ensure that all textbooks are supplied fully, on time, and at the regulated prices before the start of the academic year.
The department will also work with Vietnam Education Publishing House to ensure sufficient supplies for schools to purchase textbooks for disadvantaged students and those who need to borrow books, Mr. Nguyen Bao Quoc said.
“The department has instructed schools to carefully review their textbook requirements and ensure there are absolutely no shortages or localized buying frenzies,” Mr. Nguyen Bao Quoc said.
The education sector will also continue programs to equip school libraries with textbooks and provide books to students from disadvantaged backgrounds to ensure that 100 percent of students have the textbooks they need when they return to school, he added.
Vietnam Education Publishing House said it would continue monitoring actual demand in each locality and reallocating supplies as necessary to ensure that every student has a complete set of textbooks before the new school year begins.
Mr. Ngo Van Hoan, Deputy General Director of Vietnam Education Publishing House
