VietNamNet Bridge - The HCM City Education and Training Department has changed its mind again about the English textbooks to be used for primary school.

The department has sent Dispatch 154 to primary schools in HCM City, requesting to use Family and Friends Special Edition as the official set of textbooks for teaching English at primary schools from the 2016-2017 term. 

The set of textbooks is compiled by the HCM City Education and Training Department in cooperation with Oxford University Publishing House and the Vietnam Education Publishing House. It is designed in a way to integrate Vietnamese culture and the English teaching curriculum in accordance with international standards.

The HCM City education department once asked primary schools to change textbooks of English when the 2015-2016 academic year began. 

The department has sent Dispatch 154 to primary schools in HCM City, requesting to use Family and Friends Special Edition as the official set of textbooks for teaching English at primary schools from the 2016-2017 term.

Instead of Family and Friends complied by the Oxford University Publishing House used since 2011-2012, students were asked to use Family and Friends Special Edition.

Following the successes in using Family and Friends Special Edition for first, second and third graders, the textbooks for fourth and fifth graders will also be put into use in the 2016-2017 academic year.

The education department emphasized that Family and Friends Special Edition will be used in teaching English under all three existing programs – intensive English learning; national English teaching program; and learning English as an optional subject.

A teacher commented that it is unreasonable to use the same textbooks for different English teaching programs which target different purposes. While students following intensive English learning have eight English periods a week, the students following the other two programs only have four periods a week.

Two dispatches on textbook change within 1 month

The Dispatch 154 discusses the use of Family and Friends Special Edition as the official document for English teaching at all primary schools in HCM City was dated on May 19.

Meanwhile, parents have found that just two months before, on March 18, the HCM City Education and Training Department released Dispatch 719 allowing schools to use i-Learn Smart Star in Engllish teaching. 

One month later, on April 15, the department released the Dispatch 99 on the workshop to introduce and train teachers with methods and skills in teaching English to primary school students.

The workshop was held by the department in cooperation with Dai Truong Phat Company. At the workshop, teachers were once again introduced about i-Learn Smart Start and most of them bought the textbooks.

“What will we do if we have bought i-Learn Smart Start and attended the training course on teaching English in accordance with the document?” a teacher said.

“The changing requirements have puzzled us,” she said.


NLD