This is a large-scale, strategic revision aimed at completing the legal framework for the development of the national education system in a new phase.

Providing more information on textbook selection, Dao Hong Cuong, deputy head of the Legal Affairs Department, said the Minister of Education and Training has issued a decision approving a unified textbook set for use nationwide.

The textbook series “Ket Noi Tri Thuc Voi Cuoc Song” (Connecting knowledge with life) published by Vietnam Education Publishing House has been selected. 

“The textbook selection process was carried out in full compliance with regulations,” Cuong said, adding that the selection has been publicly announced on the ministry’s website.

Regarding free textbooks, he said this policy is stipulated in the Politburo’s Resolution 71 and in the law, which assigns the Government to regulate the provision of free textbooks.

He noted that on December 31, 2025, the Prime Minister issued a decision on the list of laws and resolutions passed at the 10th session, assigning agencies to draft detailed implementing documents. Among these, the Ministry of Education and Training is tasked with drafting several decrees, including one on free textbooks. The ministry is expected to submit this decree to the Government for issuance in April 2026.

Three reasons have been cited by MOET for its decision to choose ‘Ket Noi Tri Thuc Voi Cuoc Song’.

According to MOET, the ‘Ket Noi Tri Thuc Voi Cuoc Song’ set covers the largest number of subjects and educational activities across all three education levels - primary, secondary and high school as prescribed in the 2018 General Education Program.

In terms of stability, “Ket Noi Tri Thuc Voi Cuoc Song” is the most widely chosen among existing textbook sets; continuing its use will have minimal impact on schools, teachers and students.

In terms of supply, the set is published by Vietnam Education Publishing House, a 100 percent state-owned enterprise with sufficient technical capacity, warehousing and distribution systems to ensure textbook delivery to remote, mountainous and island areas.

The value of other textbook sets

MOET said that it does not deny the pedagogical and practical value of the other textbook sets that were compiled, appraised, and approved previously (such as “Canh Dieu” (Kite), “Chan Troi Sang Tao” (Creative Horizon). These are all intellectual products built and approved according to the correct processes and regulations, fully meeting the requirements of the 2018 General Program issued by MOET.

According to the Ministry, in the transition period, these book sets are not discarded, but transferred from the role of official textbooks to important reference materials and supplementary learning materials. Therefore, schools and libraries can continue to store and use them for teachers and students to reference, compare, contrast, and enrich teaching content and lectures.

It stressed that the unified use of one textbook set does not mean imposing teaching methods. The 2018 General Education Program is an open program, in which textbooks are only specific materials for the required achievements, not a rigid template for teaching activities.

The ministry will continue to direct teachers to promote initiative and creativity in teaching, selecting methods, formats and learning materials appropriate to students and school conditions. 

MOET identified teacher training and ensuring adequate implementation conditions as key factors determining the effectiveness of using a unified nationwide textbook set.

The transition will only succeed when teachers are fully equipped with professional knowledge, methods and learning materials. 

At the same time, MOET will ensure sufficient textbook supply so teachers and students can access and use them conveniently from the beginning of the school year.

To effectively implement the policy of using a unified nationwide textbook set from the 2026–2027 school year, MOET has identified three key task groups and solutions.

First, ensuring textbook quality and teachers’ implementation capacity. Second, organizing textbook publishing in a cost-effective and efficient manner; gradually shifting from supporting textbook purchases to providing direct support for students, with the goal of offering free textbooks by 2030. 

Third, MOET will digitize the entire unified textbook set and build an accompanying shared digital learning ecosystem with convenient and free access for teachers, students and the public, contributing to improved teaching quality and promoting digital transformation in general education.

Thuy Nga