A senior Vietnamese lawmaker has called for a commitment that every student receives a full set of textbooks after shortages disrupted the start of the 2026-27 school year.
The National Assembly Standing Committee discussed public concerns and petitions from August at a meeting on Sept. 21.
Le Thi Nga, chairwoman of the National Assembly's Committee for People's Petitions and Oversight, said voters and the public were concerned about textbook shortages at different school levels in some localities, both before and after the new school year began.
Other education-related concerns included the quality of school meals, policies supporting students, education on culture, ethics and healthy lifestyles, teaching and learning conditions, fees collected at the beginning of the school year and student safety.
Le Thi Nga, chairwoman of the National Assembly's Committee for People's Petitions and Oversight, speaks at the meeting on Sept. 21. Photo: National Assembly Media
The government said that as of Sept. 21, more than 776,000 textbooks were still in short supply, equivalent to about 0.31% of demand. Prime Minister Le Minh Hung ordered the Ministry of Education and Training to resolve the shortage completely by Sept. 25.
Voters were also paying attention to Hanoi's public consultation on proposed adjustments to the Red River urban zoning plan, covering the section between Hong Ha and Me So bridges, as well as changes to the zoning plan for the Hoan Kiem Lake area and its surroundings.
The National Assembly's Committee for People's Petitions and Oversight recommended that the government and prime minister instruct ministries, local authorities and educational institutions to strengthen oversight of school meals, particularly food sources, suppliers, menus and the meals actually served to students.
It also called on the Hanoi People's Committee to fully compile and publicly disclose how residents' feedback on planning for several major city projects is considered and addressed.
Textbook shortage causes financial and emotional costs
Nguyen Thanh Hai, chairwoman of the National Assembly's Committee on Science, Technology and Environment, said the National Assembly's Committee for Culture and Social Affairs had held an explanatory hearing with the education minister over the weekend on issues attracting significant public attention.
The textbook shortage had largely been addressed and the Ministry of Education and Training had identified its causes, Hai said.
Nguyen Thanh Hai, chairwoman of the National Assembly's Committee on Science, Technology and Environment. Photo: National Assembly Media
Official data showed that more than 908,000 textbooks were still unavailable as of 5 p.m. on Sept. 19, equivalent to about 0.37% of nationwide demand of nearly 246 million copies. The shortage had fallen rapidly from more than 2.7 million copies on Sept. 15.
The ministry attributed the problem partly to inaccurate demand forecasts. Plans by several provinces and cities to provide textbooks free of charge also led some parents to wait for schools to supply books rather than purchasing them themselves.
Hai noted that although the shortages were localized, they were concentrated in particular textbook titles and areas.
"Forecasting and compiling demand statistics are entirely management responsibilities, and they can be done early," she said.
The consequences went beyond students being left without books, she added, causing frustration as well as financial and emotional costs for parents.
Hai described the shortage as an unprecedented major disruption and called for measures to prevent it from happening again.
The education minister has pledged that the situation will not recur. However, Hai questioned how many individual students still lacked complete sets of textbooks, noting that overall supply figures could mask disparities, with some students potentially having two sets while others had none.
Deputy Prime Minister Le Tien Chau speaks at the National Assembly Standing Committee meeting. Photo: National Assembly Media
She called for a commitment that 100% of students would have all the textbooks they need, accompanied by oversight from the National Assembly's Committee for Culture and Social Affairs.
Hai also requested detailed figures that National Assembly deputies could report to voters.
The Ministry of Education and Training has acknowledged that responsibility for the localized shortages lies with the ministry, Vietnam Education Publishing House and local authorities. The 2026-27 academic year is also the first in which Vietnam is using a unified set of textbooks nationwide.
Deputy Prime Minister Le Tien Chau said the prime minister's position was that issues directly affecting people's lives must be addressed thoroughly within the government's authority, while responsibility should be clarified where organizations or individuals fail to act promptly.
The prime minister met with the Ministry of Education and Training on Sept. 21 and ordered the shortage to be completely resolved before Sept. 25. He also called for responsibility to be determined and for the problem not to recur in future school years.
"The government and prime minister have instructed the ministry to treat textbooks as essential goods so that appropriate mechanisms can be put in place to ensure timely supply, while also reviewing the pricing structure, improving quality and continuing to reduce textbook prices," Chau said.
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