VietNamNet Bridge – Concerned individuals and organisations are offering their comments on a draft of 45 criteria for evaluating the quality of English textbooks for primary to high school education nationwide.

A teacher instructs his students at an English class in HCM City's Vo Truong Toan Primary Student. — Photo nld.com.vn

The draft was issued by the Ministry of Education and Training on Monday.

The contributed ideas are expected to help education managers perfect the criteria and select the best qualified English textbooks for use in schools across the country.

The evaluation set of 45 criteria was divided into four groups. The first group assesses whether the English textbook is compatible with the needs of teachers and students. The second evaluates whether the textbook is logically and effectively organised. The third rates the textbook's contents, judging whether it is up-to-date and interesting. The last determines whether the textbook supports learners, for example, by examining how the supplementary materials for learners' use are relevant to the textbook's content.

Le Thi Bich, who has taught English for more than 10 years in Ha Noi, lauded the move.

Bich suggested that English textbooks for primary students should focus on teaching them to pronounce words correctly.

"Because it's easier for a primary student to learn how to correctly pronounce words than for a secondary student," she said.

The current sixth-grade textbook on English grammar was thought to be too easy for the students, she said.

Therefore, Bich said, she expected the new textbook would be more suitable.

Concerned individuals can access the ministry's official website www.moet.gov.vn to download and evaluate the draft.

VNS