However, none of the recently introduced first grade textbook is from this ministry.

Explaining this situation, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Thanh – Deputy Director General of the Secondary Education Department cum Director of the project ‘Supporting the New Education Curriculum’ – shared that the investment for the new general education curriculum in Vietnam is around VND1,800 billion (approx. $80 million), $77 million of which comes from ODA loan.

As planned, around $16 million is used for textbook writing of MOET although Resolution No.88/2014/QH13 clearly states the policy to socialize textbook preparing.

The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) at first announced to hire qualified editors and writers for a new textbook collection for all graded. Yet, there were not enough candidates to finish this goal.

Meanwhile, other publishers are better prepared and have already completed their own textbooks for evaluation.

Therefore, MOET proposed that the Prime Minister not use the loaned budget for this task anymore.

Mr. Thanh also mentioned that this 16-million-dollar amount was also planned to write bilingual textbooks for ethnic minorities and Braille ones for the blind.

However, with this pleasant turn, MOET is able to save a large sum of money for other necessary activities such as teacher and educational manager training for more than 1 million people, support for remote poor areas.

With the consensus of WB, MOET is now reallocating this amount, firstly to buy new textbooks for first graders, second graders, and sixth graders in poor areas.

Mr. Thanh said that all uses of this sum must be approved and monitored by WB and agree with all regulations issued by the Ministry of Finance as well as the state audit system. SGGP

Thanh Tam

Monopoly in textbook publishing still exists in Vietnam

Twenty-four out of 32 textbooks chosen by the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) belong to the Education Publishing House.

New textbooks for grade 1 students approved

The Ministry of Education and Training has published 32 textbooks for first graders under the new general education curriculum issued in 2018. These textbooks will be used from the 2020 -2021 school year.