The plan was outlined in instructions issued by the ministry to its subordinate units on Sept. 30.

Under the directive, the General Education Department was tasked with developing and implementing a plan to review and finalize the general education curriculum and textbooks, with the goal of completing a new textbook series for nationwide use beginning in the 2028-2029 academic year.

The department was also assigned to research and propose a legal basis and mechanism under which the copyrights to textbooks compiled under the ministry's direction would be designated as state assets.

The ministry's Project Management Unit will take the lead in receiving, managing and holding the copyrights to the nationwide textbook series, including receiving the transfer of copyrights from Vietnam Education Publishing House to the Ministry of Education and Training.

It will also manage relevant documents, original manuscripts and digital data, as well as register copyrights in accordance with regulations.

The unit has also been tasked with developing mechanisms for managing, utilizing and licensing the copyrights to support the free distribution of textbooks to all students under the prescribed roadmap.

The Ministry of Education and Training has instructed its Planning and Finance Department to study major changes to the compilation, publishing, distribution and supply of textbooks.

The department will review existing distribution and supply arrangements and seek to reduce intermediary stages. It will also study a model under which local authorities could be responsible for printing and distributing textbooks, with the aim of lowering costs and reducing both state budget expenditure and the amount families spend on schoolbooks.

Vietnam Education Publishing House is required to provide free access to electronic versions of textbooks and transfer the copyrights to the textbook series under a plan approved by the education minister.

The publisher will also coordinate efforts to reform textbook distribution and reduce intermediary stages.

The roadmap is being implemented in accordance with conclusions by Prime Minister Le Minh Hung in a notice concerning textbook supply and the review of Vietnam's general education curriculum and textbooks.

Thanh Hung