Is it necessary to spend 400 billion for the Ministry of Education to make textbooks?

Delegate Nguyen Thi Kim Thuy said spending 400 billion to have the Ministry of Education create a set of textbooks is both wasteful and legally inappropriate, and suggested assessing the impact before deciding on this.

At the group discussion session at the National Assembly on the afternoon of October 24, Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Thuy, National Assembly delegate of Da Nang, Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly's Social Committee, expressed concerns about the scientific, legal and practical basis of the research proposal to assign the Ministry of Education and Training to create a set of textbooks. This proposal was stated in the report of the National Assembly's Supervisory Delegation on the innovation of programs and textbooks in general education in August.

Ms. Thuy cited a later document from the National Assembly Office requesting the Ministry of Education and Training to provide information on countries' policies on textbooks, the percentage of countries in Europe and Southeast Asia where the state does not preside over the compilation of textbooks, or the number of countries where textbooks are entirely compiled by the private sector.

"I don't understand why the Supervisory Board can make such an important conclusion about textbooks when it has not and has not researched textbook policies of other countries," Ms. Thuy questioned.

In addition, Resolution 88 of 2014 of the National Assembly requires the Ministry of Education and Training to compile a set of textbooks. The set of textbooks is assessed and approved equally with textbooks compiled by organizations and individuals.

Delegate Thuy said that this was not possible because of not mobilizing enough authors. The Ministry of Education and Training directed the compilation of books in a socialized manner, not using the state budget and returning the loan of 16 million USD (about 400 billion VND) to the World Bank.

After reviewing the report of the Ministry of Education and Training, in 2020, the National Assembly issued Resolution 122. Accordingly, if each specific subject has completed at least one set of books that have been appraised and approved, the compilation of textbooks using the state budget for that subject will not be implemented.

Therefore, Ms. Thuy believes that if the National Assembly asks the Ministry of Education and Training to compile another set of textbooks, it will be both wasteful and inconsistent with current legal documents. She is concerned that this will reduce investors' confidence in the State's policies.

In fact, she said that in the first year of implementing the program innovation (2020), three publishing houses and many book companies organized the compilation, publication, and distribution of textbooks, with an amount of over 1,200 billion VND.

Ms. Thuy questioned whether it was necessary to spend 400 billion VND from the budget to make another set of textbooks. In addition, the set of textbooks of the Ministry of Education and Training would bring back the monopoly as before and eliminate socialization.

"The decision to assign the Ministry of Education and Training to compile another set of textbooks is a huge mid-term policy change," said the Deputy Head of the Social Affairs Committee, adding that this did not receive the approval of experts, teachers and people. She proposed that after the 2024-2025 school year, when the textbook replacement is completed in all grades, the implementation of the program innovation will be summarized and evaluated.

"At that time, adjustments will be more appropriate and convincing," said the Deputy Head of the National Assembly's Social Committee.

Vice Chairwoman of the Social Affairs Committee Nguyen Thi Kim Thuy. Photo: National Assembly Media — Vice Chairwoman of the Social Affairs Committee Nguyen Thi Kim Thuy. Photo: *National Assembly Media*

The proposal to assign the Ministry of Education and Training to compile a set of textbooks has been discussed many times and caused mixed opinions.

At the National Assembly Standing Committee's supervision session on the innovation of general education programs and textbooks on the afternoon of August 14, Minister Nguyen Kim Son said that the State (Ministry of Education and Training) holds and oversees the unified national program. That is the core content of education, the law, and textbooks are learning materials to support teachers in conveying the program. Therefore, he said that the Ministry's compilation of textbooks not only affects the socialization policy but can also affect the spirit of innovation that the industry is aiming for.

However, Mr. Nguyen Dac Vinh, Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee on Culture and Education, said that the program only regulates the knowledge framework, while general knowledge content is also especially important, specifically shown in textbooks.

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue also said that socialization must still ensure that the state plays a leading role in developing the education sector. Therefore, he asked the Ministry to seriously implement the requirement of Resolution 88 to compile the state's textbooks.

Son Ha

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