The Minister of Education and Training will be responsible for deciding on a unified set of textbooks.

This is the proposed content in the draft resolution on a number of specific and outstanding mechanisms and policies in the field of education and training.

Ho Chi Minh City residents looking to buy new curriculum textbooks - Photo: PHUONG QUYEN

The Ministry of Education and Training is seeking opinions on a draft resolution of the National Assembly on a number of special and outstanding mechanisms and policies in the field of education and training.

The draft resolution to institutionalize Resolution 71 of the Politburo on breakthroughs in education and training development will be submitted to the National Assembly for consideration at its upcoming 10th session.

The Minister of Education and Training is responsible for presiding over the implementation and deciding on the use of a unified set of textbooks.

Notably, regarding the content related to the program, content and mechanism of education development, the draft proposes to stipulate that the Minister of Education and Training is responsible for presiding over the organization of implementation and deciding on the use of a set of general education textbooks to apply uniformly nationwide according to a suitable roadmap, ensuring efficiency and savings.

Previously, Resolution 71 of the Politburo stated the task of reviewing and evaluating the implementation of the general education program; ensuring the provision of a unified set of textbooks nationwide, striving to provide free textbooks to all students by 2030.

In the Government's action program to implement Resolution 71, the Government assigned the Ministry of Education and Training to review and improve the general education program, increase the duration of science, technology, information technology, and arts subjects.

Ensure the provision of a unified set of textbooks nationwide for use from the 2026-2027 school year; implement a roadmap to provide free textbooks to all students by 2030.

While chairing a meeting to implement Resolution 71 of the Politburo on breakthroughs in education and training development, General Secretary To Lam raised specific issues and a specific timeline for putting the resolution's contents into practice, such as the requirement for a unified set of textbooks nationwide.

"Resolution 71 has already said it, teachers and parents are asking when this can be done? People say that now that this school year (2025-2026) has passed, will it be possible next year? The education sector must answer this. I think it cannot be delayed any longer," the General Secretary stated.

The State guarantees the budget to provide free textbooks for students before 2030.

According to the draft resolution, the Minister of Education and Training is also responsible for a number of other contents.

Such as reporting to the Government on educational activities and implementation of the education budget; directing innovation of preschool education programs to meet the requirements of comprehensive development of children right from the early stages of life.

Allowing the pilot implementation of innovative education programs (integrated, STEM/STEAM, bilingual, international) and the establishment of vocational skills councils in a number of key and priority sectors and fields; the appraisal and approval of programs and regulations on the operating mechanism of vocational skills councils are prescribed by the Minister.

Allow universities and vocational education institutions to develop and implement open and flexible training programs linked to scientific research, innovation, technology transfer and labor market needs.

At the same time, it regulates the recognition of learning outcomes, credits, certificates and skills accumulated from various forms of learning, ensuring output standards, quality assessment, connectivity in the national education system, promoting lifelong learning and international integration...

The draft also stipulates that the annual state budget must ensure that the expenditure on education and training is at least 20% of the total state budget expenditure; of which development investment expenditure is not lower than 5% and expenditure on higher education is not lower than 3% of the total state budget expenditure.

The State ensures the central budget to provide free textbooks for students of public general education institutions, striving to complete this goal before 2030, and to provide free textbooks and tuition for national defense and security education at universities and vocational education institutions.

Previously, since 2020, the general education program has been implemented according to the policy of "one program, many textbooks" of Resolution 88/2014 of the National Assembly. This policy aims to end the publishing monopoly and encourage socialization of compilation.

Each subject may have one or more sets of books. The Provincial People's Committee decides to select the set of books for stable use in the locality.

Currently, the market has three sets of textbooks from two publishers and a number of individual books.

THANH CHUNG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/bo-truong-bo-gd-dt-se-chiu-trach-nhiem-quyet-dinh-mot-bo-sach-giao-khoa-thong-nhat-20250926205343575.htm