At the same time, there is unification in management decentralization when the commune level has the authority to review textbook selection records of primary and secondary educational institutions.
Students of Bac Binh Secondary School (Thai Hoa, Phu Tho ) read books at the school library.
No disturbance
Decentralization and delegation of authority in textbook selection not only ensures that students have enough books before the new school year but also affirms the adaptability and effective management capacity of the education sector in the new context.
In the context of profound changes in administrative organization, the selection of textbooks for the 2025-2026 school year has received special attention from the public. Contrary to initial concerns, the reality in localities shows that the selection of textbooks is still systematic, stable and in accordance with regulations.
Schools in Phu Tho province (merged between Vinh Phuc, Hoa Binh and Phu Tho), especially those in the old Vinh Phuc province, have implemented textbook selection early. According to the plan issued by the Department of Education and Training of Vinh Phuc (old) since February 2025, primary and secondary schools have been given specific instructions on the textbook selection process from grades 1 to 9.
After receiving the document from the Department of Education and Training, the Departments of Education and Training promptly issued a plan to implement the selection of additional textbooks according to Circular 27/2023/TT-BGDDT and disseminated it to schools.
Schools hold professional group meetings, evaluate books approved by the Ministry of Education and Training, consult with the council, and register a full number of textbooks, including books for students, teachers, and the school library. Following the correct, public, and transparent process helps ensure the right to choose for teachers, students, and parents, while preventing a shortage of books at the beginning of the school year.
Mr. Le Huy Minh - Principal of Hop Ly Secondary School (Hop Ly, Phu Tho) shared: “Before the end of the 2024-2025 school year, the school received guidance documents from the Department and the Department of Education and Training. Based on this document, the school organized a professional team to select textbooks from grades 6 to 9 and collect parents' opinions.
As a result, the Selection Council still selected textbooks based on previous school years. This was completed before the operation of the 2-level local government, so it did not affect the progress or quality of textbook selection.
In Lao Cai province, the selection of textbooks also took place smoothly, without interruption, despite the process of changing administrative boundaries (merging the old Yen Bai province).
Mr. Vu Trinh - Principal of Hong Ca Primary and Secondary School (Hung Khanh Commune) said: "We were given clear guidance from the beginning so we did not encounter any difficulties. The selection of textbooks was completed before the two-level government was put into operation, so all activities continued normally."
From a local perspective, Ms. Lam Ngoc Anh - Head of the Cultural Department of Bao Ai Commune (Lao Cai) affirmed: "Schools have proactively proposed and the Department of Education and Training has specific professional instructions, so there is no confusion or delay for any reason."
Facilitate students and teachers
The 2024-2025 school year is the year to complete the new textbook selection cycle according to the 2018 General Education Program when grades 5, 9 and 12 implement the program. Ms. Hoang Thu Phuong - Deputy Director of the Lai Chau Department of Education and Training said: "The Department has directed and guided educational institutions under its management to organize the selection of textbooks in accordance with regulations.
After 5 years of implementing the 2018 General Education Program and teaching new textbooks for all levels, despite many difficulties, the education sector and schools have been flexible and proactive in implementing the program's innovation goals well.
According to Ms. Hoang Thu Phuong, in the mountainous province of Lai Chau, the selection of textbooks has many advantages. In order to select a set of textbooks suitable for the locality, the People's Committee of Lai Chau province has issued a Decision regulating the criteria for selecting books in educational institutions.
Based on the criteria set by the Provincial People's Committee, most schools in Lai Chau province have chosen the same book series Connecting knowledge with life. The book series is suitable for the socio-economic characteristics of the locality. In addition, it is suitable for the conditions of organizing teaching and learning at educational institutions in Lai Chau province.
Mr. Nguyen Van Dung - Principal of Nam Hang Secondary School for Ethnic Minorities (Nam Hang Commune) said: "In the immediate future, the selection of new textbooks according to the new General Education Program has been completed. The set of textbooks selected by the school will continue to be used in the following years until new regulations are issued.
The content of the lessons in the textbooks is suitable for the facilities, teaching equipment and teaching conditions at the school; suitable for the capacity of the teaching staff and management staff. At the same time, it meets the requirements of integrated and interdisciplinary teaching, linking the lesson content with local practice.
Similarly, in Nghe An, the selection of textbooks for the new school year 2025 - 2026 was implemented and completed from the end of the school year 2024 - 2025. Basically, schools proposed to keep the same set of books used in previous school years.
Ms. Vo Thi Tuyet Chinh - Vice Chairman of Tam Quang Commune, Nghe An (former Deputy Head of the Department of Education and Training of Tuong Duong District, Nghe An) informed that schools in the area mainly use the book series Connecting knowledge with life.
Primary school in Tam Quang in particular and in the mountainous areas of Nghe An in general are different from schools in the lowlands. That is, the subjects of Fine Arts and Experiential Activities use the Creative Horizon book series, while the subjects of Math and Informatics use the book series published by Vinh University Publishing House.
According to Ms. Vo Tuyet Chinh, when implementing a two-level local government, the authority to review textbook selection is assigned to the commune level, instead of the Department of Education and Training as before, which is appropriate and basically does not encounter any difficulties. The reason is that the selection and synthesis process is based on the criteria set by the People's Committee of Nghe An province and the instructions of the Department of Education and Training.
In particular, the first and most important role in textbook selection is at the school level. After 5 years of implementing the 2018 General Education Program, up to now, schools have stabilized teaching according to the selected teaching materials, suitable for students' reality, local economic conditions as well as the reality of facilities, staff and teachers' capacity.
“Mainly keeping the same textbooks also facilitates teaching and learning, inherits experience from previous school years, and creates convenience and savings for students, especially in mountainous and ethnic minority areas,” Ms. Vo Tuyet Chinh shared.
Inheritance and adaptation
Mr. Quach Tat Huong - Chairman of Nam Hang Commune People's Committee (Head of the Department of Education and Training of the former Nam Nhun District, Lai Chau) said: "When schools are managed by the commune, the commune will direct the school to select books according to the instructions and then report. The commune will compile and report to the Department of Education and Training on the list of textbooks selected by the school".
Mr. Tong Thanh Son - Chairman of the People's Committee of Bum Nua commune, Lai Chau said that the People's Committee of the commune reviewing the selection of textbooks when implementing a 2-level local government is consistent with the principle of decentralization of education management.
At the same time, increasing autonomy and self-responsibility helps commune-level authorities to be more proactive in directing and supervising educational activities in the area, including textbook selection. Creating conditions to mobilize community participation, promoting the supervisory role of the Fatherland Front and mass organizations in textbook selection.
According to Mr. Dao Cong Loi - Deputy Director of Nghe An Department of Education and Training, the last school year has concluded the first cycle of implementing the 2018 General Education Program in all grades as well as replacing new textbooks.
Therefore, the Department should soon issue guidelines for schools to select textbooks for the following school years, without waiting until the end of the school year, implementing the implementation of the 2-level local government. According to reports from the professional departments of the Nghe An Department of Education and Training, the selection of textbooks for the new school year 2025-2026 is basically stable as in previous years.
Mr. Nguyen Tien Dung - Head of Secondary Education Department, Nghe An Department of Education and Training said that for secondary school level, textbook changes happen very rarely, and only in a few subjects.
However, these subjects are on the list of textbooks approved by the Provincial People's Committee, so there is no disruption in the preparation and supply of books. As a large province with 130 communes and wards, the Department of Education and Training has implemented early and proactively in the statistics of the list and quantity of books to proactively inform the supply units. Thereby ensuring that all students have enough and correct textbooks for the new school year.
According to the leader of the Nghe An Department of Education and Training, assigning the authority to commune-level authorities to review textbook selection records of primary and secondary educational institutions is appropriate and convenient.
During the implementation process at the commune level, it is necessary to clearly understand the guiding documents, specifically Circular No. 27/2023/TT-BGDDT of the Ministry of Education and Training, the criteria issued by the Provincial People's Committee, and the instructions of the Department of Education and Training... If there are any problems or difficulties, it is necessary to contact the Department of Education and Training for timely explanation and additional guidance.
According to leaders of many localities, the difficulty, if any, is that many commune-level officials are not specialized in education, so they are not familiar with the professional process of selecting textbooks.
Therefore, when operating in the following school years, the locality hopes that the competent authority should provide specific and easy-to-understand instructions on the process, criteria, and methods of checking and evaluating documents. There should be standard forms and illustrative examples of qualified documents for communes to learn and implement smoothly. There should be support from higher-level experts to send staff to coordinate and advise, especially in the first year of implementation.
Source: https://baolaocai.vn/chu-dong-thich-ung-trong-boi-canh-moi-post649325.html
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