A unified set of textbooks for the whole country: "Looking North, looking South, looking at the whole globe"

(Dan Tri) - Increasing human knowledge requires the compilation of a unified national textbook set that must be modern, professional, and have Vietnamese identity to welcome new knowledge.

The Ministry of Education and Training has been assigned the task of compiling a unified set of textbooks for the whole country, to be applied from the 2025-2026 school year. This is expected to be a breakthrough, creating a modern, professional educational foundation imbued with Vietnamese identity.

Dan Tri Newspaper had an interview with Mr. Le Ngoc Diep, former Head of Primary Education Department, Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City, about the profound perspectives in building a set of textbooks of the future, which according to Mr. Diep is a "brain hunt" to gather the quintessence of the nation.

Unified textbooks: Modern, professional, with Vietnamese identity

Sir, in the context of the country's integration and development, how do you evaluate the necessity of a unified and modern set of textbooks?

- I think that the unified textbook set must be modern, professional, and have Vietnamese identity. In the context of a country that is changing rapidly, there cannot exist a set of textbooks that are just “old wine in new bottles”. Compiling new textbooks must be a comprehensive, thorough innovation, in line with the trend of integration and modernization of the country.

The Ministry of Education and Training needs to proactively assign, manage and implement immediately. The process must be fast, careful and scientific . It is necessary to invite domestic talents and overseas Vietnamese to participate in the compilation, in the spirit of "hunting for brains", absolutely avoiding localism and favoritism.

In your opinion, how can we gather a team of good experts to carry out this important task?

- The compilation of books must be undertaken by leading experts in the fields of social sciences, natural sciences, aesthetics and education. At the same time, it is necessary to send research teams to study educational models in countries such as Singapore, Korea, Japan, Australia, China, etc. to draw lessons and propose appropriate approaches.

It should be emphasized that book compilation cannot be a “side job” for managers, teachers or researchers. It requires a dedicated team, well-trained, with practical experience and a high sense of responsibility.

Mr. Le Ngoc Diep - former Head of Primary Education Department, Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: Huyen Nguyen).

Along with that, the publisher is not only a publishing place but must become a unit that organizes and manages content quality.

Every year, the author of the book must participate in class observation, performance survey, practical assessment, document revision, and knowledge updating. The author also needs to play a role in guiding teachers, designing lectures, tests, and building a reading culture for students.

Learn Vietnamese as a living language

What characteristics should textbooks for children in the digital age have, sir?

- At the 1993 national conference in Hue, I, then the head of the primary education department, emphasized: The country is integrating and moving towards an industrial, modern society, so the construction of textbooks must "look to the North, look to the South, look to the whole world" to anticipate new knowledge. Until now, I still emphasize this policy.

Human knowledge today has doubled in just one year. That requires education, especially primary education, to change promptly and fundamentally.

“Primary Education” means foundation. Therefore, the primary school curriculum must reflect the characteristics of children in the digital age – children who are familiar with audio-visual technology, have the ability to absorb quickly and flexibly.

Whether in urban or rural areas, mountainous or plain areas, children need to have access to modern programs that are suitable for modern psychology, culture and society. The mother tongue – Vietnamese – needs to be taught as a solid foundation tool, thereby helping children develop comprehensively.

Students of Nguyen Binh Khiem Primary School, HCMC (Photo: Huyen Nguyen).

In particular, Vietnamese is not only a language, but also a means of interdisciplinary communication. For example, when learning the sound “a”, students can practice simple statistical exercises, combining knowledge of phonetics, fine arts, logical thinking, etc. All are cleverly integrated as a lively learning game.

Therefore, Vietnamese books need to be written by people who understand the souls of Vietnamese children, from 6 to 11 years old, with the passion and intelligence of educators and linguists. Let's teach Vietnamese as a living language - not fall into academic linguistic theories that are not suitable for primary school age.

Instead of asking students to distinguish between reduplicated words, compound words, or to dissect sentences according to rigid grammatical structures, teach them through emotional, visual, easy-to-understand, and approachable texts. Students need to love Vietnamese before they can be good at it.

Improving Teacher Quality: The Key to Success

A good set of textbooks cannot be without facilities and qualified teachers to deliver them. What is your opinion on this issue?

- Exactly! Textbooks cannot be compiled individually. From classroom facilities, to teaching methods, support tools, everything needs to be synchronized to create a truly modern and effective learning environment.

The teaching staff plays an important role in the success of the curriculum (Photo: Huyen Nguyen).

In particular, it is impossible to have a good set of textbooks if the teaching staff is not competent enough to deliver them. In addition to focusing on building a set of textbooks, it is also necessary to improve the quality of teachers. Just as doctors must know how to diagnose and treat patients after graduation, pedagogical teachers must also be qualified to teach the new program with only methodological guidance. The "hand-holding" cannot be maintained forever.

Currently, many localities are short of teachers. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the quality of teacher training, and at the same time have policies to increase salaries and allowances so that teachers can live and devote themselves to their profession. "Respecting teachers" is not just a slogan but must be reflected in the actual position of teachers in society.

So, in your opinion, for the process of compiling and applying the new textbooks to be successful, what specific actions does the whole society need to take to join the education sector in fulfilling its common responsibility to future generations?

- I believe that this textbook compilation will start from the unique characteristics of Vietnamese, and be appropriately distributed for each level of education, especially primary school - where the first foundation for personality and knowledge is laid.

More importantly, this compilation process needs to closely follow the Resolution of the Party Central Committee on education, which is: "Fundamental, comprehensive innovation, standardization, modernization in the integration period". That is not only the task of the education sector, but also the common responsibility of the whole society for the future generations of the country.

Thank you very much!

Huyen Nguyen (performed)

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/mot-bo-sgk-thong-nhat-toan-quoc-trong-bac-trong-nam-trong-ca-dia-cau-20250922000027375.htm