Are many textbooks a waste?

(NLĐ) - In the world, the model of "one program, many textbooks" has been successfully applied by many countries.

In Japan, publishers compete freely but must adhere to a national framework and strict review criteria. Students have access to quality textbooks that are appropriate for each region. Similarly, in the United States, teachers are free to choose textbooks based on federal standards, which helps maximize creativity in teaching.

Eliminate monopoly

In the context of Vietnam's education being fundamentally and comprehensively reformed in the spirit of Resolution 29-NQ/TW of the Central Executive Committee, the policy of "one program, many sets of textbooks" has become an important highlight.

This policy was concretized through Resolution 88/2014/QH13 of the National Assembly , which not only opened up opportunities to promote collective intelligence but also affirmed the role of socialization in improving the quality of education. "One program, many textbooks" has broken the monopoly in compiling and publishing textbooks, which had existed for many decades.

Instead of having only one set of books compiled by the State, organizations and individuals with sufficient capacity are encouraged to participate in compilation, creating diversity in content and approach. An education expert commented that using many sets of books will help limit printing monopoly, thereby avoiding the situation of "inside hands, outside hands" in publishing textbooks. Teachers and students have the right to choose appropriate textbooks for teaching and learning. Due to competition, the quality of materials and the quality of books in general must be really good if they do not want to be eliminated.

The use of many textbooks also creates competition and promotion among publishers, thereby improving the quality of textbooks and reducing the cost of books.

When the 2018 General Education Program was first implemented, many teachers and schools were still hesitant and worried about choosing textbooks. But after 5 years, the new textbooks have been implemented in all grades, and teachers have become accustomed to having many sets of books in one program. With the 2018 General Education Program, textbooks play the role of "learning materials", not the only source of knowledge. Having many textbooks has helped to significantly change the teaching goal from "transferring knowledge" to teaching "developing capacity". The role of teachers has strongly shifted from the position of "teacher" to the position of "organizer, checker, orienter" of students' activities. Students are also encouraged and facilitated to expand their knowledge, participate in activities to apply knowledge into practice...

Parents buy textbooks for their children before the new school year. PHOTO: TAN THANH

The textbook series "Kite", "Connecting knowledge with life", "Creative horizon" have brought many choices for teachers and students. Each series of books is based on the 2018 general education program, but the presentation, illustrative examples and teaching methods have their own highlights, suitable for regional characteristics and student groups.

Solve the problems

Socialization of textbooks is considered an inevitable trend, consistent with international experience, helping to limit negative effects from monopoly and promote creativity.

However, the policy of using multiple sets of textbooks also faces many challenges. Many people have spoken out about the lack of transparency in textbook appraisal, leading to disputes about quality. In addition, teachers in some localities still face difficulties in accessing and familiarizing themselves with new sets of books, especially when facilities and teaching equipment do not fully meet the requirements of innovation.

Socialization of textbooks is considered an inevitable trend, consistent with international experience, helping to limit the negative effects of monopoly and promote creativity. PHOTO: TAN THANH

To address this issue, the Ministry of Education and Training issued Circular 27/2023/TT-BGDDT, clearly regulating the selection of textbooks, ensuring fairness and transparency. At the same time, teacher training programs are also being promoted to improve the capacity to use new textbook sets. Controlling textbook prices is also a priority, to ensure that students in all regions can access books at a reasonable cost.

Some people say that having many sets of textbooks is wasteful, but clearly whether it is wasteful or not depends on the choice, exploitation and use of the school, teachers and students.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/nhieu-bo-sach-giao-khoa-co-lang-phi-196250802185337336.htm