Many concerns before the time of applying a unified set of textbooks

(Dan Tri) - Many National Assembly delegates expressed their agreement with the policy of using a common set of textbooks but were concerned about the implementation mechanism to avoid eliminating innovative and creative thinking.

On the morning of November 17, the National Assembly discussed in groups the Draft Resolution of the National Assembly on specific mechanisms and policies to implement Resolution No. 71-NQ/TW dated August 22, 2025 of the Politburo on breakthroughs in education and training development. The issue of unifying a set of textbooks for common use nationwide was of interest to many National Assembly deputies.

" The Ministry of Education and Training should not organize the writing of a set of textbooks"

Delegate Hoang Van Cuong ( Hanoi delegation) agreed with the need to provide a unified set of textbooks nationwide and move towards providing them free of charge to students, but he proposed that the Ministry of Education and Training should only be assigned to provide a set of textbooks for the whole country, and not to let the Ministry organize the writing of a set of textbooks.

"Because that will be like before, the Ministry of Education and Training will write a set of textbooks to provide to the whole country, which will become a classic set of books and everyone will only study and speak according to the book," Mr. Cuong said, worried that this will eliminate all new, innovative and creative thinking.

Delegate Hoang Van Cuong said that it is not advisable to organize the writing of a set of textbooks (Photo: Media QH).

Citing the fact that Vietnamese students are very smart but not very creative, the delegate said that it is because of training and studying "according to the book". Therefore, if we go back to writing a set of books and issuing those books, teaching those books, according to the delegate, would be a very worrying thing.

Delegate Tran Hoang Ngan (HCMC delegation) also expressed support for the policy of using a unified set of general education textbooks nationwide.

He believes that we should not deny the positive aspects that the "one program, many sets of books" period brings. It is from the process of implementing many sets of books that the education sector has the basis to select the best to build a unified set of books, ensuring quality and more suitable for students nationwide.

Proposal for free textbooks from next school year

Supporting the policy of unifying a set of textbooks nationwide from the 2026-2027 school year, delegate Tran Van Lam (Bac Ninh) said that in the past, people had to "endure" the disadvantages of having many sets of textbooks.

However, Mr. Lam suggested that the roadmap for providing free textbooks should be completed by 2030 and requested that "any locality with the conditions should provide free textbooks from the 2026-2027 school year."

"Such a regulation is a bit counterproductive, because for disadvantaged localities, poor student families or those with unsecured economic conditions who need immediate support, we have to wait until 2030 to apply the policy. Meanwhile, localities with better economic conditions, families with better conditions for their children to study, will be able to apply it right away in the next school year," the delegate stated.

Mr. Lam proposed to make textbooks free nationwide from the 2026-2027 school year. If not, then allocate the budget (local or central) to support disadvantaged localities, especially remote and isolated areas first.

Delegate Tran Van Lam proposed free textbooks from the next school year (Photo: Media QH).

Along with that, he suggested that there should be a regulatory mechanism between localities with better economic conditions and localities with more difficult conditions, with the ultimate goal of prioritizing care for students with more difficult conditions.

Sharing the same view, delegate Pham Khanh Phong Lan (HCMC) emphasized that the most important goal must be to reduce waste.

According to the draft resolution, students will be exempted from the single set of books from 2030; and localities with "conditions" can exempt them from 2026-2027.

She said that this classification is quite "sensitive" and can cause discomfort. She argued: "The richer the locality, the less difficult it is for the students there... But giving priority to free education for richer places is very paradoxical."

She proposed to amend in the direction of: not distinguishing between rich and poor, encouraging localities to make their own decisions according to their abilities.

Expanding space for students with outstanding abilities

Regarding the policy of returning to a common set of textbooks, delegate Nguyen Quang Huan said that this issue needs to be considered more thoroughly to avoid voluntarism.

He said that the recent deployment of many textbook sets has exposed waste and caused confusion for educational institutions in the selection process, which led to the decision to return to one set of books.

However, according to him, this approach raises the question of whether "because we cannot manage, we ban", while in many developed countries, students and schools have the right to choose suitable books. This is an issue that needs to be thoroughly analyzed before imposing a unified model.

Delegate Nguyen Quang Huan, Ho Chi Minh City delegation (Photo: Media QH).

He proposed that it is necessary to open up space for gifted students with outstanding abilities to access appropriate materials, just like in the past, the general education program had "asterisk" math problems reserved for gifted students.

Prescribing a set of textbooks without taking into account regional differences and individual abilities will cause education to follow the old planning mindset, while innovative thinking must encourage creativity and promote all resources in society.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/nhieu-tran-tro-truoc-thoi-diem-ap-dung-mot-bo-sach-giao-khoa-thong-nhat-20251117124356278.htm