Finding ways to revitalize the reading culture.

As someone with a long-standing connection to the publishing industry, journalist Le Hoang - Ambassador of Reading Culture in Ho Chi Minh City, Standing Committee Member of the Vietnam Publishers Association, and Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Book Street Company - has always been deeply concerned about books and spreading reading culture to the community.

Mr. Le Hoang shared: "From the perspective of someone organizing the book market and developing reading culture at Ho Chi Minh City Book Street, we are extremely pleased with the issuance of Directive No. 04-CT/TW on March 17, 2026. The Party Central Committee has defined the guiding principles for developing reading culture, specifically viewing readers as the center and goal of publishing activities. The Party also clearly stated the task of building and forming reading habits in the community, forming a reading culture, which means not only elevating the level, role, and purpose of reading culture but also proposing solutions. Only when reading habits are formed in the community can we overcome the current weaknesses in reading culture."

Mr. Le Hoang - Standing Committee Member of the Vietnam Publishers Association, Director of Ho Chi Minh City Book Street Company

PHOTO: QUYNH TRAN

A reading culture must be implemented concretely through the establishment of dedicated reading sessions, making it an elective subject in primary and secondary schools, and fostering a reading habit from a young age. From there, it becomes a more strategic issue: developing critical thinking, building a learning society, and promoting lifelong learning. Could you elaborate on these points?

Mr. Le Hoang : Among the tasks and solutions outlined in Directive 04 is the development of reading habits and skills, creating an important foundation for lifelong learning, thereby forming a learning society. I am very pleased that the Party Central Committee directed the Party Committee of the Ministry of Education and Training to implement reading sessions as an elective subject in the school system, from primary to lower secondary level, to form reading habits and develop thinking skills for building a learning society and lifelong learning.

Author Nguyen Nhat Anh, Ambassador of Reading Culture of Ho Chi Minh City for 2024-2025, held a book signing and meet-and-greet event in Ho Chi Minh City.

PHOTO: QUYNH TRAN

Here, I personally want to emphasize the fundamental solution of establishing dedicated reading sessions in schools. The reality is that in today's family environment, not all parents have the time or the awareness to support their children's reading. Schools need to become places that systematically and sustainably foster and maintain this love of reading. If, within the regular school timetable, students have regular reading sessions – where they can choose books according to their interests, read quietly, exchange ideas, write reviews, or engage in light discussions with the teacher – then the reading experience will no longer be confined by the curriculum or exam-heavy assignments. This is a way to help children see that reading is not just for learning, but also for living, for understanding themselves and others.

Writer and Ambassador of Reading Culture of Ho Chi Minh City in 2024-2025, Phuong Huyen, is actively involved in activities to bring books to schools.

PHOTO: MAI PHUONG

What suggestions does he have for establishing a reading session?

The goals of incorporating reading sessions into the regular curriculum are: firstly, to cultivate a love of reading from a young age, fostering a natural and spontaneous reading habit and need in students, without coercion; and to help them recognize the value of reading as an activity that nourishes the soul, knowledge, and creativity. Secondly, to develop reading comprehension, critical thinking, and language skills. Thirdly, to ensure equal access to knowledge. Fourthly, to contribute to building self-learning and lifelong learning capabilities.

Based on this, a dedicated reading session should be organized as part of the curriculum, with a duration of 2 sessions per week, each lasting 30-45 minutes. This should be included in the official timetable like other subjects, ensuring regularity and seriousness. Learning outcomes from these reading sessions should be included as part of the grade in the student's report card to motivate students and demonstrate pedagogical responsibility for the class teacher/literature teacher/librarian.

Books – an indispensable source of intellectual nourishment for students.

PHOTO: QUYNH TRAN

According to him, what is the biggest "bottleneck" in the publishing industry, and as a Standing Committee member of the Vietnam Publishers Association, what are his expectations regarding Directive 04, which is currently being implemented?

Statistics show that the reading culture of Vietnamese people is very low compared to the reading levels of some countries in Southeast Asia in particular, and Asia as well as developed countries in general. You have reached a reading level of over 10 books per person per year, while in Vietnam, the number is projected to stop at 1.9 books per person per year by 2025.

The reason why the Vietnamese community has not yet developed a strong reading culture compared to other countries in the region and around the world is because we lack the habit of reading – a positive habit formed from childhood, while children are still in school.

With Directive No. 04, the Party has set the goal of strongly promoting reading culture by 2030, forming cultural institutions, creating spaces for reading, learning, and creativity in the community, aiming to build a nationwide reading movement. "Forming institutions" means incorporating into the political system modern, friendly reading and entertainment cultural spaces and institutions, emphasizing the essential role of books in social life. Based on this content, we and the units operating at the Book Street are extremely confident that specific regulations and rules will soon be in place to provide a legal framework, mechanisms, and operational models, creating long-term stability for the Ho Chi Minh City Book Street, as well as other local Book Streets and book and reading culture spaces nationwide.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tim-cach-khoi-thong-dong-chay-van-hoa-doc-185260423194913204.htm