Proposal to exempt textbooks for all students from 2026
On the afternoon of November 20, the National Assembly continued to discuss the draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Education; the draft Law on Higher Education (amended); the draft Resolution of the National Assembly on specific mechanisms and policies to implement Resolution No. 71 of the Politburo on breakthroughs in education and training development.
The Draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Education stipulates that the State has a unified set of textbooks nationwide; providing free textbooks according to the roadmap for students and completing them by 2030.
However, Ms. Yen expressed concern when Clause 1, Article 3 of the draft Law assigned the Minister of Education and Training to develop a decision on a set of general textbooks for national use and implement them in the 2026-2027 school year.
But at the same time, there is also a regulation below: "For localities that are eligible to implement free textbooks from this school year". This makes readers understand that in provinces and cities with conditions, students are entitled to the regime of providing free textbooks. As for the disadvantaged provinces such as the Mekong Delta and mountainous areas, they cannot do so, and they cannot enjoy it.
"To ensure fairness and the rights of all children are equal, I propose that the Politburo and the National Assembly provide free textbooks for students in the 2026-2027 school year" - the delegate said.
Regarding the implementation budget, the delegate said, "it is possible to suspend some projects that are not urgent and not urgent so that we can focus on taking care of children and implementing breakthrough policies on education and training".
It is necessary to clarify the criteria for selecting a general education system for the whole country
Delegate Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy (Gia Lai Delegation) affirmed that the issue of using a common set of textbooks, policies related to supporting the teaching staff, policies to support learning and exempt textbooks, tuition fees, etc. have a great impact on families and society, as well as reduce the burden on families and children who have the opportunity to go to school.
Regarding textbooks, the delegate suggested balancing resources to ensure free implementation from the 2026 to 2027 school year.
"Resilience is concentrated in localities that are not yet autonomous in budget, especially localities with high poverty rates, remote areas, and areas with many ethnic minorities" - the delegate further analyzed.
The delegate also agreed to stipulate the use of a national unified set of general education textbooks from the 2026-2027 school year, but suggested that it is necessary to clarify the criteria for selecting the issued sets.
"Seelect the book set or choose separately from which book, which content from the currently used book sets to ensure quality and fairness for the parties involved. Regarding this issue, it is recommended that the drafting committee clarify the selection criteria" - the delegate suggested.
