According to the plan to implement the policy of free textbooks (textbooks) of Ho Chi Minh City, in the 2026-2027 school year, the city will implement free textbooks according to the actual borrowing needs of parents and students. Educational institutions organize procurement, lend to students and recall books after the school year for continued use.
To prepare a source of books, schools are required to survey the borrowing needs of students and parents as a basis for organizing shopping.
However, the reality in recent days shows that many parents still have to buy textbooks themselves so that their children have books before the new school year.
Mr. Nguyen Cong Hoang (An Dong ward) said that his family really wanted to borrow books but did not know about the free policy before, so they proceeded to buy them.
If borrowing and having all the books according to the needs of the education program, it will save so much cost, why shouldn't I borrow. The school may have announced it, but I didn't pay attention. Now I've already gone to buy, so I'll stop, but next school year I will register to borrow," he said.
Meanwhile, Ms. Nguyen Ngoc Hoa (Tan Thoi Hiep ward) proactively buys books for her children early because she wants each child to have their own set of books.
According to Ms. Hoa, young children may find it difficult to keep borrowed books, while if they lose or damage them, they may have to compensate.
Registering to borrow is to keep it carefully, the children may not keep it well. Buying it makes the psychology more comfortable," Ms. Hoa said.
Ms. Nguyen Thu Hoai (Long Truong ward) also chose to buy books for her 1st grade child, because she thought the cost was not too high. "The set of books is about 200,000 VND. For my family, it is normal, so I chose to order it. In addition, if borrowing, there are only textbooks and homework books that still have to be bought, so I chose to buy them immediately," Ms. Hoai said.
In fact, many schools in Ho Chi Minh City have surveyed the demand for textbook borrowing since July 2026. However, it was not until August 14 that Ho Chi Minh City issued a plan to implement the free textbook policy, while the new school year is approaching. This makes some parents proactively buy books in advance to ensure their children have enough textbooks.
At Nguyen Huu Tho High School, Mr. Do Dinh Dao - Principal said that the school has surveyed the demand for borrowing books and is continuing to review to identify students who do not have books and really need to borrow. Through this, the school prepares a suitable source of books, limiting the situation where students have bought books but are still on the list of registered borrowers.
While waiting for books to be issued, Mr. Dao advised parents to remain calm. Students can use electronic books, while teachers provide outlines and learning instructions in the early stages.
According to the guidance of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, students who lose or damage textbooks due to subjective reasons must be reimbursed according to Article 27 of Decree 271/2026/ND-CP. Priority is given to reimbursement with books of the same type; if in cash, the reimbursement level is calculated according to the usage time: 80% of the book value is less than 1 year, 50% is from 1 to less than 3 years, 20% is from 3 to 5 years and is not reimbursed if the book has been used for more than 5 years. In case of loss or damage due to natural disasters, fires or force majeure, reimbursement is not required.
