On August 19, at Nguyen Tri Phuong Bookstore and School Equipment (An Dong ward), the number of customers coming to buy textbooks was quite large. In the book selling areas, many parents and students searched for each book title according to the list needed to prepare for the new school year.
After choosing books, customers continue to queue to pay. Some parents said that the time from finding and choosing enough books to paying can last more than an hour.
Mr. Cong Nhat (resident of Saigon ward) on the same day went to the bookstore to buy textbooks for his two children, one 8th grade and one 3rd grade. However, finding enough books is not easy.
In 3rd grade, I just bought some books, and in 8th grade, out of more than 20 books to buy, I only found one book. According to the bookstore, the amount of books being imported is high, but due to the increasing demand at the same time, it has not kept up," Mr. Cong Nhat said.
Having to go looking for books also affects his work. "Today is a working day, so going to buy books also has an impact. But what is more important, I have to arrange, because sooner or later I will have to prepare books for my children," he shared.
Meanwhile, Ms. Nguyen Ngoc Hoa (Tan Thoi Hiep ward) said that she had to travel about 20km to the bookstore to find and buy books for the children.
Because small bookstores near home often do not have all kinds of books according to demand, she chooses to go to large bookstores to be able to buy many kinds of books at the same time.
The house is quite far away, but I still take advantage of running up here because there are all kinds of books here. Many small bookstores do not dare to import many types because each person's needs are different, so I go straight up here for convenience," Ms. Hoa said.
This time, she mainly buys English, Math, Vietnamese books and some reference books and exercises for the children. According to her, for the children to learn English well, in addition to textbooks, more types of exercise books and reference books are needed.
Ms. Hoa said that the family has grasped the policy of lending textbooks to students. However, the family still prioritizes buying books for the children because they do not want them to be under pressure in preserving borrowed books.
If registering to borrow, you must keep books carefully. The children sometimes cannot keep books well, so when I buy them, the psychology is more comfortable, and the children can use them comfortably," she said.
Not only at large bookstores, in recent days, the shortage of some books has also been reflected by parents at small bookstores. Many people have to go through many places, looking for each book in the list of textbooks to buy.
Talking to Lao Dong Newspaper, a representative of Nguyen Tri Phuong Bookstore and School Equipment said that the number of customers coming to buy textbooks is increasing in recent days. Therefore, at many times, some books are out of stock.
Books are still continuously imported, so they are only temporarily sold out. If parents go once and don't buy enough, they can continue to the next time," this person said.
Recently, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee issued a Plan to implement the policy of free general education textbooks in the city in 2026.
According to the plan, all high school students, regardless of whether public or non-public schools, are exempted from tuition fees for textbooks in the form of borrowing - returning (if needed). Books are purchased by the state budget and organized for students to borrow and use during the school year, then returned to the school library for continued use.
Students are allowed to borrow books at the library at the beginning of the school year or the beginning of the semester and return them after the school year ends. In case of losing or damaging books, compensation must be made according to regulations.
