Going to many places but still not buying enough books
In mid-September, Mr. Hoang Nghia, residing in Ky Lua ward, Lang Son province, continued to look for the missing 4th grade textbooks for his child.
Mr. Nghia said that before the opening ceremony, he had gone to almost all bookstores in the area but could not buy enough sets. Many stores announced that they were out of books, and some places only had a few individual books left.
I asked a colleague in Hanoi to help me find them to buy. This person has gone to about 4 large and small bookstores but it is still not enough. The books I need to buy are sold out, and there are only a few books left in stock," Mr. Nghia said.
When the family did not know where to find books, some acquaintances offered to give back the set of books that their children used in the previous school year. Thanks to that, Mr. Nghia's children have books to study temporarily.
However, many old books have been written or written directly on the page. The family has to re-examine each book and continue to find and buy the missing books.
In Kim Boi commune, Phu Tho province, Ms. Bui Thi Huyen also encountered difficulties in finding 10th grade Geography books for her children. In recent days, she has had to ask acquaintances and post information on social network groups to find and buy them.
Ms. Huyen hopes to find new or old books that match the school's current set of books. According to her, even if only one book is missing, students also have difficulty following lectures, preparing lessons and doing homework at home.
Without books, students watch lessons on TV
In Kim Boi commune, Phu Tho province, Ms. Bui Thi Linh's daughter is entering 1st grade this year. Although she has been going to school for more than a week, the family has not yet received enough books she has ordered.
Before the opening ceremony, Ms. Linh bought two books of Math and Vietnamese to familiarize her child with learning. Currently, her child brings these two books to class to use while waiting for books.
The teacher said that students who do not have books will watch the lesson content shown on the TV screen. The children both observe and listen to the teacher's instructions," Ms. Linh recounted.
The use of e-books helps lesson schedules not to be interrupted. However, this method is difficult to completely replace paper books, especially for first-grade students who are starting to get used to letters, numbers and learning methods.
On September 10, the Ministry of Education and Training issued document No. 6128/BGDĐT-GDPT, requesting localities to specifically review the number of students who are still short of books by school, class, subject and book name. Each case must clearly identify the cause, handling method and completion time.
The Ministry requests to transfer books from surplus to shortage; take advantage of library books, old books that are still usable and guide students to access free e-books. Complaints about book shortages must be received and handled immediately.
Vietnam Education Publishing House is required to establish a rapid response team, publicize sales points and hotlines; prioritize supplying to schools with students still short of books, completing before September 15, 2026.
While waiting for books to be supplemented, many parents still have to find ways to solve it themselves by buying retail books, asking people in other localities to help find them, asking for old books or searching on social networks. They hope that the source of books will be supplied fully soon so that their children's studies can stabilize.
