Mr. Nguyen Duc Thai - former Chairman of the Board of Members, former Director of the Education Publishing House, was proposed to be prosecuted on charges of receiving bribes of nearly 25 billion VND.
While in office, from 2017-2021, Mr. Nguyen Duc Thai used tricks to let a "backyard" contractor win the paper supply contract. The bribe money given to Nguyen Duc Thai also came from paper, so it was also called "eating paper".
Also from the case of Mr. Nguyen Duc Thai being accused of receiving a bribe of 25 billion VND, public opinion has raised the issue of high textbook prices being due to negative factors.
In the article "Unfair loss" of 85 billion VND due to violations of the Education Publishing House" published on September 25, 2024, Lao Dong Newspaper quoted the conclusion of the Government Inspectorate, in the period 2014-2018, the process of building the price of the textbook printing package, the accounting of the Education Publishing House had errors leading to students' families having to buy textbooks at a higher price than the correct registered price with an amount of more than 85 billion VND.
Not to mention the later period, from 2018-2021, former Chairman Nguyen Duc Thai colluded with To My Ngoc - former Chairman of the Board of Directors of Phung Vinh Hung Company and Nguyen Tri Minh - Director of Minh Cuong Phat Paper Company Limited to arrange and create conditions for these companies to participate in bidding and supplying printing paper to Vietnam Education Publishing House.
Regarding the printing of textbooks, just the officials of the Education Publishing House "eat paper", parents have to "bend their backs" to bear the additional cost of increasing book prices.
But that's not all, because the "food" is so delicious, they find every way to print as many books as possible. That's why textbooks are only used once and then thrown away.
Many parents take out their children's textbooks, showing that they are new, but have to throw them away, which is a huge waste. Therefore, parents paying more for textbooks than the correct price must register for the amount of more than 85 billion VND, which is just a small part. The bigger problem is that every year they have to buy a new set of books. The social waste is incalculable.
Students cannot use their siblings' books, parents have to buy new books, poor families.
It is unfair that those in power at the Education Publishing House take billions in bribes, while the poor have to scrimp on every penny to buy textbooks for their children. Leaving the Education Publishing House alone in the market as it was before is the cause of these consequences.
Therefore, allowing many units to compile, print and publish many sets of books is in line with the educational reform process and prevents negativity in this field.
