Ho Chi Minh City finalizes free textbooks for all students

All students, regardless of public or private school enrollment, will receive free textbooks through a borrow-and-return system, with compensation required for damaged or lost books.

The policy applies to students following the current general education curriculum and textbooks, as outlined in the City People's Committee's plan on 14/8. The total estimated cost is approximately 567 billion VND.

Students can borrow textbooks from the library at the start of the academic year or semester and must return them after the school year concludes. If books are damaged or lost, students must compensate with replacements or money (80-50-20%), depending on the extent of the damage.

The city strictly prohibits collecting any fees, such as deposits, maintenance, or library fees, related to textbook borrowing. Schools must publicize the list of books, manage the borrow-and-return process, and inventory and categorize books at the end of the year.

Before purchasing new books, schools must prioritize using existing stock and facilitate transfers through an inter-library mechanism. For private schools, the state will support textbook procurement based on needs and proposals submitted to the Department of Education and Training.

To meet immediate demands, authorities allow schools to procure textbooks independently through competitive bidding.

Annually, the Department will review and tally usable books and new procurement needs, submitting them to the city for approval. If books are damaged due to natural wear and tear or if demand increases unexpectedly, the budget will provide support, not exceeding 10% of the existing textbooks in the library.

Ho Chi Minh City is the country's largest educational hub, with nearly 2.6 million students and over 3,400 schools.

Prior to Ho Chi Minh City, several other localities announced free textbooks starting next academic year, including: Quang Ninh, Hue, Hoa Vang commune (Da Nang), and Dong Xoai ward, Bu Dang commune (Dong Nai).