Hue halts free textbook program

Hue City has halted a 12,3 billion VND textbook procurement package, initially intended for free student loans, due to the Ministry of Education and Training's anticipated curriculum and textbook revisions.

Instead, Hue City is adopting flexible support solutions to ensure students have access to textbooks while avoiding budget waste, according to Nguyen Tan, director of the Department of Education and Training.

The City Party Standing Committee reasoned that using a substantial budget to purchase textbooks for student loans requires careful consideration of timing and methods, especially with potential adjustments to the curriculum and textbooks. If the usage period for the books is too short, the investment might not be effective.

Currently, approximately 21% of students in the area lack textbooks. The Department of Education and Training is tasked with collaborating with Vietnam Education Publishing House to find solutions to ensure parents and students can purchase books before 15/9. The city will provide support for students from poor, near-poor, disadvantaged households, and those in mountainous areas.

While awaiting the books, teachers are encouraged to utilize digital learning resources for instruction, ensuring the curriculum remains intact.

According to Nguyen Tan, after the Ministry of Education and Training announces the revised curriculum and textbook roadmap, the department will advise the city on reassessing needs and investment timing. The goal is for free textbooks to have a stable, long-term usage period and be reusable, enhancing the efficiency of public investment.

Initially, Hue had planned to spend approximately 52,8 billion VND to purchase textbooks, offering them free to students from grades one to 12 this academic year. However, a survey conducted by the department in august revealed that only about 52,800 students needed to borrow books, a decrease of over 80,900 from the initial estimate. This reduction was because many parents had proactively purchased textbooks, negating the need to borrow from schools. Consequently, the estimated budget for purchasing books to loan decreased to about 12,3 billion VND.