Nguyen Van Duoc, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, announced this information at a government-locality conference on the morning of 4/7.

According to the plan, students in grade one, six, and 10 will be able to borrow textbooks for free from school libraries starting in the 2026-2027 school year. The program will then expand annually, reaching all grades by 2029.

Additionally, Ho Chi Minh City has allocated 150 billion dong to provide free textbooks this year to disadvantaged students and those from ethnic minority groups.

Nguyen Van Duoc stated that Ho Chi Minh City currently has over 14 million residents, resulting in a large student population that puts pressure on the school system. Therefore, the city has launched a "150-day campaign to complete 1,000 classrooms for the 2026-2027 school year", aiming for completion before 5/9.

Upon achieving this goal, Ho Chi Minh City expects to reach a ratio of 230 classrooms per 10,000 residents, with a further aim for 300 classrooms per 10,000 residents by the 2028-2029 school year.

Junior high school textbooks. Photo: Hoang Giang

The policy for free textbooks was established in Politburo Resolution 71 on breakthrough development in education and training, and subsequently approved by the National Assembly. The resolution also mandates that starting from the 2026-2027 school year, the entire country will use a single set of textbooks, replacing the multiple sets currently in use.

Providing free textbooks aims to reduce educational costs for citizens and ensure students have more equitable access to education, especially those in difficult areas or with limited economic circumstances.

According to a draft decree developed by the Ministry of Education and Training, from the 2029-2030 school year, students nationwide will be able to borrow textbooks for free from school libraries and return them at the end of the school year. The list of books will be issued by the Minister of Education and Training and used uniformly across the country.

The State will invest in purchasing books for school libraries. Students and teachers can borrow books for use during a semester or the entire school year, then return them. In cases of loss or damage due to borrower negligence, the borrower must replace the exact book borrowed or pay 50% to 100% of the cover price, depending on the usage period.

Currently, a set of textbooks costs approximately 200,000 to 300,000 dong, not including English language books. The draft also encourages localities with sufficient budget capacity to implement the policy earlier than the national schedule.

In addition to textbooks, the Ministry of Education and Training also proposes that starting from the 2027-2028 school year, tuition and course materials for National Defense and Security Education will be free for students, except for those who must retake the course.

Before Ho Chi Minh City, Hoa Vang commune in Da Nang City had already announced its plan to provide free textbooks to local students. The locality expects to spend about 1,5 billion dong to purchase 74,000 new books, increasing the total in its shared library to 91,000 books, serving approximately 7,000 students through a loan and return system after each school year.

Vu Tuan