Presiding over a specialized law-making session on the afternoon of 16/9, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung assigned Deputy Prime Minister Le Tien Chau to direct the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) to carry out the task.

Prime Minister Le Minh Hung chaired a specialized law-making session on the afternoon of 16/9. *Photo: VGP*

The prime minister's directive comes amidst an acute national textbook shortage. One day prior, MOET announced that after Vietnam Education Publishing House supplied nearly 237 million copies to localities, the country still faced a deficit of approximately 4 million textbooks.

MOET has instructed the publisher to immediately provide the missing books. Priority will be given to students who lack books or are missing the most titles, particularly in border areas, remote regions, disadvantaged areas, and groups eligible for support, provision, or loan of books.

The ministry identified several factors contributing to the shortage: the first-time nationwide adoption of a common set of books, some localities implementing support policies, and the reorganization of administrative units and school networks.

MOET has accepted responsibility for its forecasting, aggregation, and demand analysis not keeping pace with reality. The ministry also acknowledged that it did not fully assess the publisher's production organization, management, and supply network capacity, and that its corrective solutions were not fast or flexible enough. Furthermore, registration, forecasting, and coordination in some localities were found to be neither proactive nor timely.

The ministry determined that the responsibility for the localized textbook shortage lies with MOET itself, Vietnam Education Publishing House, and local authorities. This is a significant shortcoming that requires serious acknowledgment, rectification, and resolution to prevent recurrence in subsequent academic years.

The 2026-2027 academic year has seen an unprecedented textbook scarcity. In many provinces and cities such as Hue, Da Nang, Dak Lak, Gia Lai, An Giang, and especially Ho Chi Minh City, parents had to rush, queue, and "hunt" for individual books from before to several days after the start of the school year.

In addition to the textbook issue, the prime minister also highlighted shortcomings in school meal provision, noting concerns over quality and food safety. He stressed that MOET must collaborate with local authorities, emphasizing that ensuring student welfare, including school meals, is a primary responsibility of local administrations, especially grassroots levels. Provincial and city leaders are urged to uphold this responsibility in line with the Politburo's resolution on educational development.

Vu Tuan