Nearly 800 billion VND to innovate curriculum and textbooks

On the morning of September 27, continuing the working program, the Standing Committee of the National Assembly gave opinions on the Project for innovation of general education programs and textbooks and the draft Resolution of the National Assembly on innovation of general education programs and textbooks after 2015. Minister of Education and Training Pham Vu Luan, authorized by the Government, reported to the Standing Committee of the National Assembly on innovation of general education programs and textbooks.

One program, many textbooks

On this issue, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Uong Chu Luu agreed with the Government's submission as well as the review of the National Assembly's Committee on Culture, Education, Youth, Adolescents and Children on the implementation of the policy of one program, many textbooks. Regarding the program, the State must be responsible for promulgating it, while textbooks are compiled by the Ministry, organizations and individuals. The textbooks will be independently reviewed by the National Review Council, so there is no fear of losing objectivity. The Ministry of Education and Training participates in the compilation to ensure initiative, and on the other hand, it does not affect the competitiveness in textbook compilation. The Ministry of Education and Training should not restrict organizations and individuals from compiling textbooks on history and geography for fear of errors or sensitivity, because the National Review Council will review them before allowing them to be circulated.

The innovation of textbook programs will be carried out in 3 phases.

According to Minister Pham Vu Luan, the Ministry of Education and Training organizes the compilation, appraisal and promulgation of general education curriculum and textbooks for unified use nationwide. Based on the national unified program, organizations and individuals are encouraged to compile many different sets/textbooks. The Ministry of Education and Training issues regulations on the structure and criteria for evaluating textbooks, compiling and appraising textbooks; establishing an Appraisal Council and organizing the appraisal of textbooks; issuing decisions to recognize sets/textbooks that are allowed to circulate based on the results of the appraisal. The curriculum and textbooks ensure standardization, increase practice, and apply knowledge to practice; and promote the requirements for forming and developing students' qualities and abilities. The program is built as a whole, consistent from grade 1 to grade 12. The program is designed in two phases: Basic education phase (including primary and secondary school levels) and career-oriented education phase (high school level).

Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan is very concerned about the issue of how to clarify the principles of education in schools, society, and family in the process of compiling textbooks; there must be a combination of all three environments to have good educational products, this must be reflected in the compilation of textbooks. Regarding textbook selection, the draft Resolution needs to state that schools have the right to choose textbooks if the National Assembly agrees with the Government on this. Propaganda work must be promoted to create consensus, for successful innovation of the curriculum and textbooks.

Giving comments on the innovation of the curriculum and textbooks, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam emphasized that this is a difficult project, involving the entire population. Since 1981, there has been innovation, and then every 15-20 years on average. When Resolution 40 was issued in 2000, it also comprehensively assessed general education, so why continue to innovate now? In this innovation, the Ministry of Education and Training must make a comprehensive assessment because it affects many generations of students. The Government and the Ministry of Education and Training have listened to many enthusiastic opinions and concluded that it is necessary to innovate the curriculum and textbooks for general education because the world has also changed. This innovation of the curriculum and textbooks has a separation between curriculum and textbooks. In which, curriculum is a decree. This is a very new point. We want to reduce the load, but the world's knowledge is increasing, so we have to calculate very carefully. Regarding textbook compilation, the Government initially proposed two options, and many comments were received. However, many comments said that if the Ministry of Education and Training did not compile textbooks, there would be no initiative. What if by the time there were no textbooks that met the standards? Therefore, the majority of comments suggested that the National Assembly should only submit the option that the Ministry of Education and Training would participate in compiling textbooks.

Nearly 800 billion VND to innovate general education curriculum and textbooks

At the working session, the National Assembly Standing Committee gave its opinions on the Project for Innovation of General Education Curriculum and Textbooks and the draft Resolution of the National Assembly on Innovation of General Education Curriculum and Textbooks. Presenting the Government's report on this project, Minister of Education and Training Pham Vu Luan said that this project will innovate many issues of the general education curriculum and textbooks, from shifting teaching and learning to developing students' capacity; innovating exams to compiling textbooks. Regarding the development of a new curriculum, the Ministry will develop and experiment with the general education curriculum including both the general program and subjects. Regarding the compilation of new textbooks, the policy of one curriculum and many sets of textbooks will be implemented, in which only the curriculum is legal (currently both the curriculum and textbooks are legal), and textbooks are an important document along with other documents for students to study. According to the Ministry of Education and Training, this is to mobilize the intelligence and creativity of organizations and individuals in compiling textbooks, meeting the diverse needs of teachers and students in using textbooks and documents; eliminating monopoly in textbooks; and being suitable for the level of students in each region.

The Ministry of Education and Training plans to participate in compiling a set of textbooks, with other organizations and individuals participating to be proactive in textbooks. However, this plan may make organizations and individuals afraid to compile textbooks anymore, because they do not want to "touch" the Ministry's textbooks. "But the Ministry does not plan to have a single set of textbooks, but aims to have many sets of textbooks. If the National Assembly agrees to this plan, the Ministry will step up propaganda to make it clear that the Ministry's presiding over the compilation of a set of textbooks is to increase the initiative in implementing the new Curriculum and Textbooks, with at least one set of textbooks. The Ministry's making of one set of textbooks does not affect the existence of many sets of textbooks; other sets of textbooks that meet the standards are encouraged to be circulated in schools," Minister Pham Vu Luan Luan emphasized.

Regarding the estimated budget for implementing the new textbook program, Minister Pham Vu Luan stated that after the Ministry of Education and Training compiles the textbooks, it will auction the copyright so that the publishers can pay the proceeds from the copyright sale to the State budget. Accordingly, about 462 billion VND is needed to train the textbook compilation team, including the force of organizations and individuals writing textbooks; and to appraise textbooks. The Ministry plans to have 4 sets of textbooks in the first period, compiled by both the Ministry and organizations and individuals. However, this 462 billion VND does not include the cost of retraining teachers as well as supporting localities to implement the new textbook program. The Ministry of Education and Training said that an additional 316.8 billion VND is needed to compile local educational materials; provide training funds for localities, record lectures for online broadcasting; and support training for teachers in disadvantaged areas.

Thus, the total budget for implementing the new CT-SGK project is 778.8 billion VND. Of which, 504.4 billion VND is from the central budget; 274.4 billion VND from the local budget. However, Minister Pham Vu Luan also said that there may be more.

The project to innovate the curriculum and textbooks has been feasible.

Presenting the review report on these contents, Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee on Culture, Education, Youth, Adolescents and Children Dao Trong Thi said that the Committee agreed with the policy of using many textbooks for each subject and implementing the socialization of the compilation and publication of general textbooks in a reasonable and conditional manner. Accordingly, the Ministry of Education and Training agreed to compile a set of textbooks to ensure initiative in work time and control the quality of necessary content in the process of implementing the roadmap and plan for curriculum and textbook innovation on a national scale and simultaneously at all three levels of education.

Regarding the budget for implementing the Innovation of Curriculum and Textbooks for General Education, Mr. Thi said that the Government's Project has listed in detail the contents and items of the stages in the process of compiling the Curriculum and Textbooks for General Education and separated the financial resources spent through the Central budget from the financial resources spent through the local budget and the socialized financial resources from other individuals and organizations. The estimated budget for implementing the task at the Central level is relatively specific, reasonable and feasible. The Committee suggested that the Drafting Committee add the section on the budget for implementing the tasks of localities to have a total estimate of the budget for the Project on Innovation of Curriculum and Textbooks for General Education.

Regarding the roadmap for implementing the innovation of the general education curriculum and textbooks, the Committee basically agrees with the steps outlined in the roadmap as proposed by the Government, but suggests considering allocating appropriate time for piloting the new program. It is necessary to organize an assessment of the status of the teaching staff, management staff, and educational facilities and equipment to determine a specific plan for implementing the innovation of the new curriculum and textbooks for each educational institution. The mass implementation of the new curriculum and textbooks also needs to be considered reasonably. For primary schools, it can be implemented simultaneously in all grades, but for middle and high schools, it is necessary to follow a rolling form at each grade level.

Roadmap for implementing curriculum and textbook innovation in three phases

- Phase 1 (from January 2015 to June 2017): Prepare conditions for developing new programs and textbooks; develop, appraise and promulgate new programs; compile a set of teaching materials according to the new program. The Ministry of Education and Training organizes the compilation of a set of textbooks while organizations and individuals compile other textbooks; organizes the appraisal and approval of textbooks; compiles materials for training teachers of general education institutions to implement the new programs and textbooks; trains core staff on the process and techniques for organizing online training for teachers of general education institutions; develops a plan for training teachers of general education institutions to implement the new programs and textbooks.

Complete the establishment of the Electronic Information page on General Education Program Innovation; develop a National Radio and Television Program on General Education Program Innovation; organize propaganda on General Education Program Innovation.

- Phase 2 (from July 2017 to June 2018): Develop, adjust, complete, and supplement policies and regulations related to the implementation of new programs and textbooks; continue to compile, appraise, and approve textbooks; continue to promote innovation in curriculum and textbooks; auction the copyright of a set of textbooks compiled by the Ministry of Education and Training.

- Phase 3 (from July 2018 to December 2021): From the 2018-2019 school year, implement the new program; continue to develop, adjust, perfect, and supplement policies and regulations related to the implementation of new programs and textbooks; continue to compile, appraise, and approve textbooks; continue to promote innovation in programs and textbooks; evaluate, adjust, and promulgate new program documents.

According to QĐND