New textbook prices reduced by 2-10% after declaration review

Textbooks will be cheaper than the original proposal. Photo: Vietnam Education Publishing House

Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son said that currently 37/63 provinces and cities (including Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City) have selected textbooks for grades 4, 8, and 11. The remaining 26 localities are waiting for price appraisal from the Ministry of Finance to decide on their selection.

"The main issue related to textbooks that will be replaced this year is for grades 4, 8, and 11. This includes content on compilation, appraisal, approval, selection, pricing, price appraisal, price approval, printing, publishing, and distribution...", said Minister Nguyen Kim Son.

Review of textbook prices for grades 4, 8 and 11

Regarding textbook prices, Ms. Dinh Thi Nuong - Deputy Director of the Price Management Department (Ministry of Finance) said that textbooks are items whose prices are declared by businesses, so the ministry only conducts reviews but does not appraise prices.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha requested the Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Finance to widely announce the progress of book printing and the results of book price review. Photo: Photo: VGP/Dinh Nam

On May 10, the ministry completed the price review of textbooks for grades 4, 8 and 11. After the review, the prices of these textbooks were reduced by 2-10% compared to the original suggested prices. As for textbooks from the Education Publishing House, the Ministry of Finance requested a re-declaration.

From now until May 15, the Ministry of Finance will review the prices of all textbooks to provide a basis for localities to implement.

The Ministry of Finance also requested publishers to announce book titles so that localities can count and select them, and printing units can proactively meet the quantity.

With an average price of 200,000 VND/set of books, the Ministry of Education and Training has proposed 3 options for the State budget to support the purchase of textbooks for lending through school libraries for: 70% of students who have not yet enjoyed textbook support policies; 50% of students who have not yet enjoyed textbook support policies; students whose parents are near-poor households.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha emphasized that textbooks are an issue that parents, students, schools and society are interested in and waiting for, especially when preparing to enter the new school year.

The Deputy Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Finance to widely announce the progress of book printing and the results of book price review so that the remaining 26 localities can promptly select and register to buy textbooks for grades 4, 8, and 11.

"Do not reduce the State budget investment in education"

At the meeting, the leaders of the Ministry of Education and Training also reported on the plan to adjust tuition fees for the 2023-2024 school year. It is expected that in early July, the People's Councils of localities will approve tuition fees for the new school year. For higher education, schools must decide on tuition fees and notify them before candidates register for admission.

The Deputy Prime Minister agreed with the plan for universities and vocational training institutions to implement the roadmap for increasing tuition fees according to Decree 81/2021/ND-CP. For preschool and general education levels, the adjustment of tuition fees will be decided by the People's Councils of provinces and cities according to local conditions.

The Deputy Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Education and Training to clearly assess the social impact, especially the impact on policy beneficiaries, vulnerable groups, and those who cannot even go to school due to increased tuition fees, and from there, have specific support plans, "ensuring consistent goals in implementing universal primary education".

"In areas with favorable economic conditions, it is necessary to promote socialization and encourage autonomy for public educational institutions on the basis of correctly and fully calculating educational costs, and allocating the state budget to support policy groups, disadvantaged groups, and those in remote and isolated areas," the Deputy Prime Minister said, stating the principle of "not reducing the state budget invested in education."

The Ministry of Education and Training also needs to continue researching a comprehensive and systematic tuition policy to ensure the goal of socialization and universalization of general education.