To not increase textbook prices unreasonably before the start of a new school year in Vietnam

To not increase textbook prices unreasonably before the start of a new school year in Vietnam (Internet image)

Regarding this issue, LawNet would like to answer as follows:

To not increase textbook prices unreasonably before the start of a new school year in Vietnam

On August 16, 2023, the Prime Minister issued Official Telegram 747/CD-TTg regulating on ensuring timely textbooks and teachers for the 2023 - 2024 school year. This includes the content of not increasing the price of textbooks unreasonable before the start of the new school year.

It is stipulated that the People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities in Vietnam are responsible for:

- Review, inspect, and urge adequate facilities and educational equipment before the new school year; actively deploy recruitment of assigned staff according to Decision 72-QD/TW of the Politburo in 2022.

- Urgently overcome the situation that the structure of the teaching staff is still inadequate between all levels and areas of the locality; Flexibly implement, arrange, and arrange teachers to ensure sufficient quantity and synchronization in structure; In the event that it is not possible to recruit enough teachers according to the norm, the solution of teacher contracts shall be implemented according to Decree 111/2022/ND-CP.

- Coordinate with publishers to organize the supply of textbooks in the area, ensuring quality and ensuring there is absolutely no delay, lack of textbooks, or unreasonable price increases before the start of the new school year.

- Have a plan to support textbooks for students from poor and near-poor households, students subject to policy, students in difficult and disadvantaged circumstances, students in remote areas, and ethnic minorities, ensuring adequate and favorable conditions before the new school year.

The Government Office shall monitor and urge relevant ministries, agencies, and localities to implement this Official Dispatch and promptly report to the Prime Minister any problems or difficulties in the implementation process.

Thus, according to the above regulations, the Prime Minister requests the People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities to carry out specific responsibilities, including checking and coordinating with publishers to prevent unreasonable price increases before the start of the new school year.

In addition, the Government requires ministries to have the following responsibilities:

- The Ministry of Education and Training is responsible for:

+ Direct and urge publishers, organizations, and individuals participating in compiling textbooks to review and compile the implementation and bidding process widely, openly, and transparently on the printing and distribution of textbooks to ensure quality and reduce costs; immediately inspect and supervise the organization of the compilation, bidding, printing, and distribution of textbooks.

+ Direct localities to strengthen their responsibilities for reviewing the compilation, selection, supply, and use of textbooks, educational materials of the locality, and reference materials in accordance with regulations; have a plan to support textbooks for students from poor or near-poor households, students subject to policy, students in difficult and disadvantaged circumstances, students in remote areas, and ethnic minorities, ensuring adequate and favorable conditions before the new school year.

+ Coordinate with the Ministry of Home Affairs in directing the recruitment of teachers, reviewing, restructuring, arranging, and employing teachers to ensure that there are enough teachers to teach the right subjects and subjects according to regulations; flexibly implement plans to transfer and second teachers from places with surplus to places with shortage; proactively develop plans to have timely, appropriate, and effective sources of teacher recruitment according to specific local conditions.

+ Urgently take solutions to overcome the limitations and inadequacies mentioned in Report 584/BC-ĐGS 2023 of the Supervisory Delegation of the National Assembly Standing Committee to supervise the implementation of Resolution 88/2014/QH13 and Resolution 51/2017/QH14, including the preparation of a set of textbooks by the State.

- The Ministry of Home Affairs is responsible for:

+ Inspect and urge localities to urgently restructure, arrange, and recruit teachers according to the allocated staffing quotas according to Decision 72-QD/TW in 2022 of the Politburo to ensure quantity and quality; guide localities to implement Decree 111/2022/ND-CP in case teachers cannot be arranged according to the norms to ensure the implementation of the policy of "with students, there must be teachers in the classroom" appropriately and effectively.

+ Urgently review, check, and synthesize the missing teacher needs for the 2023–2024 school year in localities and report to the Prime Minister for submission to competent authorities for consideration and decision.

- The Ministry of Finance is responsible for checking localities to ensure the minimum spending of 20% of the local budget for education according to the provisions of the Education Law 2019 and Decision 30/2021/QD-TTg.

Nguyen Ngoc Que Anh

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