Regulations on textbooks of general education in Vietnam

Regulations on textbooks of general education in Vietnam (Internet image) 

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

1. Regulations on textbooks of general education in Vietnam

Regulations on textbooks of general education according to Article 32 of the Education Law 2019 are as follows:

- Textbooks of general education are regulated as follows:

+ Textbooks must implement programmes of general education, concretizing the requirements on educational objectives and contents, on students’ quality and capacity as defined in programmes of general education; direct teaching methods and methods of assessing and evaluating education quality; contents and formats of textbooks shall not carry prejudices based on ethnicity, religion, profession, gender, age and social status; textbooks may be in the printed, Braille or electronic forms.

+ Each subject shall have one or several textbooks; implement private sector involvement in textbook compilation; textbook publication shall be in compliance with the law;

+ Provincial People’s Committees shall decide selection of textbooks for consistent use in institutions of general education in their localities as regulated by the Minister of Education and Training.

+ Local educational materials shall be designed by provincial People’s Committees to meet the needs and characteristics of their localities, be appraised by provincial review councils for appraising and approved by the Minister of Education and Training.

- The Minister of Education and Training shall establish the National review council of each subject and each educational activity for appraising textbooks. The council shall be composed of teachers, education managers, experienced and prestigious scientists in the field of education and representatives of relevant agencies and organisations.

At least one-third of the council members must be teachers who are working in corresponding educational levels. The council and the council members shall be responsible for the appraisal contents and quality.  

- The Minister of Education and Training shall be responsible for textbooks of general education; approve textbooks used in institutions of general education after receiving the appraisals of the National review council for appraising textbooks; regulate standards, compiling and editing processes of textbooks of general education; stipulate selection of textbooks in institutions of general education; stipulate the duties, powers, operating methods, standards, number and structure of members of the National review council for appraising textbooks and provincial review councils for appraising..

- Chairwomen/chairmen of provincial People’s Committees shall decide establishment of provincial review councils for appraising local educational materials.

2. Programmes of general education in Vietnam

Programmes of general education according to Article 31 of the Education Law 2019 are as follows:

- Programmes of general education shall:

+ Reflect the objectives of general education;

+ Concretize the requirements on the outcomes of students’ quality and capacity after each educational level and on the educational contents compulsory to all students throughout the country;

+ Concretize the requirements on the methods and forms of organizing educational activities and on the evaluation of educational outcomes for subjects of each class and educational level of general education.

+ Be consistent throughout the country and implemented flexibly, suitable with specific conditions of localities and institutions of general education;

+ Be open to feedbacks from organisations and individuals and undergo a pilot implementation before promulgation; be publicly announced after promulgation.

- The Minister of Education and Training shall establish the National review council for appraising curricula for general education to appraise curricula of general education.

The council shall be composed of teachers, education managers, experienced and prestigious scientists in the field of education and representatives of relevant agencies, organisations. At least one-third of the council members must be teachers who are working in corresponding educational levels. The council and the council members shall be responsible for the appraisal contents and quality.  

- The Minister of Education and Training shall be responsible for the quality of general education programmes; promulgate programmes of general education after receiving the appraisals of the National review council for appraising curricula for general education; stipulate standards, compiling and editing processes of programme of general education; regulate objectives, subjects, scale, pilot duration of some new educational contents and methods in institutions of general education; stipulate the duties, powers, operating methods, standards, number and structure of members of the National review council for appraising curricula for general education.

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