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36 clusters · 58 sources · 113 days · First seen · Last updated
Vietnam advances K-12 textbook reform and school mergers
Overview
Vietnam continues its educational reforms through curriculum updates and massive institutional restructuring. Following directives from Prime Minister Le Minh Hung, the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) is preparing a unified K-12 textbook set for nationwide implementation in the 2028–2029 school year. This reform includes centralizing textbook copyrights as state assets, transferring ownership from the Vietnam Education Publishing House (VEPH) to the Ministry to facilitate a roadmap for providing free books to students. To lower costs, MoET is researching ways to eliminate intermediaries and may delegate printing and distribution to local provinces.
Simultaneously, a large-scale reorganization of public schools has significantly altered the educational landscape. All 34 provinces and cities have implemented restructuring, reducing the number of public educational institutions by 50.6%, from 37,530 to 18,555. This consolidation has resulted in 13,518 multi-campus institutions and 2,418 schools serving multiple educational levels. The restructuring has eliminated 33,870 management positions, leading to various reassignments, retirements, and transfers. Minister Hoang Minh Son has directed local authorities to manage these personnel transitions carefully to ensure staff unity.
The 2026–2027 school year, the first to implement a unified textbook set, has faced significant logistical challenges. Despite VEPH distributing hundreds of millions of copies, localized shortages of approximately 3.9 million books occurred due to administrative restructuring and shifting demand. While MoET reported that supply was largely stabilized by late September, provinces like Hai Phong and Gia Lai reported ongoing difficulties. In response, the Politburo has established an inspection team to investigate the supply chain and hold responsible entities accountable, with investigations expected to conclude by December 2026. Additionally, the sector faces a national teacher deficit of over 100,000 staff, prompting discussions on increasing teaching quotas and reforming teacher training institutions.
Entities
Ministry of Education and Training · Vietnam Education Publishing House · Ho Chi Minh City · Vietnam · Lê Tiến Châu
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
Coverage disagrees
Sources make claims that cannot both be true. CLSTR reports the disagreement; it does not decide who is right.
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"A new national education system structure with nine levels will take effect on September 7, 2026."
vs
"New educational policies in Vietnam take effect on September 1, 2026."
The claims specify different effective dates for the new educational policies/structure (September 1, 2026, versus September 7, 2026).
- [DISPUTED] New educational policies in Vietnam take effect on September 1, 2026.
- [DISPUTED] A new national education system structure with nine levels will take effect on September 7, 2026.
- [● 5 SOURCES] Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng signed Dispatch No. 62/CĐ-TTg regarding policies for disadvantaged and minority students.
- [● 4 SOURCES] Local authorities must review and implement policies for students from ethnic minorities, disadvantaged areas, and vulnerable groups.
- [● 3 SOURCES] New policies allow retired teachers to sign full-time employment contracts.
- [● 2 SOURCES] Circular No. 61/2026/TT-BGDDT regarding open educational resources in higher education takes effect on September 1, 2026.
- [● 2 SOURCES] The Ministry of Education and Training has issued directives for student affairs for the 2026-2027 academic year.
- [● 2 SOURCES] Educational institutions must strengthen political, ideological, and moral education while promoting school culture.
- [● 2 SOURCES] Schools are directed to shift from reacting to school violence to prioritizing early identification, prevention, and intervention.
- [● 2 SOURCES] The Ministry requires free health check-ups or screenings at the beginning of the school year.
- [● 2 SOURCES] Điện Biên province must verify reports regarding schools requesting rice and essential supplies from the community.
Timeline
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[POLITICS] 14 sourcesVietnam Ministry of Education proposes reducing Grade 10 entrance exams
Vietnam's Ministry of Education proposes reducing Grade 10 entrance exams to just Mathematics and Literature to lower student pressure and support comprehensive learning.
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[POLITICS] 2 sourcesVietnam reviews school mergers and two-session teaching models
Vietnam is refining its educational approach by optimizing two-session daily teaching and reviewing the impact of large-scale school mergers on student safety and learning quality.
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[POLITICS] 5 sourcesVietnam investigates textbook shortages for 2026-2027 school year
Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training is investigating a severe textbook shortage for the 2026-2027 school year, identifying four key entities for accountability and launching a Politburo-led inspection.
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[POLITICS] 2 sourcesVietnam Education Minister orders staff resolution after school restructuring
Vietnam's Education Minister has ordered provinces to resolve staff benefits and maintain unity following a restructuring that halved the number of public schools to 18,555.
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[POLITICS] 10 sourcesVietnam Ministry of Education to launch unified K-12 textbooks by 2028
Vietnam's Ministry of Education is developing a new unified K-12 textbook set for 2028, centralizing copyrights as state assets and exploring free distribution and localized printing to reduce costs.
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[POLITICS] 2 sourcesHai Phong schools face widespread textbook shortages
Three weeks into the new school year, 367 schools in Hai Phong, Vietnam, face a textbook shortage, forcing parents to photocopy materials and teachers to use digital projections.
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[CULTURE] 6 sourcesVietnamese schools implement mergers and restructuring for 2026-2027 academic year
Schools in Vietnam, including institutions in Hanoi, are implementing mergers and organizational restructuring for the 2026-2027 school year to optimize resources and educational quality.
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[POLITICS] 2 sourcesVietnam provinces report teacher and textbook shortages
Vietnam faces educational challenges as An Giang and Bac Ninh report significant shortages of teachers and textbooks for the 2026-2027 school year.
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[POLITICS] 3 sourcesVietnam Ministry of Education ensures sufficient textbook supply
Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training has fulfilled the textbook supply for the 2026-2027 school year, with nearly 3 million additional copies being printed to meet emerging demand and emergency reserves
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[POLITICS] 7 sourcesVietnam education reforms target teacher training and staffing shortages
Vietnam faces a shortage of over 100,000 teachers as the Ministry of Education and Training implements reforms to teacher training, staffing norms, and vocational education standards.
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[POLITICS] 12 sourcesVietnam education sector undergoes major restructuring and resource management
Vietnam is restructuring its education system by consolidating teacher training institutions, addressing textbook shortages, and planning a 20% reduction in public higher education entities by 2027.
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[CULTURE] 2 sourcesGia Lai students face shortage of 35,000 textbooks
Nearly 35,000 students in Gia Lai, Vietnam, are facing textbook shortages, prompting officials to recommend using libraries and free electronic versions while supply issues are resolved.
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[POLITICS] 5 sourcesVietnam Prime Minister orders action on textbook shortages
Vietnam's Prime Minister has ordered a crackdown on textbook shortages, while Ho Chi Minh City was named an Asia-Pacific “City to Watch” due to its rapid economic growth and stability.
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[POLITICS] 12 sourcesVietnam faces shortage of nearly 4 million textbooks
Vietnam faces a shortage of nearly 3.9 million textbooks. MOET and the Vietnam Education Publishing House are coordinating to redistribute supplies and increase printing to support students.
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[POLITICS] 5 sourcesVietnam faces textbook shortages despite high production volumes
Despite high production volumes, many Vietnamese students face textbook shortages, forcing parents to travel long distances or queue for hours as the new school year begins.
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[POLITICS] 4 sourcesVietnam Ministry of Education orders textbook supply review
Vietnam's Ministry of Education has ordered a comprehensive review to ensure textbook availability for the 2026-2027 school year, including redistributing surplus books and providing free digital versions.
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[POLITICS] 18 sourcesVietnam faces textbook shortages for the 2026-2027 school year
Vietnam faces localized textbook shortages for the new school year, prompting government action and the use of free digital versions to ensure students can continue their studies.
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[CULTURE] 5 sourcesVietnam ensures textbook supply and advances education reforms
Vietnam has distributed 228 million textbooks for the new school year, while the Ministry of Education implements reforms to improve teaching quality, digital literacy, and student safety.
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[POLITICS] 25 sourcesVietnam prepares for 2026-2027 academic year with major reforms
Vietnam prepares for the 2026-2027 school year with major educational restructuring, infrastructure upgrades, and new directives from Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng to support disadvantaged students.
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[CULTURE] 3 sourcesVietnam Education Publishing House sees textbook queues in Ho Chi Minh City
Parents in Ho Chi Minh City are queuing at the Vietnam Education Publishing House to buy textbooks, with some items still facing supply shortages despite a recent decrease in crowd intensity.
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[POLITICS] 6 sourcesHanoi plans free textbooks for students starting 2027-2028 school year
Hanoi aims to provide free textbooks to 1.8 million students starting in the 2027-2028 school year, following a planned roadmap for budget and procurement preparation.
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[CULTURE] 8 sourcesVietnam faces textbook supply shortages ahead of new school year
Parents in Vietnam, particularly in Ho Chi Minh City, are facing textbook shortages ahead of the 2026-2027 school year, prompting urgent intervention from education authorities.
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[POLITICS] 11 sourcesVietnam expands educational subsidies and student support policies
Vietnam is rolling out diverse educational policies, including free textbooks in Hanoi, Thanh Hoa, and Khanh Hoa, and increased financial support for resident doctors and overseas researchers.
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[CULTURE] 15 sourcesVietnam prepares for the 2026-2027 academic year
Vietnam prepares for the 2026-2027 school year with infrastructure upgrades, network restructuring, and student support, despite challenges like school closures in Ho Chi Minh City.
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[POLITICS] 7 sourcesVietnam Education Publishing House addresses localized textbook shortages
Vietnam's Ministry of Education has ordered the Vietnam Education Publishing House to resolve localized textbook shortages by August 30 to ensure students have complete sets for the new school year.
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[CULTURE] 8 sourcesVietnam education updates: textbook changes and tuition policies
Vietnam prepares for the 2026-2027 school year with unified textbooks, new tuition exemption policies, and administrative reforms to reduce teacher workload despite localized book shortages.
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[CULTURE] 8 sourcesVietnam provinces announce 2026-2027 school year schedules
Ten Vietnamese provinces have announced back-to-school dates for the 2026-2027 school year, with Ho Chi Minh City leading the earliest returns starting August 17.
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[POLITICS] 3 sourcesVietnam localities to implement free textbook policies for 2026-2027 school year
Thirteen Vietnamese localities, including Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, plan to implement free textbook policies for the 2026-2027 school year using a borrow-and-return model.
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[POLITICS] 7 sourcesHanoi announces free textbooks and new education policies for 2026-2027
Hanoi has announced plans to provide free textbooks and various student supports starting in the 2026-2027 school year, alongside new tuition fee regulations for high-quality public schools.
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[POLITICS] 2 sourcesNghe An Province to Provide Free Textbooks to Over 200,000 Students
Nghe An Province will spend over VND 80 billion to provide free, loan‑return textbooks to more than 208,000 priority students for the 2026‑27 school year, the first nationwide rollout under Decree 271/2026.
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[POLITICS] 2 sourcesHai Phong City to Provide Free Textbooks to All Students Starting 2027‑2028
Hai Phong will give free textbooks to all 810,000 K‑12 students from 2027‑2028, two years ahead of the national schedule, costing about 241.5 trillion VND.
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[CULTURE] 4 sourcesVietnam provides free textbooks to schools for 2026‑2027 academic year
Vietnam's education publisher reports over 85% of the unified 2026‑27 textbooks have reached localities, with >99% in stock, planning to distribute 204 million textbooks and 37 million workbooks to 19 million +
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[POLITICS] 6 sourcesVietnam rolls out free textbook program for students in 2026‑27
Vietnam’s decree enables free textbooks nationwide by 2029‑30, with seven areas already offering them in 2026‑27; Ho Chi Minh City plans a loan‑return system for all grades, costing about 567 bn VND.
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[POLITICS] 2 sourcesQuảng Ninh launches 800 trillion VND education plan for 2026‑27 school year
Quảng Ninh will spend nearly 800 trillion VND in 2026‑27 on free textbooks, milk, meals, transport and scholarships for over 539,000 students, plus an electric‑bus pilot and green‑school upgrades.
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[CULTURE] 10 sourcesVietnam to add Lao language and expand school infrastructure for 2026‑2027 academic year
Vietnam will teach Lao in schools, add 1,805 classrooms in Hanoi, roll out a unified textbook and launch an English self‑study month for teachers in 2026‑2027.
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[POLITICS] 2 sourcesVietnam announces massive school expansion for 2026‑27 academic year
Vietnam’s leader Tô Lâm pledges extensive school construction, new classroom targets and free textbook programs for the 2026‑27 school year, aiming to serve millions of students nationwide.
Sources
afamily.vn · anninhthudo.vn · baochinhphu.vn · baogialai.com.vn · baogiaothong.vn · baohatinh.vn · baolaocai.vn · baophutho.vn · baoquangninh.vn · baotintuc.vn · baoxaydung.vn · biz.cafef.vn · cafebiz.vn · cafef.vn · congnghevadoisong.vn · dientuungdung.vn · doanhnghieptiepthi.vn · en.baoquocte.vn · en.vietnamplus.vn · fr.vietnamplus.vn · giadinh.net.vn · giadinh.suckhoedoisong.vn · giaoducthoidai.vn · giaophanbacninh.org · giaophanhatinh.org · gpbuichu.org · hiu.vn · hoahoctro.tienphong.vn · htv.vn · kenh14.vn · kienthuc.net.vn · kinhdoanhvaphattrien.vn · lubicsszilvi.webnode.hu · m.afamily.vn · m.soha.vn · m.thanhnien.vn · mekongasean.vn · moitruong.net.vn · nhandan.vn · phunuvietnam.vn · rpnews.com.br · saobentoemfoco.com.br · soha.vn · sputniknews.vn · thanhnien.com.vn · thanhnien.vn · thoibao.de · thoibaonganhang.vn
This summary has been updated 55 times: see revision history