Vietnam Faces Textbook Shortage of 4 Million Copies at Start of New School Year; Ministry Takes Responsibility

Vietnam is facing a shortage of approximately 4 million textbooks, or 1.5% of the national demand, as the new school year commences. The Ministry of Education and Training announced on September 15 that this figure was tallied after the Vietnam Education Publishing House supplied nearly 237 million books to localities. The ministry has directed the publisher to immediately supplement the remaining books, prioritizing students who have not yet received any or are missing multiple titles, especially in border areas, remote regions, disadvantaged communities, and those eligible for support, free distribution, or book loans. Regarding the reasons for the textbook deficit despite the start of the academic year, the ministry acknowledged that several new factors have impacted the situation. These include the first-time use of a unified set of textbooks nationwide, the implementation of support policies in some localities, and the reorganization of administrative units and the school and classroom network. "These factors have caused significant fluctuations in textbook demand over a short period, while the production, printing, and supply processes require preparation time," the ministry stated. The Ministry of Education and Training accepted responsibility for not keeping up with the actual demand in forecasting, aggregation, and analysis. It also cited insufficient assessment of the publisher's production capacity, management, and supply network, as well as solutions that were not fast or flexible enough. Proactive and timely registration, forecasting, and coordination in some localities were also lacking. "The responsibility for the occurrence of localized textbook shortages lies with the Ministry, the Vietnam Education Publishing House, and the localities," the ministry declared. "This is a limitation that must be seriously acknowledged, rectified, and overcome to prevent recurrence in future academic years." Concerning the review and adjustment of the general education curriculum and textbooks, the ministry indicated a direction towards reducing academic rigor, increasing practical application and experience, enhancing comprehensive education, and updating new requirements. This will be implemented comprehensively and systematically to ensure educational quality without causing unnecessary disruption or confusion to teaching and learning activities. The 2026-2027 academic year saw an unprecedented textbook scarcity. In many provinces and cities such as Hue, Da Nang, Dak Lak, Gia Lai, An Giang, and particularly Ho Chi Minh City, parents were seen scrambling and lining up for hours to "hunt" for individual textbooks, both before and after the opening ceremony. Source: VnExpress