A new set of textbooks for grades 4, 8, and 11 costs between 250,000 and 390,000 VND, which is 2-3 times higher than the currently used set.
On June 13th, the Vietnam Education Publishing House announced the prices for new textbooks for grades 4, 8, and 11 in the two series "Connecting Knowledge with Life" and "Creative Horizons". The Vietnam Education Investment and Publishing Joint Stock Company (VEPIC) also released the prices for the "Wings of the Kite" series. These three textbook series have been approved by the Ministry of Education and Training and will serve as the basis for schools to select and use starting from the 2023-2024 school year.
Accordingly, the cheapest textbooks are for grade 4. A complete set of 14-15 books, including two volumes each for Math, Vietnamese, and English, costs between 250,000 and 280,000 VND. The "Cánh Diều" series, which doesn't include English books, is priced at 230,000 VND.
The price of the textbooks currently in use for grade 4, under the old curriculum, is 87,000 VND. Thus, the new textbooks are about three times more expensive, similar to the new textbooks for grades 3, 7, and 10 last year. However, the old grade 4 textbook set only had 9 books. The additional books in the new set are mainly for Physical Education and Experiential Activities.
Textbooks for grades 8 and 11 are also 2-3 times more expensive than the old sets. A complete set of 14 books for grade 8 from the "Connecting Knowledge with Life" series costs 270,000-300,000 VND. The other two sets, although missing one subject, are still priced between 250,000-270,000 VND.
The set of 11th-grade textbooks sells for approximately 350,000-390,000 VND. This amount is an approximate calculation based on the individual prices of 16 books, including 9 books for compulsory subjects in the new curriculum, 4 books for elective subjects, and 3 specialized books. Parents will have to pay a higher price for the "Wings of the Kite" series because it does not yet include an English textbook.
These are the retail prices declared by publishers to the Price Management Department, Ministry of Finance . The approximate price range for each set of books is as follows:
| book set | Number of books | Price (unit: VND) |
| Connecting knowledge with life 4 | 14-15 books | 247,000-275,000 |
| Creative Horizons 4 | 14-15 books | Approximately 250,000-280,000 |
| Kite 4 | 13 (no English) | 230,000 |
| Connecting knowledge with life 8 | 14 | 272,000-299,000 |
| Creative Horizons 8 | 13 (excluding Natural Sciences) | 246,000-273,000 |
| Kite 8 | 13 (no English) | 268,000 |
| Connecting knowledge with life 11 | 16 (9 books for 7 compulsory subjects, 4 books for 4 elective subjects, 3 specialized books) | Approximately 350,000 |
| Creative Horizons 11 | 16 (9 books for 7 compulsory subjects, 4 books for 4 elective subjects, 3 specialized books) | Approximately 390,000 |
| Kite 11 | 15 (9 books for 6 compulsory subjects - excluding English, 4 books for 4 elective subjects, 3 specialized books) | Approximately 370,000 |
In May 2022, when announcing the higher prices for the new sets of textbooks compared to the old ones, the Education Publishing House explained that this was partly due to the increased number of books in each set.
Furthermore, the compilation and publication are funded by the enterprise. In contrast, with the old textbooks, the entire cost of manuscript preparation was covered by the state budget and World Bank loans, with the Education Publishing House only paying for the manuscript costs of reprinting.
In addition, the new textbooks are 19 x 26.5 cm, 1.2 times larger than the old ones (17 x 24 cm). "To meet the requirements of educational reform based on the competency-based development model, textbooks need to be changed to include more visual elements and content visualization... Therefore, the printing cost has increased by 23%," said a representative from the Education Publishing House.
In this year's price list, VEPIC Company also stated that the "Wings of the Kite" textbooks are printed on the highest quality paper, with vibrant colors and high sharpness to protect students' eyesight, and utilize modern technology to prevent counterfeiting.
Covers of some 4th grade textbooks published by Vietnam Education Publishing House. Photo: Vietnam Education Publishing House
Vietnam implemented a new general education program (the 2018 program) starting in the 2020-2021 school year. Currently, the program is applied to grades 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, and 10. This September, grades 4, 8, and 11 will follow, and by 2025, all grade levels will be studying under the new program. The phased textbook replacement is being implemented in parallel with the policy of "one curriculum, multiple textbooks," and the elimination of publishing monopolies.
The Law on Prices and its guiding documents stipulate that textbook prices are determined by the businesses (publishers) themselves, and they are legally responsible for their accuracy and appropriateness.
According to Resolution No. 3 of the 15th National Assembly session in June 2022, textbooks will be added to the list of goods and services whose prices are determined by the State when the Law on Prices is amended. While awaiting the amendment of the law, the Government has directed relevant ministries to take measures to lower textbook prices in accordance with economic and social conditions; and to continue implementing policies to support or subsidize textbooks for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, mountainous areas, and ethnic minorities.
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