A new set of textbooks for grades 4, 8 and 11 costs 250,000 to 390,000 VND, 2-3 times higher than the set currently in use.
On June 13, the Vietnam Education Publishing House announced the new textbook prices for grades 4, 8 and 11 in the two sets "Connecting knowledge with life" and "Creative horizon". The Vietnam Education Investment and Publishing Joint Stock Company (VEPIC) also announced the price of the "Canh Dieu" set. These are three sets of books that have been appraised by the Ministry of Education and Training, serving as a basis for schools to choose and teach from the 2023-2024 school year.
Accordingly, the 4th grade textbooks are the cheapest. Including the set of 14-15 books, including two volumes of Math, Vietnamese, and English, the price ranges from 250,000 to 280,000 VND. The "Canh Dieu" set does not have an English book, so the price is 230,000 VND.
The current price of 4th grade textbooks, according to the old curriculum, is 87,000 VND. Thus, the new price is about 3 times higher, similar to the new price of textbooks for grades 3, 7 and 10 last year. However, the old 4th grade textbooks only have 9 books. The number of books increased in the new set is mainly in the subjects of Physical Education and Experiential Activities.
Textbooks for grades 8 and 11 are also 2-3 times more expensive than the old set. The 14-volume set of grade 8 textbooks in the "Connecting Knowledge with Life" set costs 270,000-300,000 VND. The remaining two sets are missing one subject but the price also ranges from 250,000-270,000 VND.
The 11th grade textbook set is sold for around 350,000-390,000 VND. This amount is calculated based on the individual price of 16 books, including 9 books for compulsory subjects in the new program, 4 books for optional subjects and 3 specialized books. As for the "Canh Dieu" set, parents will have to pay a higher price because there are no English books.
This is the retail price that the publishers declare to the Price Management Department, Ministry of Finance. The price range for each book set is as follows:
| Book series | Number of books | Price (unit: VND) |
| Connecting knowledge with life 4 | 14-15 books | 247,000-275,000 |
| Creative Horizon 4 | 14-15 books | About 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 (no Natural Sciences) | 246,000-273,000 |
| Kite 8 | 13 (no English) | 268,000 |
| Connecting knowledge with life 11 | 16 (9 books of 7 compulsory subjects, 4 books of 4 elective subjects, 3 specialized books) | About 350,000 |
| Creative Horizons 11 | 16 (9 books of 7 compulsory subjects, 4 books of 4 elective subjects, 3 specialized books) | About 390,000 |
| Kite 11 | 15 (9 books of 6 compulsory subjects - no English, 4 books of 4 elective subjects, 3 specialized books) | About 370,000 |
In May 2022, when announcing the prices of new textbooks, which were higher than the old ones, the Education Publishing House partly explained that there were more books in each set.
Furthermore, the compilation and publication are carried out with the enterprise's capital. While with old textbooks, the entire cost of organizing the manuscript is paid by the state budget and World Bank loans, the Education Publishing House only pays the manuscript cost for reprinting.
In addition, the new book is 19 x 26.5 cm in size, 1.2 times larger than the old book (17 x 24 cm). "To meet the requirements of innovative educational methods according to the competency development model, textbooks need to change in the direction of increasing visual channels, visualizing content... Therefore, the printing unit price has increased by 23%," said a representative of the Education Publishing House.
In this year's price list, VEPIC Company also stated that "Canh Dieu" books are printed on the best quality paper, with vivid colors, high definition to protect students' eyesight, and apply modern technology to prevent counterfeiting.
Covers of some grade 4 textbooks of Vietnam Education Publishing House. Photo: Vietnam Education Publishing House
Vietnam will implement the new general education program (2018 program) from the 2020-2021 school year. Currently, the program is applied to grades 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, and 10. This September, it will be the turn of grades 4, 8, and 11, and by 2025, all grades will study the new program. The roadmap for replacing textbooks is also being implemented in parallel with the policy of "one program, many textbooks", eliminating the monopoly on publishing.
The Law on Prices and guiding documents stipulate textbook prices that are set by enterprises (publishers) themselves and are legally responsible for their correctness and appropriateness.
According to the Resolution of the 3rd session of the 15th National Assembly in June 2022, textbooks will be added to the list of goods and services priced by the State when the Law on Prices is amended. While waiting for the law to be amended, the Government directs relevant ministries to take measures to reduce textbook prices in accordance with economic and social conditions; continue to implement policies to support or subsidize textbooks for students in difficult circumstances, mountainous areas, highlands, and ethnic minorities.
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