BUYING A BOOK IS AS EXCITING AS… BUYING A LOTTERY TICKET!
Since the previous school year, all three levels of education nationwide have applied the new general education program with many different sets of textbooks, depending on the needs of the locality and school. However, even though it has entered the fourth year of implementation, at the beginning of each school year, parents have to run around everywhere to find enough books.
Observing the reality at some large bookstores in the inner city of Ho Chi Minh City on July 12, we noticed a shortage of different books or textbooks, most commonly for grades 4, 8, and 11.
Parents look to buy each book in the new curriculum textbook list at a bookstore in Phu Nhuan District (HCMC) on July 12.
Leaving a bookstore in District 5 at noon on July 12, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy Linh (living in District 8) said that today was the second time she came to buy textbooks but still did not have enough for her two children in grades 8 and 11. "There are still some books missing, such as computer science and natural sciences," she said. Despite having a lot of experience in buying books, Ms. Linh still couldn't help but feel tired.
"I keep an eye out for 1 or 2 days and go to buy them, sometimes I can only find 1 or 2 books that meet my requirements. Although the school also allows registration to buy books, it takes a long time until school starts. I want my two children to take advantage of the summer to read and improve their skills, so I try to arrange time to go find and buy them. Although there are documents online, they are not clear and difficult to read," Linh shared.
Another parent whose child studies at a high school in Phu Nhuan District said that she visited three bookstores in the afternoon but still could not buy enough textbooks as required. "Mainly, places lack books for "hot" subjects like math or "strange" subjects like economic education and law. There are many specialized books or literature and English books. I feel that buying books now is like buying lottery tickets, only when you get there will you know if you "won" or not," the female parent complained.
In a more awkward situation, Ms. NLH (living in District 3) said that the day before, after looking for books at 3 bookstores in District 1 and District 3, when she got home, she was shocked because the child told her that she had bought the wrong book. "When my child asked me to, I was complacent and didn't ask clearly, just took a picture of the 10th grade textbook set my child had and then went to buy the corresponding 11th grade textbooks. But I didn't expect that the school changed some books to another set, so there were books that I just bought that I no longer needed," Ms. H. said.
Somewhat luckier, Nguyen Thi Quynh Nhu, an 11th grader at Phan Chau Trinh Secondary and High School (Binh Tan District), said she had "filled up" about 90% of the books in the sets that the school required her to buy herself. "Last year it was much harder to buy, after I started school, I didn't have enough books until around September. This year, I almost had enough by July, I plan to buy more when I start school," the female student said.
Many parents have to go many times to buy enough textbooks.
I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHEN THE TEXTBOOK WILL BE AVAILABLE
A bookstore on Nguyen Tri Phuong Street (District 5) specializing in textbooks is facing the phenomenon of out of stock of a number of books for all levels of education, and is asking parents to come next week to... continue looking.
Localities are required to register their need for new textbooks before July 15.
The Ministry of Education and Training has issued a document requesting the People's Committees of provinces and cities to direct the selection of textbooks for use in the area in a timely manner and in accordance with regulations; register the local demand for textbooks for grades 4, 8, and 11 before July 15, creating conditions for publishing houses to quickly provide enough textbooks for the 2023-2024 school year.
In addition, since the application of new textbooks, the Ministry of Education and Training has also required publishing houses to publish links to digital textbooks from grades 1 to 12 on the publishing house's website to support teachers and students. Those who have not been able to buy paper textbooks can use digital textbooks, especially in the context of having to teach online due to the epidemic. Vietnam Education Publishing House said it has built a "Digital Luggage" page at https://hanhtrangso.nxbgd.vn, digitizing all textbooks and exercise books. The Canh Dieu book series of the University of Education Publishing House can be viewed at https://hoc10.com.
Tue Nguyen
Similarly, two other bookstores on Hai Ba Trung Street (District 3) and Phan Dinh Phung Street (Phu Nhuan District) mainly have textbooks from the Creative Horizon series, lacking many titles or even not having the Canh Dieu and Ket Ket Tri Thuc Voi Cuoc Song series. In particular, a bookstore on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street (District 1) does not have any new curriculum textbooks for grades 4, 8, and 11.
When asked when the goods would be available to buy, bookstore staff gave different timelines, from unclear to a few days or weeks. "We can only estimate, we don't know exactly when the textbooks will arrive. For example, at first the supplier promised to have the books in July, but they still haven't arrived yet," said an employee of a bookstore on Hai Ba Trung Street (District 3), adding that when the warehouse imports the goods, they will be divided equally among the bookstores.
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