A teacher and first graders at Cuc Phuong Primary School in the northern province of Ninh Binh's Nho Quan district during a mathematics class. (Source: VNA)Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - TheMinistry of Education and Training has published 32 textbooks for first gradersunder the new general education curriculum issued in 2018. These textbooks willbe used from the 2020 -2021 school year.
Studentsacross the country are still using textbooks approved under the 2005 generaleducation curriculum, including a set published by the Vietnam EducationPublishing House and a number of Professor Ho Ngoc Dai's Primary EducationalTechnology books.
In December2018, the Ministry of Education and Training announced a new general educationcurriculum, including 27 subject curricula. Based on the curriculum, authorswere tasked writing textbooks for evaluation. After two rounds of evaluation,38 out of 49 manuscripts on nine subjects met the requirements.
OnNovember 21, Minister of Education and Training Phuung Xuan Nha approved 32 ofthe books. The subjects include Vietnamese, maths, ethics, nature and society,physical education, music, fine arts and experimental activities. Most of theauthors of the 11 "failed" manuscripts are expected to continueediting for re-evaluation in December.
Accordingto the ministry, the new textbooks had been carefully compiled in accordancewith the requirements of the new education curriculum. Many of the books applymodern teaching methods that were suitable for schools and students in Vietnam.
Among theapproved textbooks, the Vietnam Education Publishing House prevailed with 24,constituting four complete sets. Hanoi Pedagogical University and Ho Chi MinhCity University of Education also had sets of four books approved.
Regardingconcerns that the Vietnam Education Publishing House had the most approvedtitles, Thai Van Tai, director of the Primary Education Department, said thetextbooks were compiled by various authors and publishers, and exclusivity hadbeen minimised.
Accordingto Nguyen Xuan Thanh, Deputy Director of the Secondary Education Department,with the new curriculum the textbooks were just part of the learningmaterials.
Accordingto the Education Law 2019 that will take effect in July 2020, the selection oftextbooks will be decided by provincial People's Committees. Currently, theMinistry of Education and Training is drafting a circular guiding the selectionof textbooks, which will then be widely studied before issuing. The circular onthe selection of textbooks will specify the composition of the board, includingeducational managers, scientists and a majority of teachers who directly teachthe subjects.
BeforeMarch 2020, localities will need to set up selection boards and announce theresults of selection of textbooks from the list published by the ministry. Inthis regard, some people suggest that in order to select the right textbooksthat are suitable for students, teaching conditions in each locality, andinformation about textbooks for schools, administrators, teachers, parents andthe general public must be complete, accurate and publicly available.
Theministry plans to implement this and organise training for teachers, as well asensure the textbooks are ready for the 2020-2021 school year./.
VNA
