Ho Chi Minh City Plans Free Textbooks for All Students

Ho Chi Minh City’s Department of Education and Training proposed a plan to provide free textbooks to all students, from grades 1 to 12, starting in the 2026-27 school year. The initiative expands an earlier proposal that would have initially covered only students in grades 1, 6, and 10.

The universal program would also include students in continuing education and literacy programs, as well as national defence and security textbooks beginning in 2027-28. The estimated budget for the program is VNĐ567 billion (US$22.3 million) to serve the city’s 2.5 million students.

Schools will manage textbook lending through libraries, with a system for transferring books between schools to reduce the need for new purchases. The department also detailed policies for compensating lost or damaged books, based on the textbook’s age.

Alongside the textbook proposal, the department reported on plans to make English a second language in schools by 2035, beginning with a survey of nearly 50,300 teachers’ English proficiency. The city envisions a phased approach, aiming for 60 to 70 percent of schools to integrate English curricula by 2045.