The "Connecting Knowledge with Life" textbook series by Việt Nam Education Publishing House will be used uniformly nationwide starting from the 2026-27 academic year. — Photo courtesy of Việt Nam Education Publishing House

HÀ NỘI — As schools across Việt Nam prepare to welcome students for the 2026-27 academic year, Việt Nam Education Publishing House has completed extensive preparations to ensure teachers and learners being fully equipped for the nationwide rollout of a unified general education textbook series.

The publisher has undertaken a coordinated programme of teacher training, textbook production and distribution, while expanding its digital education ecosystem to provide ongoing professional support for schools.

Between June 1 and July 24, the publisher organised nationwide training sessions for teachers and education administrators on the use of the “Connecting Knowledge with Life” textbook series, which will be adopted uniformly across the country from the new academic year.

Delivered through a combination of face-to-face and online formats, the training was designed to help educators become familiar with the structure, content and teaching approach of the textbooks while accommodating the differing schedules of local education authorities.

Unlike conventional training courses, this year's programme was led primarily by the textbook series' chief editors, lead authors and contributors, giving teachers the opportunity to discuss practical classroom issues directly with those who developed the materials.

The training also included detailed guidance on lesson design, assessment methods and curriculum implementation under the 2018 General Education Curriculum.

Đặng Thanh Hải, Deputy General Director of Việt Nam Education Publishing House, said the nationwide training programme has now been completed successfully.

Each textbook title was covered in two separate training rounds, allowing teachers to choose the most convenient schedule.

"The purpose of the training is not to change teachers' teaching methods," Hải said.

Regardless of which textbook series schools have used in recent years, teaching and student assessment have always been based on the 2018 General Education Curriculum.

The programme is intended to help teachers make the most effective use of the unified textbook series within that existing framework, he said.

He said that the “Connecting Knowledge with Life” series has consistently been the most widely used textbook set nationwide in recent years, meaning relatively few teachers need to familiarise themselves with completely new materials.

Alongside teacher training, the publisher has accelerated textbook production and nationwide distribution to ensure students receive their learning materials before the start of the school year in earlier September.

Ngô Văn Hoan, Deputy General Director of the publishing house, said preparations began immediately after the Ministry of Education and Training announced the decision to introduce a unified textbook series nationwide.

The publisher has also printed additional reserve copies to meet emergency demand arising from natural disasters, flooding, population movements or unexpected increases in student enrolment in individual localities.

"By August 15, all students across the country will have access to the full range of required textbooks and workbooks according to demand," Hoan said.

The contingency plan is intended to safeguard textbook supplies and minimise disruptions as schools prepare for the new academic year.

Đặng Thanh Hải, Deputy General Director of Việt Nam Education Publishing House. —Photo courtesy of Việt Nam Education Publishing House

Digital resources

In addition to supplying printed textbooks, the publishing house is continuing to strengthen its digital education ecosystem to provide long-term support for teachers and students.

Hải said electronic versions of textbooks, teacher guides, instructional materials, lesson plans, demonstration videos and training resources are all available free of charge through the publisher's online platform taphuan.nxbgd.vn. 

Professional support will continue well beyond the formal training period through digital learning resources and dedicated support channels available throughout the school year, he added.

The platform will also be expanded to include additional multimedia resources, such as educational videos, audio content and interactive exercises, helping teachers adopt more innovative teaching approaches while encouraging students to take greater responsibility for independent learning and self-assessment.

The publishing house said it has continued efforts to reduce production and distribution costs in order to make textbooks more affordable for families.

It is also maintaining support programmes that provide textbooks to disadvantaged students and schools in remote and underprivileged areas.

Textbook prices for the 2026–27 academic year, covering Grades 1 to 12, have been reduced by an average of 13.3 per cent compared with the previous school year.

Previously, the Ministry of Education and Training issued Decision No. 3588 on December 26, 2025, approving the nationwide use of the “Connecting Knowledge with Life” textbook series from the 2026–27 academic year.

The series has consistently recorded the highest adoption rate among schools across the country, accounting for between 60 and 75 per cent of textbook selections in recent years.

Hải said the nationwide adoption of a single textbook series would not alter the objectives of the 2018 General Education Curriculum.

Instead, he said, it would provide greater consistency while continuing to support the broader goals of educational reform.

The series has already been widely used and positively received by schools, teachers, parents and students, he said.

"Its nationwide implementation will provide schools with a high-quality teaching resource while contributing to the successful implementation of Politburo Resolution No. 71 on breakthroughs in education and training development," Hải said. — VNS