PANO - The forum on opportunities and challenges of a curriculum with many school textbooks hosted by the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations (VUSTA) on November 6th received many opinions from experienced educational experts.

Many delegates voiced that the Ministry of Education and Training should not involve in compiling school textbooks but concentrate on curriculum and control the implementation of curriculum via inspection, evaluation and examination.

 Delegates discussing at the forum

According to Dr. Nguyen Vinh Hien, Deputy Minister of Education and Training, the new curriculum and textbooks must balance teaching and learning, and demonstrate general education targets to meet each locality’s conditions and student’s demands. Experiences from developed countries should be consulted as well.

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Phu, Deputy Head and Secretary General of the Vietnam Science, Psychology and Education Association confirmed that it is not enough when there is only a set of textbooks in a curriculum; as a result, students would not be inspired in study and creativeness. To have relevant and quality sets of textbooks, experienced teachers from schools and universities and experienced experts should be invited to participate in the compilation process.

Professor Van Nhu Cuong pointed out that at present some subjects have no textbooks and that it would be unrealistic for a curriculum with different sets of textbooks.

Meanwhile, Prof. Dr. Pham Tat Dong, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Study Encouragement Association, said that having different sets of textbooks reflect the diversity and necessity of the content of the curriculum, meeting study demands of different students in different areas.

Concluding the forum, Deputy Minister Nguyen Vinh Hien thanked delegates for their constructive opinions and suggestions, as a good foundation for the Ministry to implement its policy of one curriculum with many sets of textbooks.

Translated by Ha Thanh