Textbook renovation is essential
- The Synesthetes
- Jun 30, 2020
- 3 min read
Education is one of the standards to assess the development of a nation and textbook quality is one of the standards to assess the development of education. Those books contain the most essential knowledge, playing an important role in orienting the students’ future careers.
The Ministry of Education has promulgated a decree to start applying a new set of textbooks from the school year 2020-2021 after 20 years using the present set. The new one will be a crucial milestone in Vietnam education. Here is some information about this new set: the subject syllabus and educative activities are files which determine the position, role of a subject and and educative activities in achieving objectives of general education, attainment targets and requirements, the net educative content of a subject and educative activities in each class or grade for all students on a national scale, orientations and plans for teaching and educative activities in each class and grade, solutions and forms of organizing education, assessment of education result of a subject and educative activities. The general education syllabus forms and develops some virtues for students: patriotism, compassion, assiduity, honesty, responsibility; general competences are formed and developed through all subjects and educative activities: self-control and self-education, communication and cooperation, problem solving and creativity; specific competences are formed and developed through some certain subjects and educative activities: language, calculation, science, technology, informatics, aesthetics, constitution. Apart from these, the general education syllabus contributes to discovering and improving special abilities (aptitudes) of students. It also includes the overall syllabus (syllabus frame), subject syllabuses and educational activities. In addition, the new general education syllabus is divided into two periods: elementary education (grade 1 to 9) and career orientation education (grade 10 to 12).[1]
Although this set is considered to be the most methodical change since the August Revolution, it still appears to have a few drawbacks. First of all, there is only one textbook set for one syllabus in our country, and the reason is that the socioeconomic circumstances are not compatible to have more than one set. There is one popular saying that ‘All roads lead to Rome’. Literally, in the past Rome used to be the center of the world and there has been a destination in Rome called 0 km milestone which has the number 0 with directions to other countries; on the other hand, the meaning of it is that there are many methods to solve a problem, a metaphor of textbooks and syllabus. Besides, the personalization trend in education is irreversible, as its aim is to develop potentials of each individual to harmonize with the public benefits. Each person has distinct potentials, learning methods, acquisition abilities; thus, he is desired to be taught in a different way from others, which means various sets of textbooks for corresponding competences. It is still doubtful whether focusing on one road and making it best or dispersing resources is more effective, but applying only one approach to millions of students is not the optimal solution. Secondly, the learning method of previous books, checking what knowledge students remember, also needs to be reformed. Education should pay attention to training rather than stuffing knowledge like the traditional way.
Many people have assented to using new textbooks, but there are a lot of criticisms of using a wide range of sets, for they fear that it will cause a disorder. This worry is completely reasonable and not baseless; however, it is sure that in a short time the authorities will soon find a solution to this as well as people will soon get used to this. Accepting the principle of having more than one set of textbooks is a crucial progress in terms of thought because things which suit this person may not be suitable for others. Discounting the quality of those books, but if the above changes are carried out, then the nation's education will definitely have a powerful development!
Acknowledgement:
Author: Nguyễn Thành Nam, HSGS
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