As the new school year approaches, around 20% of students in Phu Quoc, or approximately 5,000 children, are still without the necessary textbooks. On August 21, Nguyen Thi Kim Loan, Vice Chairwoman of the Phu Quoc People's Committee, confirmed the ongoing shortage of educational materials.

In the Duong Dong area, many parents have been searching for textbooks and school supplies at local shops, but have been unable to make purchases. When inquiring about the availability of textbooks, shop owners have informed parents that they must wait and have taken contact information to notify them when the books arrive.

On social media, several bookstores have expressed their apologies to parents regarding the textbook shortage. A bookstore owner in Duong Dong, Mr. H., stated that he placed orders at the beginning of July but has yet to receive any books. When contacting suppliers, the only response has been that they must wait, with no specific timeline provided.

This shortage has forced many parents to visit multiple locations, trying to gather individual volumes or posting requests on social media. Additionally, schools have announced that if textbooks are ordered through them, parents can expect to receive them by September 30.

According to the Ministry of Education and Training, the school year for secondary and high school students nationwide is set to begin as early as August 22 and continue until August 29. In response to the situation, the Phu Quoc Department of Culture and Society has issued a directive for educational institutions to urgently assess and compile a list of students who lack sufficient textbooks for their respective classes and subjects.

Schools are also encouraged to contact publishing units to secure supplies, aiming to ensure that all students have the necessary textbooks by August 24 at the latest. Furthermore, educational facilities have been instructed to review their library resources to allow students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to borrow books.

Nguyen Thi Kim Loan emphasized that schools should promote reassurance among parents and instructed teachers not to reprimand students who do not have their textbooks yet.