Changes in Textbooks: The Term ‘Textbook’ to be Replaced with ‘Educational Materials’

A change has been made in the order No. 20-N on the establishment, publication, and evaluation of compliance of textbooks and instructional materials for general education.

The Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports (MoESCS) has announced that these amendments aim to clarify several problematic issues. In particular, the requirement to include a specialist in the Armenian language within the list of experts evaluating foreign language textbooks has been removed, and instead, a corresponding foreign language specialist will be involved.

The concepts of ‘textbook’ and ‘instructional material aspiring to be a textbook’ have been differentiated, and specific additions have been made to the sanitary and hygienic requirements presented for textbooks. It has been established that instead of the term ‘textbook’, the term ‘educational materials’ should be used until the material is guaranteed as a textbook.

It has been clarified which agency and within what timeframe should identify and rectify issues concerning the links and their accessibility in textbooks and instructional literature. Accordingly, the National Center for the Development of Education and Innovations (NCDEI) will review the links used in textbooks at least one month before each academic year begins and will inform the ministry if any changes are discovered.

It has also been established that proper references (including electronic address references) should be ensured for all materials and sources used in textbooks and instructional literature. All materials and sources referenced must be consistently accessible throughout the utilization period of the textbook and protected from cyber attacks.

Changes have also been made to the timelines for textbook creation, driven by the need to ensure rapid resolution of issues that arise during their use, based on updated programs and standards after testing.

The technical requirements for textbooks and educational materials have been delineated in a separate annex, which will serve as a criterion for the publication of textbooks and educational materials.