THE EFFICIENCY OF HIGH-PERFORMANCE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS POLICY ON SCHOOL TEXTBOOKS
The experiences of high-performing educational systems generate understandable interest in other countries. This article touches to varying degrees on many aspects of the educational leader countries’ position on school textbooks (with a focus on the leading East Asian countries), including their commonalities and differences; what is in their focus; what has been a shift in emphasis in recent years; how well aligned are textbooks with the curriculum; whether textbooks go through the approval process; whether and how the state monitors textbook publishing; how priorities are set in providing students with textbooks. The key characteristics of school textbooks in these countries are highlighted. These textbooks are the main expression of the subject curriculum (with the subject curriculum clearly and convincingly stating the subject approach and explaining how the overall vision of learning is supported); are developed on a sound scientific basis, implementing basic principles of textbook science; are based on the system of national values, the uniqueness of their culture and preservation of the native language; promote the formation of key skills of the XXI century through the textbook (with different lists of key skills in different countries); provide a focus for the development of the textbook in the future.