1. TEXTBOOK QUALITY STANDARDS

2. VIEW OF THE WORLD
A textbook undeniably reflects the current view of the world of a community, including the expectations related to the education of young people.

3. IMPORTANCE
Although there are different definitions of a textbook, there are no different opinions about its importance for the general quality of education. As a textbook is an essential part of an education system, there is a general interest in systemic approach to improving its quality.

4. DIRECTING OR CONTROLLING
A textbook is never generated and used in a “social vacuum” but in the surroundings defining its concept and significance. The real status and role of a textbook are linked to the level of development of an education system, education tradition and practice, accepted conception of education, technological development. The question arises as to how society influences the development of textbooks, how it secures its interests and exercises control and whether there is a need for control at all.

5. TRANSITION
Experience has shown that in the societies which are in transition from a single state publisher to a large number of textbook publishers (usually implying hyper- production) it is recommendable to have defined quality standards based on which a certain institution can evaluate which textbooks are eligible for the market.

6. STANDARDS IN EDUCATION
Despite the resistance, they were introduced in the field of education with the aim of providing equal possibilities of education to all pupils regardless of their school, part of the country (village, town, suburban area), teacher (trainee teacher or experienced teacher), textbook they learn from and school management.

7. KEYWORDS
Standards are related to two keywords of the contemporary approach to education: ACCESSIBILITY AND FAIRNESS

8. THE TQS IN SERBIA
For the first time introduced in 2004 in the Law on the Basis of the Education System (Article 5). They address 5 key elements of the education system.

9. TEXTBOOKS EVALUATED BY MEANS OF THE STANDARDS
In the period from 2010 to 2015 the Institute for the Improvement of Education provided expert evaluations based on the standards for 3670 textbooks and other teaching materials published by 74 licensed publishers.

10. EVIDENT IMPROVEMENT
A great number of published textbooks and the intense competition among publishers, despite all disadvantages, have undoubtedly contributed to the fact that the textbooks in our country are now of a better quality than before.

11. PHASE II
Today, 12 years after the introduction of the standards in the Law, the education system of Serbia has not only all 5 planned groups of standards but it enters the next phase in which they are innovated. The textbook quality standards are the first ones to be modified.

12. WHAT ARE THE TQS?
Standards are the conditions that teaching materials must fulfil in order to be approved for use. They are formulated as statements and they refer to:

13. 1. content (the content of a textbook is relevant for the implementation of the curriculum), 2. pedagogical and psychological requirements (a textbook stimulates the development of pupils and enables independent learning), 3. didactic and methodological requirements (a textbook is designed in line with didactic and methodological requirements), 4. linguistic requirements (the language of a textbook is adequate and functional), 5. textbook layout and technical requirements (textbook layout stimulates and facilitates learning).

14. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE TQS?
Implementing teaching principles, achieving education goals and general education outcomes. Improving the quality of textbooks and other teaching materials.

15. WHO ARE THE TQS INTENDED FOR?
1) Textbook writers and publishers;
2) Experts evaluating textbook quality;
3) National Education Council and Vocational and Adult Education Council during the second instance evaluation;
4) National Councils of National Minorities while providing a written consent for publishing a textbook in the language and script of a national minority.

16. List of excellent quality indicators
SPECIAL NOVELTY
List of excellent quality indicators
Creative and/or innovative elements
Quality of design
Multi-disciplinary approach to learning
Interculturality
Promotion of social skills development
Acquisition of key competencies

17. FUTURE
Time will tell whether a textbook, in its standard form, will continue to exist in the future, but at this moment it is certain that the textbook analysis reveals a lot not only about an education system of a social community but society in general.

18. PRESENT-FUTURE?
THANK YOU!