The changes are outlined in a draft ministry order, which proposes amendments to the current Regulations approved in 2022. The initiative is also linked to the entry into force of the new law on government procurement.
As noted in the draft’s explanatory memorandum, procurement practices have revealed the need for additional mechanisms to monitor and improve the quality of textbooks. The Ministry believes that the current weighting of the price criterion may favor cheaper bids, which do not always ensure the necessary level of quality.
The draft also introduces minimum required scores for key evaluation criteria. These include the inclusivity and non-discriminatory nature of the content, methodological and scientific accuracy, the pedagogical focus and organization of the learning and assessment process, as well as linguistic accuracy and accessibility of the text.
Another innovation is the opportunity to pilot the winning textbook project in educational institutions. This will allow for its evaluation in practice before final implementation. At the same time, there are plans to revise the rules governing the formation of the National Commission for Textbook Procurement (CNAM), as well as the requirements for experts participating in the evaluation of drafts.
As a reminder, data from the national study “Barometer of the Situation in Gymnasium and Lyceum Education—2026” showed that, on average, only 55% of respondents consider school textbooks to be interesting and engaging to read. Textbooks on chemistry, physics, and mathematics received the lowest ratings—especially from students and teachers. Respondents rated textbooks on the native language in schools where instruction is conducted in the languages of national minorities, as well as Romanian-language textbooks, the highest.
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