Publishers Urge Georgia to Drop Plan for One Government Textbook
The International Publishers Association (IPA), a global body that speaks for book publishers, has urged the government of Georgia to reverse a plan that would give every student in the country the same single, government-approved textbook. The IPA's concern is what it calls freedom to publish, meaning the right of authors and publishers to produce books without the state deciding what they say.
Under the current system, authors and publishers can submit textbooks to the Ministry of Education for approval. Schools then choose which approved books to use. Under the new model, the ministry will reportedly write the textbooks itself, using its own experts. The change follows amendments to Georgia's law on general education adopted by Parliament earlier in 2026, and the policy is set to be in place by 2028.
Jessica Sänger, chair of the IPA's Freedom to Publish Committee, said the shift to single government textbooks is a severe restriction of the freedom to publish in the educational space. IPA has also pointed out that Georgia is not alone. Mexico and the Dominican Republic have pursued similar single-textbook initiatives.
Christoph Pienkoss, chair of the IPA's Educational Publishers Forum, argued that single-textbook policies deprive teachers of a wide range of expertise. He added that the balance between quality and cost is negative. The Georgian Book Association, a provisional member of the IPA, has also criticised the plan. It warns that the policy will weaken the quality of education, the variety of learning materials, the independence of schools and teachers, and academic freedom. It also says the policy threatens the long-term health of Georgia's publishing sector.
The IPA's wider picture is set out in its 2026 Report on the State of Freedom to Publish Globally, released on 8 October at the Frankfurt Book Fair, the world's largest trade fair for books and rights. The report covers 22 countries across six continents. It says the threats to publishing have changed shape, with the state no longer acting only as a censor.
For readers, a textbook is more than a school book. It sets out what a child learns in history, science and language, and it is a major source of income for the people who write and publish it. Under the current model, teachers and schools still have a say in which books reach the classroom. The Georgian plan would move that choice to the ministry. The IPA and the Georgian Book Association want the government to think again before the 2028 deadline.
