This article begins by examining a few foundations of the school textbook. After addressing what should be understood as a school textbook, so as to avoid any misinterpretation or a generalization extending to any publication used in schools, the article will present its main functions with respect to students, teachers and parents. The school textbook will then be analyzed as an instrumental and procedural device. Based on the works of Niclot, section two will discuss various issues—ideological, epistemological, political, economic, cultural and praxeological—resulting from the fact that the school textbook must be apprehended as a compromise.

School textbooks, course of study, functions, instrumental and procedural devices, issues.