July 2002 WO RLD BA N K * * £rd tio- '.1 S~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ for TEXTBOOKS READ ING MATERIALS THE WORLD BANK EDUCATION SECTOR_ Textbooks and Reading Materials Purpose education outcomes on the other hand is essential for sustainable book provision and T his note sets out the operational guidelines educational outcomes. Sustainability implies for textbooks and reading materials. It pro- that textbooks and reading materials are so vides the framework for appraising borrowers' provided that they become regular features of proposals for financing textbooks or reading the teaching-learning process. Regular provi- materials for educational purposes. It also pro- sion implies a viable publishing and book- vides the principles the Bank supports in car- selling industry that provides books in the rying out publishing activities, financed from variety and quality and quantity needed by the the proceeds of a Bank loan.1 It is intended for educational system. (For its part, the educa- the guidance of Bank task teams assisting bor- tional system continually assesses curriculum rowers in defining the scope and identifying requirements, teaching standards, learning specific educational publishing activities for achievements, and appropriateness of text- Bank financing. books and reading materials.) The viability of This statement of operational guidelines that publishing industry is often dependent on clarifies the Bank's position on textbooks and a profitable trade in textbooks. reading materials, within the larger context of general book publishing and educational Statement of Operational effectiveness. Many book provision efforts Guidelines over the last 25 years, some with Bank support, may have achieved their immediate objectives Textbooks and reading materials are key in but have been unable to maintain the service achieving pedagogical outcomes at all levels of over the longer term, which is needed if educa- education and training, which are in turn nec- tional impact is to be sustained. essary for developing human resources for Articulating educational publishing with economic development and poverty reduc- general publishing on the one hand and with tion. Accordingly, it is the Bank's policy to sup- port borrowers' proposals for an affordable, sustainable supply system characterized by "Bank" includes IBRD and IDA, and 'loans" include private sector involvement and the exercise of credits, grants, and guarantees. choice at the lowest feasible level. WORLD BANK OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES In appraising such proposals for the provi- project. Nevertheless, each project proposed for sion of textbooks and reading materials the Bank financing should aim to achieve specific following will be covered: and measurable movement closer to the above- described ideal status of sustainable book pro- * Support to good classroom teaching vision and improved learning. Consequently, and learning practice, including a the Bank may finance proposals that provide coherent program for the provision of evidence of adequate consideration, analysis, teachers' guides and teacher training; and substantial action toward the resolution of * Adherence to legal and other measures the issues outlined below.2 for the protection of copyright and other intellectual property rights; Policy Issues and Considerations * Articulation of agreed roles of the public and private sectors in the devel- Pedagogical objectives. Especially in primary opment, production, and equitable and secondary education, effective teaching- distribution of textbooks and reading learning processes require that textbooks or materials; reading materials present life situations drawn * Maintenance of transparent and com- from the student's familiar surroundings. The petitive processes in the selection or content should effectively support good class- purchase of books for educational use room teaching and learning practice. Appraisal or for contracting publishing or print- should establish that the borrower's proposal ing services; includes the introduction and maintenance of * Commitment to longer term financing a review process for the assessment of the of book development and provision; material against educational norms. For text- * Assurance that cost will not be an books, which provide basic information and obstacle for poor students' access to help in the development of skills for acquiring textbooks and reading materials. further learning, the assessment should include the accuracy of information presented, Since textbooks are critical at every stage coverage of or conformity with a prescribed of the education process, the Bank will support school curriculum, and teachability of the policies for the provision of textbooks. Such material: adequacy, organization, and policies should place explicit priority on the sequencing of topics or lessons, matching key skill-building areas of literacy and numer- reading difficulty of the materials to the read- acy, those aimed at reducing or eliminating ing and other skill levels of students. For read- cost to students at the level of primary educa- ing materials, the assessment might include tion (usually the first six years of basic educa- legibility and readability, interest level, literary tion), and provide a need-based, targeted sub- quality, appropriateness of presentation, and sidy at higher grades of general education. attractiveness of illustration. These materials help to develop reading and comprehension Key Issues and Options skills and, through an awakened intellectual in the Application of the Operational Guidelines 2 Annex A provides a brief discussion of operational con- For many borrowers, putting in place the nec- siderations with regard to the publishing industry devel- essary policy framework will require effort over opment. Annex B provides illustrative examples of good a longer term, beyond the scope of a single practices in recently completed Bank operations. 2 Textbooks and Reading Materials curiosity, a reading habit that can be further departments or ministries are authors of text- cultivated over a lifetime of reading for infor- books, copyright ownership needs to be clari- mation and for enjoyment. This implies fied, so that appropriate contractual arrange- actively encouraging students to bring text- ments may be made, as for outright sale of books and reading materials home from copyright, its assignment, or payment for the school (where provision programs can make use of copyrighted material. books not only accessible but also affordable), to use the school or public library often, and to The political environment. Although fre- browse in bookstores to buy books of their quently claimed to the contrary, textbooks will choice. Appraisal should also establish that never be completely free of political content or appropriate support is provided for training influence. Especially in social studies, the text- teachers on the use of textbooks for effective book can be an effective tool for teaching love teaching and on creative management of class- of country, respect for authority, and the state's room reading programs. expectations of its citizens, among other things. In content and presentation, the text- Enrollment size and language of instruction book can also promote social cohesion, have a direct bearing on the unit cost of books improve majority-minority and gender rela- to be provided. Ideally, learning materials in tions, and help to eliminate local political bias- the earliest level of instruction are in the stu- es or negative ethnic or gender stereotyping. dent's mother tongue. While evidence suggests The Bank cannot be expected to appraise the that learning is more effective in the learner's appropriateness of political content in every own language, the cost of providing materials lesson in every textbook or every piece of in minority languages, as well as parents' pref- reading material. However, it is expected that erence for the language in which their children book provision programs financed by the will be taught, should be carefully assessed. For Bank subscribe to the principles expressed in non-international languages, building text- the UN's Universal Declaration of Human book publishing capacity in-country will Rights. The Bank reserves the right to with- encourage the development of other forms of draw funding for books which can be shown to local book publishing. breach some provisions of that declaration. Further, appraisal of book provision programs Authorship and intellectual property rights. must establish that a transparent process is in The enactment of copyright legislation and its place for the fair evaluation of the pedagogical, enforcement as well as membership in inter- social, and economic value of the book or national copyright conventions should be reading material proposed for Bank financing. promoted and encouraged. Copyright may recognize an individual's right to derive bene- Curriculum concerns. The textbook is limit- fit from his or her own creation, provide ed in that it is not the full curriculum. financial or other incentives to stimulate indi- However, in countries where teachers are not vidual creativity for the benefit of society, or well trained and where no other learning prescribe a compromise between an individ- materials are in school, the textbook effec- ual creator's rights and society's need to bene- tively becomes the curriculum. A related (but fit from the same creation. Copyright protec- separate) program for curriculum develop- tion is key to encouraging authors to write ment and review is beneficial to book provi- and publishers to produce and market books. sion programs and provides a sound basis for Where curriculum units of public education independent review and approval of text- 3 WORLD BANK OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES books. A process should be in place for cur- well as very sturdy books that could outlast the riculum evaluation or at least the early iden- curriculum. Setting low standards for paper tification of risks, e.g., that curriculum devel- may yield more mileage and produce more opers might prescribe topics and activities books, but durability of the product may be too costly or burdensome to undertake in low, requiring sooner than planned and even typical school situations. The process should more costly reprinting. In general, a reasonable provide for consultation with teachers (and set of specifications should target a physical possibly teachers' unions) who are the princi- book life that will be either coterminal with the pal stakeholders in delivering the curriculum. curriculum or allow economical resupply dur- The process should also consider training ing the life of the curriculum. Specifically, to provide teachers with the skills to critique, however, standards for the durability of books evaluate, and recommend texts on the basis may vary with the type of utilization for which of rational and relevant criteria. The process the book is being designed. Loan or free book should finally provide guidance on the provision for the lower grades, implying reuse, necessity, practicality, and affordability of will require durable books. Where books are frequent change of curriculum or of parts of not loaned free of charge (except to the poor), the curriculum. as for the upper grades, options of selling or renting will require different materials and Complementarities with other interventions. manufacturing standards. Selling prices of The provision of non-textbook reading mate- books with short shelf lives may be kept at rials as well as of other print materials includ- affordable levels only by adopting lower quali- ing workbooks is also part of an effective ty standards, while rental programs or a prof- teaching-learning environment. The establish- itable second-hand book trade may demand ment and maintenance of school libraries and higher quality standards. Aside from physical of classroom reading corners is therefore to be specifications, the immediate environment encouraged. Indicators should be identified to and the level of training on book care influ- point to the educational benefits of broad ence the physical life of the book. reading brought about by providing access to appropriate materials. Further, the impact of Other technologies. Where great distances textbooks on students' learning achievement is hamper field-testing, teacher training, or text- enhanced by related interventions such as book distribution to remote schools in scat- interactive radio lessons or inservice teacher tered locations, the feasibility or cost-effec- training, especially if focused on orienting tiveness of electronic publishing and trans- teachers on the effective use of the books. mission of materials through telecommunica- Evidence should be sought in the appraisal tions should be explored. Worldwide commu- that cogent links between the textbook and nication on computers linked to the Internet teacher training, testing and assessment have has the potential of making knowledge acces- been established. sible to users most anywhere in the world. Distance education programs, aided by well- Manufacturing specifications. Optimal book designed self-instructional modules, can also life is determined by a number of factors. transmit high-quality information to remote Setting very high book manufacturing stan- students. The appropriateness and cost-effec- dards, for the quality of paper, printing tiveness of employing these technologies is process, the use of color, and book cover and country- and context-sensitive and must be binding, may result in very costly textbooks as carefully appraised. 4 Textbooks and Reading Materials Policy Options compliance with such a requirement should be calculated. A thorough financial analysis of the After consideration of the above issues, the agency should be made, as the agency may not appropriate options, briefly described below, be operating economically. The issue should should be appraised: be raised as a serious constraint to Bank sup- port. Cost-effective pragmatism, rather than Selection or choice. Governments at any level political dogmatism, and movement away may opt for one textbook for use in the entire from uneconomical public enterprises toward education system or may authorize more than more efficient contracting with the private sec- one textbook (multiple adoption). The smaller tor should be in evidence for Bank financing to the number of users, the costlier it becomes to be offered. Whether government- or privately offer choices. The selection process must be operated, the program should also be transparent to maintain credibility before pro- appraised for adequacy of proposed anti-cor- ducers (publishers) and consumers (schools ruption measures. and communities). Where choice is possible, it should be encouraged at even lower levels, so Relevance vs. publishing origin. In primary that school heads and teachers who intimately and secondary education, concern for the know the learning needs of their students may appropriateness of reading materials for stu- be encouraged, through the provision of dents is usually expressed in terms of degree of appropriate training and training manuals, to local content, favoring locally developed mate- seek the appropriate textbooks and reading rials, or a percentage of the curriculum which materials with which to address those needs. can be determined at the district or school Book choice can also lead to the adoption of level. Further, developing local publishing more and better quality books and can reduce capacity provides reading materials to audi- friction between foreign and local publishers. ences beyond those of the school system, rein- forcing the reading habit. If books will be Government or private sector. Private sector acquired only from local publishers, the educa- initiative and competitive processes for the tional benefit derived from such local acquisi- development, production, and delivery of text- tion should clearly be shown to outweigh the books and reading materials are indispensable possibly higher prices, which represent the components of sustainable book provision extra cost of protecting local industry. The ben- systems. Where this state has not yet been efit should also outweigh the loss of opportuni- achieved, transitional measures may be put in ty to benefit from the new materials and inno- place, for options to purchase (usually from vative teaching approaches offered by interna- private sector) or to produce (usually as a gov- tional textbooks, especially those in subjects ernment publisher). In either case, capacity to that "travel" well, such as science or mathemat- carry out the provision program should be ics. In postsecondary education, the economies confirmed: skilled and creative authors, reli- of provision may favor the purchase or adapta- able and experienced editors and specialists in tion of international materials, with only limit- book design, desktop publishing (or conven- ed opportunities for local provision. As book tional typesetting and page preparation), illus- publishing continues to internationalize, the tration, a working printing and distribution benefits from partnerships between interna- network. Where the government requires text- tional and local publishers should be explored. books to be produced or distributed by a state Such partnerships can develop over the long monopoly or a parastatal agency, the cost of term, building on mutual respect and benefit, WORLD BANK OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES including the provision of training and export quality and timeliness of school data especial- opportunities for the local publisher. Appraisal ly enrollment; bookselling (wholesaling and must establish that publishing origin notwith- retailing) networks or other order fulfillment standing, the appropriate material, in terms of systems, including mechanisms for discount- content and physical manufacture, will be ing and payment; book warehousing, staging, acquired at the least cost to the individual stu- and inventory control at national, regional, dent or to the government. and local levels as well as programs for text- book maintenance and repair. Care must be How to distribute? A key policy objective is taken that working distribution mechanisms, ensuring the timely availability of the textbook especially nascent bookselling trade in town or reading material in bookstores or schools. centers or during market days in far villages, Experience with textbook provision schemes are not needlessly duplicated by a costly and has shown the government, especially if highly unsustainable public system. Innovative ways centralized, to be ineffective in providing sus- should be sought, including shifting govern- tainable textbook distribution solutions which ment subsidy or assistance from the producer tend to be complex and costly. However, where (the publisher or printer or distributor) to the little or no private sector capacity exists as an consumer (the student's family) and involving alternative, a transitional strategy may be nec- book wholesalers, bookstores and other retail- essary. The strategy may include provision of ers in the distribution process. the service by state agencies but subject to fre- The most appropriate method of pro- quent monitoring and clear measures of curing the goods or services needed for accountability, and capacity-building as an undertaking the publishing activity can then incentive to promote private sector participa- be identified.3 tion. The following areas require appraisal: 3 See Procurement Technical Note on the procurement of textbooks. Annex C provides a matrix of educational publishing activities and corresponding public- or pri- vate-sector roles. 6 Textbooks and Reading Materials Annex A Operational Considerations for the Development of the Publishing Industry the manner of provision of textbooks and It must also be recognized that the differ- other reading materials most appropriate for ences between those two forms of publishing the above purposes is one that strives for qual- are fundamental. The government's education ity within the constraints of affordability and ministry usually runs textbook and other edu- sustainability. Achieving the desired manner cational publishing by fiat for a specific clien- may require a long-term process of affecting tele, the school system. In contrast, general the provision initially with limited participa- book publishing and selling happen in the pri- tion of the publishing industry, or parts of it, vate sector as a high-risk enterprise, the suc- in the private sector. The process should pro- cess of the business determined largely by gressively lead to developing capacity in the public consumption, an anonymous market. publishing industry to affect the entire book The former complies with curriculum provision, with supportive supervision of the requirements, the latter responds to opportu- government. nity and demand. Textbook shortages need to Educational publishing and general pub- be filled immediately, while the development lishing are frequently interdependent. How- of a complex industry (involving capital for- ever, in purpose or practice, those two pub- mation, employment and training, equipment lishing domains may sometimes be in conflict importation, tax incentives, encouragement of with each other. In project proposals seeking competition, standards-setting) seems time- Bank support, where measures to meet the less. In many book provision schemes for needs of educational publishing immediately schools, the publishing industry, frequently may be the primary concern, such measures nascent and therefore with limited service should be consistent with the borrower's capacity, is bypassed by a government rushing vision of the growth of other forms of pub- to produce textbooks for schools over the lishing. Statements of national book policy short term. and strategies or pfograms for the develop- There is need for clear-headed policy- ment of the bo'ok publishing sector provide making by governments. It would not be real- the bases for the Bank's appraisal of those spe-.. istic to require governments to articulate a pol- cific publishing measures within the context of icy and develop a strategy of timely textbook overall publishing in the country. provision through investment for the develop- 7 WORLD BANK OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES ment of the general book publishing industry agencies in the development of publishing in in the private sector. Nevertheless, govern- the country. ments and lending or aid agencies should To meet the time-constrained demands of acknowledge that emergency textbook pro- educational publishing, the government curements tend to be detrimental to the sus- should contract with individuals and commer- tainability of book programs in education sys- cial groups for those very same services. tems. When in some cases the government Writing contests can yield new and imagina- may need to maintain some of its publishing tive manuscripts from non-governmental activities, such as the research and writing, edi- writers. Contracting with highly creative out- torial, and book design functions, a time- side groups the set of production services bound action plan should be agreed for relin- including book design, typesetting, illustra- quishing those functions to service suppliers in tion, page layouting, prepress filming or the graphic arts industry. encoding, can relieve the government of this The borrower should satisfactorily demon- difficult phase of publication. Most attractive strate commitment to policymaking, within an to the private sector will be industrial-volume agreed time-frame, in the following areas: (i) contracts: quantity purchases of finished the role of publishing in national development; books, printing paper supply, manufacturing (ii) the role of the public and private sectors in (printing, binding, packaging), and distribu- publishing; and (iii) the role of lending and aid tion (warehousing, freight handling, delivery). 8 Textbooks and Reoding Materials Annex B Noteworthy Practices PrivatizingTextbook Provision Improving Textbook Printing Quality TANZANIA: The Education Planning and Rehabilitation Project (Credit 2137-TA) 1990- JORDAN: Prior to the Human Resources 98, supported the privatization of the produc- Development Sector Investment Project (Loan tion of textbooks. The Institute of Curriculum 3106-JO) 1989-97, textbooks were published Development (ICD), the governmental agency ad hoc. Authors were commissioned to write originally mandated to develop and produce manuscripts, which were officially reviewed textbooks, was renamed the Tanzania Institute and approved, for use in public schools. The of Education (TIE) and prepared for its new critical production of final manuscripts, role in reviewing commercially produced text- including typesetting, illustration, and page books for use in public schools. The move also layouting, was left to the bidders who had won involved scaling down the curriculum unit's contracts for printing the textbooks. original building plans to conform to the poli- Through the project, the Government cy of moving textbook publication from the aimed to revise the curricula and to provide Government to the private sector. Textbooks new or substantially revised textbooks and under the new privatization policy began to teachers' guides for all grades and in all sub- appear in the market in 1998. jects. In order to improve production quality, In spite of the successful institutional shift, the Government (through the project) estab- it is still necessary for the Ministry of lished some publishing capacity in the Education and Culture to work closely with Ministry of Education (MOE) to prepare the TIE and the private sector publishers, to manuscripts camera-ready for private publish- ensure that relevant textbooks and reading ers to print. Expertise had to be developed in books are published regularly and reach illustrating, page layouting, and in desktop schools. The TIE also needs to continually publishing. The Government also refined the update the curriculum, which is the basis for printing specifications in printing contracts. future textbook selection. Production targets were ambitious, and many schedule adjustments had to be made. To ease the pressure on manuscript prepara- tion and pre-printing review, many textbook 9 WORLD BANK OPERATIONAL (GUIDELINES titles were redesigned for publication in two the curriculum reform cycle; and (ii) the text- volumes, one per semester. book procurement cycle to be made more reg- By separating publishing from printing ular, to reduce uncertainties which contribute functions, the project produced textbooks and to increased costs and prices. teachers' guides of higher graphic quality. And because the printing contractors did not have to prepare final manuscript themselves, manu- facturing became more efficient, and text- Involving Local Stakeholders books reached schools oii time. MEXICO: Both the Initial Education Project (Loan 3518-ME) 1992-97, and the Primary Education Project (Loan 3407-ME) 1991-98, Textbook Liberalization supported the participation in the project of stakeholders at the local level. UGANDA: A bold measure was taken in 1993 To maintain uniform and consistent mes- when the textbook sector was liberalized. The sages in initial (early childhood) education, National Curriculum Development Center the project used experienced educators at the (NCDC) no longer had monopoly over text- central level, printed instructional materials book publishing at a time when private sector and guidebooks, supporting audiovisual aids, presence in publishing was minimal, and the and operational handbooks. At the local level, book market had collapsed. Within two years, using local funding, the project promoted a however, there were a dozen publishing com- community-based program to incorporate the panies consisting of local firms and joint ven- views of parents and local community leaders tures with international publishers. Within for increasing awareness about early child five years, more than 70 bookshops had development. opened in 19 of the country's 45 districts. In the primary education project, nation- Under the new textbook policy, schools are al-level educational development and indige- allocated book budgets based on enrollment nous education agencies collaborated with and allowed to choose books from an approved state-level education agencies to develop and list. The books are reviewed against the curricu- produce textbooks and exercise booklets for lum by a committee of teachers, head teachers, the lower primary grades in eight indigenous and NCDC, education ministry, Uganda languages, the first such materials developed in Examinations Board, and other officials whose the country. The involvement of state-level identities are kept confidential. School orders agencies in the development phase helped in are consolidated by the center and negotiated the distribution phase of the project. Parents, with the publishers. Distribution of books to teachers, and students participated in the schools are contracted to the private sector. design of the textbooks. For example, commu- To sustain the provision system, a separate nity members discussed stories to be included budget line has been created for textbooks, in the texts, and students participated in the currently amounting to 3% of the recurrent selection of the illustrations which would education budget. To achieve greater economy accompany the text of the reading books. and efficiency, key improvements are planned: Experience from the textbook and other mate- (i) the number of books to be reviewed to be rials provision is being evaluated, to derive les- reduced to 3 or 4 per subject and grade, and sons for a possible next phase of textbook pub- the textbook vetting to be coordinated with lishing in indigenous languages. I0 Textbooks and Reading Matenals Annex C Key Roles in the Publication of Textbooks and Reading Materials EDUCATIONAL OR PUBLISHING ACTIVITY PARTICIPANTS Curriculum research, planning, writing, and testing * Government's education ministry Curriculum implementation and evaluation * Private schools Call for development of textbooks or notice * Government's textbook agency of intent to buy textbooks and/or reading materials * School heads or teachers Selection from textbook titles available in the trade Planning of book program or series or * Publisher: editors, marketing directors individual titles Recruitment and contracting of authors * Publisher's editors, legal staff Manuscript development: writing, testing, revision * Author(s), working with the publisher's editor(s) and book designers Evaluation and approval of books for development * Government's textbook agency or purchase Costing and estimating * Publisher's production planners and Editorial services: book planning, content review, sales and marketing staff copy editing, manuscript preparation for * Publisher's editors, reviewers or referees, production, acquisition of rights and permissions rights-and-permissions legal and Production services: book design, illustration, technical staff photographs, other graphics, desktop publishing * Graphic designers (publisher's staff or or typesetting, page preparation, filming contracted service from graphic arts industry) * Illustrators, photographers, other creative and technical services providers (publisher's staff or free-lance artists) (continued) II WORLD BANK OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES * Typesetters, page layout artists, proof and final page or film processors (pub- lisher's in-house production or services purchased from graphic arts industry) Manufacturing: paper procurement, purchase . Paper mills and paper merchants of printing-binding-packaging * Printing and binding companies * Wrapping and packaging service companies Marketing and sales * Publisher's marketing and sales staff Distribution: warehousing, order fulfillment, * Warehousing and freight-forwarding shipping and delivery companies * Bookselling industry's wholesaling and retailing companies * Government's purchasing agency * School heads, teachers, parents Teacher orientation on the use of the new materials - Government's inservice teacher training agency * Private schools * Publisher's marketing representatives Impact evaluation * Government's testing agency Curriculum revision * Government's education ministry * Private schools 12 16 0 l