This manual on textbook provision in low income countries serves as an accompanying publication to a World Bank elearning course. It responds to the challenge of getting affordable books to school children when and where needed and aims to be a practical resource that covers key issues encountered in textbook development, ranging from authorship through to publication and distribution.
The manual is intended for anyone in a position to advise, administer or design a book provision project can be used for individual or group study with illustrative examples from around the world highlighting success and failure. Following the course structure, it is organised into 12 modules under 4 sections:
Understanding the Textbook Industry
- Module 1: Overview of the Key Issues
- Module 2: Publishing
- Module 3: Printing
- Module 4: Costing
Book Acquisition Strategies
- Module 5: Preparing for a Textbook Acquisition Strategy—Deciding What To Pay For
- Module 6: Preparing for Textbook Development—Essential Steps
Distribution Strategies
- Module 7: Distribution Strategies: How to Get the Books to Students
- Module 8: Alternative Book Distribution Channels
Policy and Practice
- Module 9: Procurement Methods
- Module 10: Fraud & Corruption
- Module 11: Book Policy—the Why and the How
- Module 12: The Textbook Specialist in Action: What a Program manager/Task Team Leader Needs to Know.
There is no one-size-fits-all strategic model provided; the manual recognises that country context needs to be taken into account in order to design a project that is realistic, practical and sustainable in the long-term.
