» Topic List
	Objectives and Justification Scope and Coverage Summary of Main Activities Program Management and Monitoring Financing Plan

Objectives and Justification » Up

The objective of this policy is to ensure adequate provision of core instructional materials on a nationwide basis and to encourage the process of widening choice (and therefore quality) in the provision of textbooks by opening the textbook market to multi-publisher supply. This will allow decentralisation and more flexibility in the purchase of core learning materials at the school-level with resulting gain in quality and cost benefits for MoEYS. Increased levels of decentralization will also facilitate the response of the program to the significant increases in the coverage and number of secondary schools over the next five years. Schools' learning materials requirements for 2005-6, will be under the decentralised buying system designed in 2004.

This will involve budget allocations to schools, and the management of their requirements within their budget. This reform is integral to achieving the ESSP policy objectives by ensuring the sustained provision of good quality core instructional materials and thus supporting improvements in the quality of basic and secondary education. The policies partly reflect those set out in the Ministry's Educational Books Master Plan 2001-5 (EBMP). that guarantee the availability of core instructional materials, including textbooks and teachers' manuals, to primary and secondary schools. This is essential to enable and enhance learning according to the curriculum, and thus to achieve the EFA goal of quality basic education for all by 2015.

MoEYS will continue to implement reforms through the strategy of budget allocation to individual schools begun in 2004. An agreement will be finalised with MoEF and schools core learning material budget allocations will be adopted while guidelines for purchase that include supplementary reading materials will be introduced. At the same time MoEYS will assess the impact of curriculum reform on textbook requirements and provision and strengthen the linkage between curriculum and textbook reform.

In order to introduce competition and so receive the benefits of an open market the MoEYS will formulate a policy for the writing of textbooks and teachers' manuals which will enable private publishers to produce alternative textbooks that comply with the requirements of the curriculum. The current grade 10-12 textbook financing policy will be continued to maintain a target of one book per two students under public financing alongside full public financing in selected poor provinces. Central departments and DGE will continue to focus on program impact monitoring, alongside appropriate capacity building for these roles

Scope and Coverage » Up

The overall costs of book replacement will be reduced through a review of the annual book life and re-use rate, including budget allocation for book repair within overall school allocation. MoEYS will prepare schools to manage government funds for instructional materials to best effect, taking account of parental decisions on direct purchase and of other school resources. The quality and relevance of teaching/learning materials will be improved through strengthening of textbook impact monitoring with new indicators and systems to monitor the achievement of the objectives of the program being developed. These efficiency gains will help this program to respond to the increased need for core-instructional materials, as the number of secondary schools expand and secondary enrolment increases by around 0.7 million over the next 5 years.

Summary of Main Activities » Up

Proposed program outcomes and activities over the period 2005/08 will include maintaining the target 1:1 book to student ratio for all core textbooks at Grades 1-9, and the target 1:2 book student ratio for all core textbooks at Grades 10-12 through free provision to schools for onward loan to students, using recurrent budget funds. In parallel the target ratio of one teacher's manual (and one textbook) for each teacher for each subject and each grade will also be maintained.

School principals, cluster staff, district and provincial officials will be selectively trained in textbook selection, stock management, budget allocation, data collection and processing, and monitoring. Ministry headquarters staff will be selectively trained in the determination of instructional material needs, budget allocation, data collection and processing, monitoring, procurement and financial management. Core instructional materials provision will cease to be the monopoly of the PDH and other suppliers will be encouraged to come into the market.

Program Management and Monitoring » Up

Two Budget Management Centres for the materials provision and capacity-building components of the PAP in the departments of primary and secondary education will be responsible for strategic and program planning, procurement of goods and services under Government agreed procedures (in close collaboration with MoEYS Department of Finance) and financial management of the program funds.

Provincial education offices are responsible for monitoring activities. Provincial Planning Offices will undertake annual assessments of the availability of textbooks in the schools and other agreed key indicators. Schools will be responsible for final textbook selection and budget prioritization within their allocation of funds. The Provincial education offices will also monitor textbook usage to allow more flexibility in the provision of core instructional materials at school level as the range of materials available expands.

Financing Plan » Up

The significant increase in the financing is due to the recent expansion in primary school enrolment and the projected rapid increase in secondary enrolment. Both trends will require additional textbook spending and teacher's guides.

» Topic List
	Objectives and Justification Scope and Coverage Summary of Main Activities Program Management and Monitoring Financing Plan