Basic Learning Materials Initiative

One must establish, train and administer (or hire) separate teams of people to undertake each of the following general classes of activity and establish an administrative system to co-ordinate them:

Design and write books - starting with curriculum guidelines and finishing with copy ready for manufacture;
Manufacture books - including the acquisition of raw materials (such as paper, ink, film, binding materials), printing and binding;
Distribute books - getting them from the point of manufacture to all the classrooms in the nation, even the most remote, on time and in good condition;
Provide ancillary support - including complementary teaching materials (chalk, laboratory supplies, and so forth) and training teachers how to use the books;
Evaluate and re-supply or revise books as required (1).

The scope of book provision and development may seem daunting when considered in the light of the above and from what has been said in previous chapters. Where should a start be made, how should it be made and who should make it? Awareness is the first requirement among policy-makers and workers in the book sector. Reading and book promotion campaigns can be useful as a means of creating an appreciation of books and reading.

Awareness among policy-makers and practitioners of how the book sector works is a first step. Reading and book promotion campaigns to create an appreciation of books and reading among people can be useful. But to ensure that book development contributes to national development, affirmative government action is needed in the following areas: the installation of a national book policy which gives priority to book development; the installation of a policy for the provision of instructional materials for schools and non-formal education programmes; the fixation of priority areas in book development; five-year development plans; the establishment/nomination of an independent institution which co-ordinates book activities and is responsible for the implementation of government policies in this area; and sufficient resources and funding.

Any of these can serve as a starting point.

Drafting a national book policy

Books, education and development are inextricably linked. The previous chapters repeatedly underlined the interdependence between the provision of good quality books for the education sector and the existence of a national book industry. The importance of government policies has been stressed as well as the need for long-term planning for the book sector.

A national book policy is a coherent set of regulations and indicators set by the national authority to govern the development, printing and dissemination of books and other printed materials with the aim of promoting the culture of reading. The backing of the highest national authority is essential since it is not only a question of the allocation of sufficient resources but of giving status to a book policy to ensure that it will be implemented.

A comprehensive national book policy gains importance from the complexity of controls placed upon the publication, distribution and utilization of books. Even when the publishing industry is not controlled by the state through licensing or sometimes through censorship, legislation drawn up by different ministries has to be respected. A national book policy seeks to reduce the anomalies in different national policies that influence the book sector, provides an account of the various laws, rules and regulations which apply to publishing, printing, distribution and the use of books, and appoints the implementing agency and the means of redress.

Strategic planning for book provision and development must be based on systematic analysis and the extrapolation of information. But it demands evaluation and the making of choices and decisions. When drawing up a national book policy, co-operation and communication between specialists and decision-makers are essential.

A national policy does not work in a vacuum. The policies and their implications must be made known among educators and educational planners as well as among publishers and others working in the book sector. To do so, it is necessary to establish a forum or institution which co-ordinates activities, and ensures that policies are implemented and that externally funded projects work within the framework they provide. This institution also provides a centre for continuous data gathering, research, development and debate. Likewise, training must be institutionalized to ensure that professional standards are maintained and updated.

A national book policy should:

ensure that the language policies and education policies are clearly applied, as books in national languages play important roles in the development of culture and national cohesion;
ensure access to books by all segments of the population;
promote the reading habit and the eradication of illiteracy;
provide the framework for the creation, production, distribution and promotion of books for all categories of society;
remove constraints which impede the development of endogenous authorship and publishing, especially in national languages;
identify book gaps in the country (for example, provision of specialized materials and materials for minority groups) and state intentions in this regard;
develop a strong library network.

Some questions must be resolved before a policy can be developed in any detail, such as: What are the objectives of the nationalbook policy? What development target can realistically be set? What should the procedure be and who should be responsible for its formulation? How much will it cost and how will it be funded? Who should be responsible for its implementation? What should be the time-frame for its application?

A national book policy must be developed to reflect specific political, cultural, educational, social and economic conditions. However, the components of a national policy are common to all countries.

The following is an attempt to outline a structure for the preparation, adoption and implementation of a national book policy.

The book policy

1.1. The mandate of the policy should be stated (for example, the book policy shall be the guiding principle for all programmes and projects undertaken in the area of book development in the country) as well as the need for periodical review, especially of the strategies adopted in the light of the policy's implementation, efficacy and current relevance. Establishing book policies and implementing them is a complex and very time-consuming affair which, in addition to fund-raising and legislative measures, often involves a change in priorities at all levels of society. It is reasonable to work within a time-frame of ten to fifteen years and considerable time may pass before the policies are fully implemented and the goals of book provision achieved.

1.2. The importance, place and contribution of book development to national development should be defined within the framework of the national book policy. The status of the sector should be made clear. Because of the importance of the book sector to human resource development, UNESCO has long urged that the book sector be given priority status to ensure that books receive preferential treatment in fiscal policies, credit facilities, import regulations and export incentives, supply of raw materials, provision of training opportunities and so on.

1.3. Overall objectives should be stated, for example, the eradication of illiteracy and the promotion of the reading habit; ensuring access to the information and knowledge needed to further national development; developing the supply of books and other printed materials for all sectors of society, ensuring the provision of good quality books for the education sector; encouraging the development of publishing and printing enterprises; and supporting authorship and skills development.

1.4. The policy must discuss legal issues relating to the book sector, such as copyright and the adherence to various international legal instruments.

1.5. A national book policy must be developed to reflect the specific political, cultural, linguistic, educational, social and economic conditions, and always be in conformity with other national policies such as national education policy, communications policy and national language policy.

1.6. A policy for the provision of instructional materials for schools and non-formal education programmes should be a separate but integral component of the national book policy. Many of the issues concerning the provision of learning materials for the education sector are governed by the book policy. Though many issues are the same, specific conditions apply to this area of publishing and a separate policy is needed. Because the publication of materials for the education sector is such a significant percentage of the market for books, it is important for private sector publishing that policies be developed and made public.

2.1. Based on an analysis and assessment of the prevailing development of the book sector, the national book policy should identify and state medium- and long-term goals for the development of the book sector.

2.2. Apart from the goals of book development in the publishing infrastructure and book awareness, the national book policy can state priority areas such as the production of certain books and printed materials; library development or language policies; social, economic and cultural concerns; or issues related to industrial development including personnel capacity-building, affordability, distribution, quality control or the facilitation of partnerships.

2.3. Guidelines for the roles of existing government printing houses and private sector publishing, respectively, should be given in the policy and also modalities for co-operation between the two.

2.4. Guidelines for cost recovery, affordability and economic sustainability should be given.

3.1. Having set the objectives, the book policy must indicate the strategies for achieving them. Different strategies are needed to reach different objectives, and decisions must be made to support the development of the necessary infrastructure. These strategies should recognize the requirements of publishing, such as: the modernization and development of the publishing industry, for instance by giving it 'priority status' to ensure that books receive preferential treatment in fiscal policies, exemption from various tax and duties, credit facilities, import regulations and export incentives, the supply of raw materials, the provision of training opportunities, and so on; the encouragement of local manufacture of raw materials for use in the publishing industry or, alternatively, the reduction of import duties on paper and printing equipment; the involvement of private sector publishing in the production and marketing of learning materials for the education sector in the interests of healthy competition and viable growth of the indigenous book industry.

This can be facilitated through tender regulations and so on; human resource management and the institutionalization of training: the building up of a suitable infrastructure for professional development (skills development, research, renewal, collection of information for needs assessment, and so on) through institutionalized training for all categories of professionals (curriculum developers, authors, illustrators, designers, typesetters, printers, teachers, booksellers and distributors, and librarians); the encouragement of and support for the establishment of professional bodies such as publishers' associations, printers' associations, library associations, and writers' associations; the recruitment of educated manpower in the book industry by improving the status accorded to, protecting the rights of, and ensuring fair wages for, professionals involved in the book sector; the encouragement of indigenous publishing - for instance, through the establishment of arts councils and awards for various kinds of literature, through the provision of adequate translation facilities, and tax incentives; the setting up or streamlining of a distribution network - often the weakest link in the book chain - to enhance the profitability of the publishing business; the arrangement of tariff rebates for the transportation and distribution of printed materials by companies and postal systems; library development and reading campaigns; copyright protection1 and adherence to other international instruments for book development, such as the Florence Agreement,2 at national and international level; the encouragement of the use of ISBN and classification numbers by all publishers; support for programmes for editing, publishing and preserving rare old manuscripts and other projects of similar national and cultural importance; mechanisms for quality control and the collection/updating of data related to the book sector; the initiation and facilitation of regional (international) co-operation.

3.2. One of the first decisions to make is related to the co-ordination and implementation of the book policy.

It is important not to underestimate the complexities of this task, which often requires a change in priorities and a cultivation of interests where none existed. It is imperative that the body given overall responsibility for the planning, management and monitoring of a book policy be endowed with adequate executive power and sufficient financial resources, as well as the necessary staff.

A central body is essential for the implementation of a book policy, for collecting and updating information regarding the book sector, for establishing co-operation among institutions and professionals in the book world and for co-ordinating activities. Whether this responsibility be given to a book council or to another institution, it is vital that the institution be an autonomous body with its own resources and its own permanent secretariat and that it confines its activities to book development and does not enter into commercial publishing or bookselling.

Whether the responsibility is delegated for elements of the strategy in the national policy or left to the overall implementing agency depends on how much power is vested in that agency. The policy should, however, also state the purpose and means of further involvement and co-operation of the other agencies in the book sector (for instance, through networking).

Funding and resources

4.1. For the book policy to achieve its aims, sufficient resources must be allocated for the overall implementing agency to enable it to work independently and effectively.

4.2. Resources must also be allocated where necessary to fund those elements of the book policy which may not fall within the responsibility of the overall implementing agency, for example, the provision of learning materials for the education sector, the national library and so on.

4.3. The means of funding, budgeting and auditing should be described, as should the means for obtaining external funding from national and international bodies for various projects. Funding is always of importance. The funds allocated for book development in developing countries are generally inadequate when measured against the importance of book development for general development. It will be easier to attract funding when policies are in place that allow for long-term planning, realistic budgeting, commercial enterprise and a greater degree of accountability. With firmly established government policies for book development provision, private sector enterprises are also more likely to invest in it. The importance of national policies cannot be underestimated with regard to making good use of externally funded programmes. Where national governments have taken the initiative to prepare and adopt sector policy statements, external donors find it easier to support these policies. If a national book policy determines project designs and the type of funding mechanisms to be used for external assistance, and outlines the longer term strategy for the book sector, projects are more likely to contribute to lasting development.

Book sector surveys

Book sector surveys - which were introduced in Chapter 2 - are essential in book development planning. A book sector survey is the collection, computation and analysis of all economic, social, cultural, statistical and other data which touch upon the writing, publishing, printing, distribution and utilization of books and other printed materials. Such surveys are often made with a view to establishing a policy for educational publishing for all levels of schooling.

It is important to remember that a book sector survey in itself does not change things. It is, however, an indispensable tool for the development of adequate policies, planning and the implementation of a strategy to bring about change. The kind of information and analysis provided by these surveys is essential for needs assessment and the identification of wider policy issues and priorities. A sector analysis can be the basis for a policy dialogue within the government as well as between the government and interest groups.

A thorough book sector survey should precede the development of national policies for book development and provision.

A book sector survey assembles facts related to book availability in schools and draws not only on existing information (such as government statistics or information from the publishers' associations) but, more importantly, on surveys undertaken by the book sector survey itself. A book sector survey that provides facts and figures on the organization of the book industry indicates the difficulties faced by the industry in production and distribution, and describes the availability and economy of resources such as paper, the categories of personnel involved and their level of skills and training needs, sectoral institutions and correlations between them, the population's reading habits, the structure and organization of the education system, the need for instructional materials and the constraints in meeting these needs. The survey also evaluates the organizational structures controlling the book trade and the infrastructure for the dissemination of printed materials (such as libraries, school libraries and bookshops).

However useful the book sector has been in understanding the dynamics and economics of educational publishing in developing countries, it is still not easy to work with. The book sector is not a well-defined sector in the traditional sense and does not correspond to the models and dynamics of the social and commercial sectors. Perhaps the most important contribution of the book sector approach is the way it shows how much co-operation is needed across sectors to ensure a sustainable system for the provision of learning materials.

Strategic planning for book development does not depend on the sufficient allocation of resources alone but also on whether co-operation in traditional sectors can easily be obtained.

A very important element in the book sector study (4) is the school survey. The school survey covers good and average schools in urban, rural and remote areas and collects information on:

school attendance compared with enrolment;
an actual count of pupils' books available in the classroom in key subjects;
an account of the teachers' books available per subject per teacher;
the availability of supplementary materials;
the availability of other basic learning materials, such as dictionaries and atlases, a detailed statement of book conditions and expected book life;
building conditions, including interior conditions such as the availability of furniture, the size of desks, storage facilities for books, and so on;
school management systems and facilities;
pupil/parent expenditure on schooling;
supply methodology and performance;
the availability of consumable school supplies and cost of them;
the assessment of the suitability of content and the presentation of available learning materials;
teachers' qualifications, experience, attendance and competence.

All the above are governed by government policies, but analyses of such comprehensive school surveys provide planners with information on actual classroom conditions. Sometimes the difference between policies and actual conditions are great, but information on actual conditions is a prerequisite for proper problem identification, realistic needs assessment and suitable project design.

Differences in the quality and quantity of book sector surveys already undertaken indicate that such studies must be undertaken by independent and qualified persons and that the information collected must be detailed and the analysis rigorous. If these requirements are not met, book studies will not provide what was expected of them.

A recent review of a series of four book sector studies in Africa observed that, despite the use of the same survey instrument as a basis for the four studies, they lacked a common understanding of how book industries function in the modern world. 'The conceptual framework is missing. The generally recognized functions of the "machinery" of book provision and distribution are not understood, except in vague terms . . . Separate components of the system have been described with variable accuracy, but not the state of relations between these components . . . The studies must therefore be viewed as general descriptions and not as serious analytical studies. (5)

The main difference between the quality of the various book sector surveys which have been undertaken is with regard to the validity of data and analysis. The qualifications and experience (of publishing and cultural differences as well as of economic realities in developing countries) of the people who undertake such studies are therefore important, as are a certain scale and economy.

When employing consultants to undertake book sector surveys, the following recommendations should be considered:

To ensure impartiality and relevant experience in all areas, a book sector survey should be undertaken by a group of consultants. The qualifications of the group of consultants as well as the individual consultant should be considered. (If, however, a single consultant is engaged, he or she should not be directly involved in any one area of the book industry.)

Consultants should have spent a minimum of ten years in the book industry.

Consultants must have experience of developing countries.

Consultants must possess qualifications and experience in education and/or curriculum development (academic qualifications are not essential, but a university degree is recommended).

Previous research work is essential, and a knowledge of writing project proposals and of evaluation is necessary.

Consultants should be impartial and independent of specific interests; a consultant who is accountable to a government minister, director, or employer will find it difficult to be critical.

A full book sector survey is a major undertaking by a group of experienced experts in various fields of publishing. It requires several weeks of intensive work.

The majority of book sector surveys undertaken have been by external (primarily European) consultants and, though they show a deep sensitivity to the complexities of book provision as well as the economic realities of developing countries, the use of purely external consultants is not without disadvantages.

The first of these is a lack of commitment and motivation. Close co-operation between external and internal consultants/professionals must be achieved to guarantee a knowledge of local culture and conditions. These are prerequisites for a valid analysis. Involving national professionals in the process of collecting and analysing theinformation relating to needs assessment and national capacities is part of the process of developing a national capacity. It may be slower and more costly than calling on experienced expertise, but it will be worthwhile in the long run. Any planning and budgeting for book sector surveys should take these considerations into account.

Apart from curriculum and other educational matters, and the need for and general lack of national book policies, observations from the book sector surveys which have so far been undertaken, cover the difficulties of various governments in bearing the cost of free textbooks and other instructional materials, the absence of a more comprehensive planning for the development of national publishing industries, and missed opportunities for co-operation between educational (often public) and general publishing. Other areas of concern are the economic provision of consumables (notably paper) for printing and an overall need for professional training, not least in the areas of planning and management.

Considering the importance of the information provided by book sector analyses to book development, it should be clear that there is a pressing need to share whatever information is made available by ensuring freer access and more publicity. This is not only of vital importance for individual projects but facilitates co-operation between professionals in the field. In addition, it would facilitate the co-ordination of various project initiatives - a co-ordination which reflects the inter-sectorality and complexity which have been highlighted and analysed by book sector surveys. Making information contained in such sector studies available facilitates regional and international co-operation.

Institutional support

Various public and private institutions affect the level of professionalism and balance between the four main agents in the book chain: authors, publishers, printers and readers.

The mandate and power given to national institutions such as book development councils and national libraries encourage the development of the book sector and provide co-ordination, direction and perhaps even funds for various projects. Without the right terms of reference and relevant national book policies, such centralized bodies can also paralyse other initiatives.

The effect of a national policy depends on the strength and integrity of the implementing agency. Hence, it is of great importance that this task be carried out by an autonomous body which has its own resources and secretariat and which does not enter into commercial publishing or bookselling but confines its activities to book development. It is of no consequence whether these institutions are called book councils or not.

Many countries have delegated responsibility for implementing a national book policy to a national book development council - a composite body consisting of representatives of various ministries, publishers, authors, editors, illustrators, book distributors, librarians and representatives of various educational institutions as well as private individuals. The tasks undertaken by a book council can be many, but whatever the form and mandate of a book development council, the basis of its work is the application of national policies for orderly book development.

A number of such book development councils have been established in developing countries over the last twenty years and their efficiency has varied, depending on whether they are 'advisory' or 'executive' bodies. (6) Thus, while book development councils have been formed in the majority of countries in Asia, some of them exist only on paper while others have been defunct for up to a decade. Such councils do more harm than good to book development.

Whether the secretariat of a book council should be part of the framework of a governmental, semi-governmental, or private body, is of vital importance to the kind of activities a council undertakes and determines whether it can implement a national book policy. A consultation (7) which reviewed the relationship between book councils and book development observed that book councils were potentially very important but that existing councils in a number of countries needed to be redefined and reactivated. The consultation report also stated:

The composite and complex nature of the book industry compels participation by government in one form or another. However, experience has borne out that tok development observed that book councils were potentially very important but that existing councils in a number of countries needed to be redefined and reactivated. The consultation report also stated:

The composite and complex nature of the book industry compels participation by government in one form or another. However, experience has borne out that the Councils in the public sector often lack executive and financial powers, while those in the private sector have a great deal of initiative but no funds or regular staff or even an office building of their own . . . an autonomous organization with adequate financial and professional resources and its own permanent secretariat was an ideal body that could combine both advisory and executive functions . . . ideally a Council has to be independent of both bureaucratic and industrial control.

An important function of such institutions is to update book sector surveys where they have been undertaken and to collect, analyse and disseminate detailed and accurate information (among other statistical data) regarding the availability and demand for books. The dissemination and analysis of such data provide directions for the whole book sector and are the basis on which new strategies are developed. A book council should also provide a forum for research and debate relating to the book world.

A national bibliography, a continually updated list of all titles published, is an important tool for anyone interested in the book sector, but it is also of importance for other disciplines. A national bibliography lists the total number of titles published per year, including reprints and new editions, and gives information on the publisher and the print run for each title.

The bibliography also provides information about the average yearly output of books and the number of titles published by government and semi-government organizations and by private sector organizations.

Finally, it provides information on the annual turnover of the publishing sector and the percentages of this turnover generating from (a) imported books and printed materials, (b) indigenous books produced for the education sector, and (c) indigenous general publishing.

The regular compilation and publication of a national bibliography and other statistical data regarding the book sector should be the responsibility of an institution that has the resources needed to obtain and process the necessary information on a continuing basis, such as a national library, a book council, a publishers' association or perhaps a department of statistics at a local university.

Libraries, including a national library, are perhaps one of the most cost-effective means of promoting reading habits and a general appreciation of books and other printed materials.

The existence of a press and newspapers is vital for a reading society.

Professional associations in publishing, book selling, librarianship and writing are important because they raise the level of self-awareness and the level of professionalism and co-ordination within the book sector. They work as a focus for a wider appreciation of the importance of books for general development.

Likewise, the institutionalization of training in all the skills needed in publishing, printing, bookselling, writing and librarianship supports the development of a flourishing publishing sector and enhances the status of the profession. There is a widespread need to establish diplomas or certification in publishing. Shorter and longer training courses exist already - Ghana has a two-year diploma course and Kenya, Malaysia and the Philippines have shorter courses - but the need for training possibilities, including apprenticeship schemes and attachment programmes in printing and publishing, are far from meeting the demand. This is an area where regional co-operation and government initiatives are especially productive and relevant.

Project design and priorities

How should projects be designed to have a long-term impact?

There are many possible approaches and there is no single way of designing projects for book development. The book sector is potentially so vast and complex that one project will never be able to deal with all areas of book development. There is probably room for all projects that can be devised. All projects cannot be on an equally large scale, but as has been demonstrated, there are some things without which no project will work. Projects should be designed after a study has been made of the present status of the book sector and should be directed by national policies for book development and book provision. Few developing countries have such policies, and to put them in place should be a priority for those seriously committed to book development in developing countries.

There is a danger that a more comprehensive book sector approach will invite large-scale projects which require a much greater level of co-ordination than was common in book (that is, textbook) projects in the past, and a higher level of support may be difficult to ensure for every project.

The book sector approach provides a common conceptual framework for book development, a thing which has been lacking until now and which holds the key to more successful project design and implementation. Less ambitious projects can do a lot to maximize scarce resources and upgrade the capacities for publishing and book development, if they are guided by comprehensive national policies and are based on comprehensive research and analysis. The important thing is to realize that book provision can only be assured through book development and that solutions will rarely have an impact unless serious thought is given to the linkages between this and other elements in the book sector.

Time must also be considered. Book development is too complex and too slow a matter to lend itself to changes even over a period of three to five years - the normal time-frame for projects. Ten or perhaps even fifteen years is a much more realistic period of time.

Ultimately, however, the fundamental requirement for book development and for the success of projects is determined by government commitment, priorities, funding, policies and planning.


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