Supporting improvements in the quality of education through books and ibraries

Books change lives

Supporting improvements in the quality of education through books and libraries A Book Aid International policy paper

This publication was generously supported by Pearson plc www.pearson.com

Books change lives

Executive Summary Book Aid International’s purpose is to increase access to books in order to support literacy, education and development in subSaharan Africa.

This paper summarises key research on the role of books and learning materials in improving education, reflects on our experience and that of our local implementing partners, and makes recommendations for policies which will enable books to be used more effectively.

There has been a rapid increase in the number of children in school over the past decade as governments strive to meet the Millennium Development Goals. However, quality remains a substantial challenge, with significant numbers emerging functionally illiterate. Many factors affect school outcomes, but the evidence shows that access to appropriate books and learning materials, support for teachers to use them, and development of vibrant literate environments are central to improving the quality of education.

Book Aid International posits that five conditions must be met to ensure that books and learning materials are used in the best way possible to improve education quality:

Arising from the discussion of these five factors – availability, appropriateness, accessibility, management and use of books and learning materials – this paper makes a series of recommendations which we will work with our partners to advocate for in the future.

1. Availability: Improving the range of available books and reading materials for schools

To improve access to relevant books in schools there is an urgent need:

To ensure the effective use of books in classrooms and school libraries, it is essential for:

• for donors to ensure that funds for schools to purchase books and learning materials are included in national education budgets • for schools to be given the information on what books are available and how to acquire them

• new books from international publishers to be donated where similar local books are not available

• for investments to be made in local monitoring to ensure that this model is taking place

• donors to stimulate the local publishing of books by providing grants for local purchase or to support the development of local publications, including a commitment to buy a proportion of a title’s print run.

4. Management: Improving the management of books and reading materials in schools

2. Appropriateness: Improving the quality and relevance of books and reading materials

• policies to be developed and technical assistance provided for the development of effectively managed school libraries or school book collections

To improve the appropriateness and relevance of books and learning materials in sub-Saharan Africa, it is essential for:

• there needs to be a range of titles available for schools to choose from and use • material should be appropriate, of good quality, and relevant to the needs of the reader

• local organisations with skills in this area to be supported to expand their programmes

• schools need knowledge and experience of how to store and manage their books

5. Use: Improving the use of books and reading materials in the classroom

To improve the availability of books and learning materials in schools, it is essential for:

• programmes to be developed to support and increase the capacity of all those involved in the publishing industry to produce high quality, relevant books

• material should be affordable and easily accessible for schools

3. Accessibility: Improving the ability of schools to access books and reading materials

• educational authorities to support the development of programmes of in-service training for teachers to manage and use books effectively in the classroom, and to help students use libraries effectively, and for this to be included in the curriculum for teacher training • librarians, teachers and head teachers to work together to promote reading and the creation of literate environments in schools

To improve the management of books in schools it is essential for:

• donors to include library provision in their support for education

• international book donations to be carefully selected in consultation with local organisations which have experience of the needs and wants of their readers

• schools and teachers need the skills, confidence and knowledge to use books and materials in their teaching practice 2

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Books change lives

Supporting improvements in the quality of education through books and libraries A Book Aid International policy paper About Book Aid International Book Aid International’s purpose is to increase access to books in order to support literacy, education and development in sub-Saharan Africa. We work with local partners to increase access to books and information by supporting improvements in the quality of education; supporting public, community and educational libraries; and supporting organisations working in development and human rights.

About this paper This paper summarises key research on the role of books and learning materials in improving education, reflects on our experience and that of our local implementing partners, and makes recommendations for policies which will enable books to be used to improve the effectiveness of education.

We hope that this paper will make a contribution towards developing a shared understanding of the critical importance of books and learning materials in improving the quality of education in resource poor settings, and provide a framework for identifying the persistent challenges that inhibit access to books and limit their effective use.

Publication of this paper was supported by Pearson, one of the world’s leading educational publishers, as part of its funding of a Book Aid International project designed to promote reading and develop libraries in schools in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

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We would like thank the local organisations whose work is featured in this publication: The East African Book Development Association, National Book Development Councils in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, FAWEZA (the Forum for Women Educationalists in Zambia), the Africa Educational Trust and the Kenya National Library Service. In particular we would like to acknowledge the Children’s Book Project of Tanzania, whose approach was instrumental in developing the framework contained in this document.

Introduction In 2000 the international community made a commitment to achieve The Millennium Development Goals which included the commitment to ‘ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling’ (UN 2000). In the past 15 years the gross enrolment in education has risen from 77.5% to 84.9% in sub Saharan Africa and almost ten million more children are now in school (UNESCO 2009).

However, access to schooling still remains a problem for around 80 million children worldwide. Key policy challenges include the need to provide equality of access to education for girls, children with disabilities, communities in fragile states (particularly those affected by conflict), and for poor communities that find the cost of school attendance prohibitive, whether for uniforms, textbooks, transport or school fees in countries where education is still not free.

For children who are in school, improving the quality of learning remains a significant challenge.

Poor literacy and numeracy, high levels of grade repetition and low levels of pupil retention are all symptoms of poor educational quality that are common to many developing countries.

Amongst numerous factors challenging a school’s ability to provide quality education, there is convincing evidence that improving access to appropriate books and learning materials, support for teachers to use them, and development of a vibrant literate environment are central to improving the quality of education. Book Aid International’s work is grounded in the growing body of evidence that supports the importance of books and learning materials to improving educational quality at all levels (Fuller and Clarke 1994; Heyneman 2006; Lockheed and Hanushek 1988; Mullis et al. 2003).

This evidence has been echoed in the series of Global Monitoring Reports produced by UNESCO to track progress in the implementation of the Education for All goals. These reports have highlighted the importance of literate environments as an enabling factor in the acquisition and enhancement of literacy skills: “For young children in school, access and use of reading materials in languages they understand are critical in acquiring basic literacy skills.

Numerous international and national learning assessments have demonstrated that the availability of books and other printed materials in school classrooms and libraries is associated with higher student performance” (UNESCO 2008: 65-66) Beyond primary school, there is also increasing demand for, and a growing awareness of the importance of secondary and tertiary education: ‘Primary education cannot expand and economies cannot grow without an education system that trains a large number of students beyond the basic cycle, including graduate students at universities. To be sustainable, education development must be balanced. It must ensure that systems produce students at different levels with qualifications that respond to the demand of the labor market, producing a continuous supply of skilled workers, technicians, professionals, managers and leaders’ (World Bank, 2001).

It is secondary schools and universities which provide the training and skills for the teachers, doctors, nurses, civil servants, engineers, entrepreneurs, scientists, and many other professionals, so essential to the development of their societies.

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Books change lives

The role of books and learning materials in improving education quality As early as 1988 the World Bank recognised that the “scarcity of learning materials in the classroom is the most serious impediment to educational effectiveness in Africa” (World Bank 1988: 42).

The main tools for supporting learning in classrooms are subject and curriculum-specific textbooks used by a class when following a syllabus. They are usually recognised or developed in association with national authorities. Supplementary books and reading materials, including story books, readers, general non-fiction and reference books offer alternative and additional information and knowledge. They play a critical role in developing a literate environment and improving the quality of learning and its outcomes. The importance of supplementary materials to education quality has been emphasised by Diana Rosenberg: “An information-rich environment encourages innovation and creative ideas to flourish.

Without the opportunity to read widely, what is taught in the classroom is not reinforced and the quality and permanence of the benefits of education are endangered. Without it, students cannot develop skills of locating, selecting, organising, manipulating, analysing, evaluating and presenting information. Without it, the education process fails to develop beyond the acquisition of the most basic knowledge and becomes the mechanical acquisition of factual information prescribed by a syllabus and examination board. Broad reading of selfselected material is associated with the acquisition of vocabulary and comprehension skills and the development of the reading habit and the creative imagination.”

(Rosenberg 2000: 3)

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Improved access to a wider variety of books beyond textbooks is crucial to improving the quality of education. Improving the availability of supplementary reading materials in schools serves to: • develop the pupil’s ability to read, write and comprehend • extend vocabulary • develop teachers’ abilities to move beyond the confines of teaching to textbooks • supplement and enriche work done by pupils in the classroom • encourage independent access to information and arouse the interest of pupils in matters outside the curriculum

A recent World Bank report (2008) on textbooks and school libraries provision concluded that ‘secondary school libraries should provide supplementary information to encourage student research and wider reading plus leisure reading materials to support the active development of a reading habit. Active reading improves comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, reading fluency, and ease and clarity of expression. It improves performance in all other subject areas’.

This can only be achieved if there is: • recognition of, and commitment to, the value and central role of the school library by teachers and head teachers, inspectors, the educational establishment, parents and students • regular sustained library budgets (for stock, management and maintenance) to support the above

• develop the reading habit and encourage the growth of the creative imagination

• a Ministry of Education School Library Policy and clear, realistic minimum school library standards to support the rapid development of effective school libraries

• provide training and experience in the use and retrieval of information, a skill which is essential for problem solving, higher education, and lifelong learning

• adequate stocks of books and other materials which can be renewed regularly to keep information up to date and replace worn out copies • space to study in a quiet, clean and well lit environment • a qualified librarian or well-trained teacher librarian to manage the library, to help with selection, searching, cataloguing, etc, and to train all students in the use of a library • a simple library management system to include fixed library periods for the lending and selection of books

Production of textbooks in Africa is usually supported by large institutional donors and education ministries, and requires substantial additional resources; but production of supplementary reading materials in schools remains scarce and poorly supported (Montagnes 2000: 35).

The focus of Book Aid International’s work has been to support the availability of supplementary books and learning materials, and to develop schools as vibrant literate environments where staff have the knowledge and skills to manage and use books effectively.

In this paper, we set out the experiences of Book Aid International and our local partners in developing the literate environment in schools.

We argue that five conditions should be met to ensure that books and learning materials are used in the best way possible to improve education quality. First, there needs to be a range of titles available for schools to choose from and use.

Second, material should be appropriate, of good quality, and relevant to the needs of the reader.

Third, material should be affordable and easily accessible for schools. Fourth, schools need knowledge and experience of how to store and manage their book collections. Finally, and most importantly, schools, librarians and teachers need the skills, confidence and knowledge to use books and materials in their teaching practice and to promote reading.

These five factors – availability, appropriateness, accessibility, management and use of books and learning materials – structure Book Aid International’s interventions in improving the quality of education.

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Books change lives

1. Availability: Improving the range of available books and reading materials for schools The publishing industry in most countries in subSaharan Africa remains very small and relies on publishing textbooks to survive. The market beyond textbooks is limited, and publishers lack incentives to publish a wide variety of titles for children and schools. Local textbooks are usually available and more are being produced to meet shortfalls, but there are very few story books or other locally produced or relevant supplementary reading materials for schools. Imported books from international publishers are usually expensive or unavailable and do not play the same role as relevant materials in local languages written by local writers.

In African countries books are usually unavailable because of the expense of production and purchase, a lack of demand, the small number of purchasers and distributors, and the low capacity of national publishing houses. Increasing the range of good quality titles for schools to choose from and use is critical to expanding the availability of, and demand for, a wider selection of books.

To achieve this, some organisations and donors have directly funded or subsidised companies or associations that publish books in Africa. Other interventions have helped to stimulate demand by guaranteeing the purchase of a certain number of books from a publisher, or by providing grants to purchase books from local retailers. These interventions provide incentives for local publishers to increase their range of titles, and enable local book retailers and distributors to thrive.

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Book Aid International has worked to increase the range of titles available in-country by giving grants to our partners to purchase books locally, assisting retailers and publishers and stimulating demand.

We have also been working with Tanzania’s Children’s Book Project, which guarantees publishers a market for new titles by committing to buy a proportion of the initial print run to distribute to schools. Current practice is to purchase 3,000 books on the basis that 5,000 will be printed. The additional 2,000 are sold commercially, helping to create and feed local markets for children’s material. This model stimulates demand for children’s books in the form of a guaranteed order, and by working directly with the publishers it supports.

Two significant challenges arise with attempts to support local publishing by stimulating demand in this way. First, these programmes rely on international donors for the initial investment, and in many developing countries, donor investments in non-textbook production are negligible and urgently need to be significantly increased.

Second, stimulating demand for new materials by guaranteeing the purchase of new books presumes that the local publishing industry, including authors, illustrators, editors and publishers themselves, exist and have the skills and expertise to produce books of sufficient quality. In the absence of an established market this is often not the case and requires support, which is discussed in the next section.

Certain types of book will remain difficult to publish locally because of their subject-matter, the requirements of their design, or because they would compete with books which have international scope and demand. Such books will continue to have to be imported, and Book Aid International continues to provide a valuable service to schools, NGOs, and public libraries by providing a wide variety of carefully selected, high-quality new titles generously donated by UK publishers.

In order to improve the availability of books and learning materials in schools, it is essential for: • donors to stimulate the local publishing of books by providing grants for local purchase or to support the development of local publications, including a commitment to buy a proportion of a title’s print run.

• new books from international publishers to be donated where similar local books are not available

Case Study: Increasing access to books in Zambia The Forum for Women Educationalists in Zambia (FAWEZA) FAWEZA is a key Book Aid International partner. FAWEZA runs a mobile library project, where trucks visit schools in rural areas to provide books and learning resources to schools. Our support of FAWEZA combines the provision of a grant for local book purchase with the shipping of donated stock from our warehouse in London. This dual approach combines stimulating local demand for books with supplying books that are only available from international publishers from our donated stock.

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Books change lives

2. Appropriateness: Improving the quality and relevance of books and reading materials The absence of a vibrant local children’s book industry in many sub-Saharan Africa countries means that publishers often do not have a welldeveloped understanding of what makes a highquality, relevant and appropriate book for children.

In the case of textbooks, appropriateness means that books relate to the curriculum; assist teachers in preparing quality lessons; use examples drawn from local cultural or universal contexts; are written in the language of instruction; are technically accurate; and are colourful and engaging. For children’s storybooks and nonfiction, appropriateness means that the story is in the local language or in a language the children wish to read, in an accessible style, with an engaging storyline featuring culturally relevant or universal situations.

For all books and learning materials, appropriateness means that books are produced to a high quality and are attractive and well written.

In order to improve the appropriateness of books and learning materials, the best option for intervention is to work with writers, illustrators and publishers, and to fund meetings and workshops that share best practice and improve the quality and relevance of the material being produced locally.

We favour an approach that supports local partner organisations working with stakeholders in the book industry to improve knowledge, capacity, skills and experience. Partner organisations can make a wide range of interventions to improve the quality and relevance of books and learning materials produced in Africa. These include:

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• running workshops for writers and illustrators that enable individuals in the local book industry to learn more about what makes a good book, and improve their technical skills and abilities • sharing knowledge and producing good practice guidelines on writing and illustrating that help disseminate information and support standards to improve quality • working with publishers to choose, edit, improve and select books • acting as consultants in improving the abilities and capacities of publishers to meet the needs and expectations of schools and pupils In addition to supporting local stakeholders in the book industry, Book Aid International also seeks to improve and ensure the appropriateness of book donations by putting the choice of imported books with our receiving partners: we ask for regular feedback on the usefulness of the books that we send, and if there is consistent demand for a particular title we can negotiate donations of multiple copies or significant discounts directly with the publisher.

To improve the appropriateness and relevance of books and learning materials in sub-Saharan Africa, it is essential for: • programmes to be developed to support and improve the capacity of all those involved in the publishing industry to produce high quality, relevant books • local organisations with skills in this area to be supported to expand their programmes • international book donations to be carefully selected in consultation with local organisations which have experience of the needs and wants of their readers

Case Study: Working to improve the quality of locally published books - the Children’s Book Project of Tanzania In addition to stimulating the local book publishing industry by guaranteeing purchase of a set number of titles from publishers, the Children’s Book Project of Tanzania (CBP) also works with publishers to improve the quality and appropriateness of books. CBP has run workshops for key stakeholders in the publishing industry such as writers, illustrators, and editors. These workshops look at what makes a good quality children’s story book, provide an opportunity for publishers and writers to share good practice and good examples, and increase the skills and abilities of individuals in the local industry. CBP also works to improve the appropriateness and quality of children’s books by guaranteeing to purchase only books they have vetted, ensuring that the best books are produced in greater numbers, and acting as a kite-mark of quality for publishers getting CBP approval. CBP have produced good-practice guidelines for publishers, with which they must comply in order to get titles published. Since its inception, over 350 writers have been trained in CBP workshops, and over 50 books have been published with CBP’s support. These efforts mean that books published with the assistance of the Project are widely regarded as being the best in their class. All of the Project’s books are published in Swahili, the language of instruction in Tanzania’s primary schools.

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Books change lives

3. Accessibility: Improving the ability of schools to access books and reading materials When appropriate books are available they still need to be made accessible to end users: for the purposes of this paper, children in schools.

However, accessibility remains a problem for many schools in sub-Saharan Africa.

Schools often cannot access the books that are needed because they lack the funds to purchase them. Even if schools have a budget for book purchase, they lack the knowledge and systems to buy them from local publishers. Many simply do not know what is available, having no catalogues or lists from distributors or publishers or lacking knowledge of what to buy, how to procure books, or how to negotiate discounts.

One of the key tasks in developing the role of books and learning materials in achieving quality education is to improve the access that schools have to the books and learning materials that are available.

To do this, schools need money to regularly purchase catalogues of available titles, and information on how to procure them. Books can be sourced either through purchase or donation, but awareness is key.

Our partners assist schools in gaining information about available book titles, including distributing catalogues and helping schools set up the right systems for ordering books and recording purchases. Regular annual donations and purchase grants enable schools to ensure that their libraries grow and are steadily replenished with new books.

To improve access to books in schools there is an urgent need: • for donors to ensure that funds for schools to purchase books and learning materials are included in national education budgets that their support augments • for schools to be given the information they need to know what books are available and how to acquire them

Case study: Supporting access to books in schools - The Children’s Book Project of Tanzania The Children’s Book Project of Tanzania (CBP) has established a growing network of schools who receive regular, multiple copies of new books published by the scheme. When a participating school joins the project, it receives a starter set of books to help establish a library.

Thereafter, each school in the network receives an additional selection of new books each year, ensuring that the book collection grows incrementally and there is a steady replenishment of interesting new stock for children to read and teachers to use. The project also distributes a catalogue of its material to educational institutions and bookshops, allowing greater awareness of available children’s titles in Swahili across East Africa.

• for investments to be made in local monitoring to ensure that this model is taking place

The approach of Book Aid International and its partners is to provide assistance to schools both through book donations and financial support.

We work with local partners who in turn work with schools to identify their needs; and we respond to specific requests, returning on a yearly or bi-annual basis to improve, replenish and develop the book stock of the partner and the school. When offering financial assistance, we ensure support is available from our partners to enable schools to choose knowledgeably which titles to purchase and how to order them.

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Books change lives

4. Management: Improving the management of books and reading materials in schools Supporting schools to get access to books is only part of the challenge for contributing to improving education quality.

Many schools in sub-Saharan Africa lack the knowledge, systems, space, and shelving or storage units for their book collections. Without such systems there is a real risk that collections will deteriorate or not be used. One of the key tasks in developing the role of books and learning materials in achieving quality education is ensuring good management of book collections within schools.

The options for managing school book collections can broadly be divided as: • the establishment of a school library, with a dedicated room and librarian • individual classroom libraries, with a smaller, focused and relevant stock, maintained and managed by the classroom teacher • a mobile library scheme, whereby a mobile box or truck of books is shared or rotated between several classrooms and schools • the storage and loan of books from a library in a regional teacher resource centre, which serves between 10 and 20 schools and supports teachers from those schools • schools may hold multiple copies, or class sets, of certain titles in a central, lockable location, for distribution to classes when needed The most suitable option or options will depend to a large extent on the size of the book collection, the size of the school, the type of books being stored, and the nature of the school buildings.

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The key elements of success in storing and managing a school book collection are that: • books are regularly used by teachers in lessons • pupils are reading and borrowing books • there are sufficient books for a class to work together on certain texts • teachers are trained and are confident in the use of books in the classroom It is important that books are integrated with learning, and are readily available for teachers to use constantly as a reference point and to support the learning process. As Diana Rosenberg has argued, ‘If books are at hand then pupils will be able to read whenever they have a free moment and teachers will be able to pick up a book to illustrate a point. On the spot accessibility promotes greater use of resources, independent learning and the reading habit’ (Rosenberg 2000: 157-8).

It is also important that schools run a range of activities to help create a vibrant literate environment.

‘Activities to enhance or promote literacy should be balanced alongside activities for promoting writing, debating, speech, academic performance, and reading for pleasure.

Moreover, every library mandate should include the objective of making its environment as inviting as possible, so that children will be drawn to it like a magnet’ (Muwanga, 2007)

To improve the management of books in schools it is important for: • policies to be developed and technical assistance provided for the development of book collections and libraries for schools • donors to include library provision in their support for education

Case study: Developing libraries in Somaliland and Somalia Book Aid International has been working with the Africa Educational Trust (AET) to support the development of libraries in Somaliland for over 10 years. Following civil war in the 1980s/early 1990s, most libraries, where they existed, were destroyed. Rebuilding or establishing new libraries was seen as key to helping rebuild Somaliland’s education infrastructure. AET helped set up the libraries in partnership with the Ministry of Education.

Schools and local communities helped furnish the libraries, and contribute towards librarians’ salaries. Each library is run by a Community Education Committee including teachers, parents, NGO and youth representatives. Book Aid International has provided books annually, including UK textbooks as well dual language English-Somali children’s books; provided a grant to for the local purchase of books, and in 2009 ran a workshop to train secondary school librarians. AET has also provided booklets in Somali on subjects such as health, human rights and the environment. There are now 13 libraries in primary schools and 11 in secondary schools. The programme has recently been extended to 10 secondary schools in the neighbouring Puntland State of Somalia, where Book Aid International has also provided books and training.

Case study: Starting and managing a book collection Book Aid International’s ‘Bringing Books to Life’ guide This guide looks at how schools can begin to establish and manage a collection of books using five book storage options: the school library, the classroom library, a central book store, mobile libraries and teacher resource centre libraries.

The guide was produced as part of Book Aid International’s East Africa Reading Tents project supporting the establishment of libraries in schools. 6,000 copies of the guide were distributed to teachers from participating schools in 2009 by the Kenyan, Uganda and Tanzania book development councils during training sessions.

Book Aid International works through local partners to establish effective systems for managing books and libraries in schools.

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Books change lives

5. Use: Improving the use of books and reading materials in the classroom and libraries Having books available in schools and managed through a good library system does not necessarily mean that books are used to support teaching and learning in a positive and effective way.

Research shows that moving from a teaching environment with almost no books to one where books are used to support learning requires new skills and confidence on the part of teachers and students.

Teachers who encourage and support the use of supplementary books and reading materials, who set aside time for guided reading programmes, and who make creative use of diverse texts in the classroom are far more likely to improve literacy amongst their students. This requires training, support, knowledge and confidence. (DFID 1999: 260-261).

As with books themselves, libraries are insignificant unless they are used and supported by pupils and teachers. Book Aid International has worked with partners to increase the knowledge and confidence of teachers in making use of books in libraries and supporting training to enable them to operate more creatively - making use of story books through strategies such as guided reading and shared reading.

Book Aid International has also been supporting the running of ‘reading tents’ and the development of school libraries in East Africa, to promote reading for pleasure and the use of books in schools. Reading tents are high-profile events that involve a local community in promoting the joys of reading through drama, storytelling, guided reading, book gifts, and teacher training. Their aim is to stimulate an interest in reading and in books, and encourage teachers to increase their confidence in using books in the classroom. The model has been developed to include a more integrated

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programme which follows up the reading tents with further support for the teachers, librarians and the libraries.

To ensure the effective use of books in the classroom and school libraries, it is recommended that: • educational authorities support the development of programmes of in-service training for teachers to manage and use books effectively in the classroom and to help students use libraries effectively, and for this to be included in the curriculum for teacher training • librarians or teacher librarians are trained in techniques to promote reading in schools

Case study: Improving the skills of teachers in using books in the classroom -

Case study: Promoting reading for pleasure and the use of books in schools

The Children’s Book Project of Tanzania

The National Book Trust of Uganda

The Children’s Book Project of Tanzania (CBP) runs workshops with school teachers in its participating schools to enable teachers to use their new book stock in the classroom creatively. Such workshops concentrate on guided and shared reading strategies, the content of the new books, and how this content can be used to supplement aspects of the curriculum in lessons. Peer-based teaching is used to offer ongoing support, encouraging teachers to reflect on their own classroom practice and to share ideas with each other.

CBP are one of the organisations running reading tents, and as part of the project, Book Aid International produced the second of two guides on books in education, ‘Using books in the classroom’. It sets out the importance of introducing students to written materials and shares some ideas for how these materials, including books, can be used in the classroom to teach reading and improve learning.

‘Using books in the classroom’ introduces five different approaches for using written material with students: reading aloud, shared, guided, group and independent reading. Introductions to each of these approaches are designed to encourage teachers to think about new ways in which books can be used, to test these out with their students and to discuss these approaches with fellow teachers.

The National Book Trust of Uganda (NABOTU) is one of three Book Development Councils in East Africa with whom Book Aid International are working to implement ‘reading tents’. NABOTU runs reading tents throughout Uganda, establishing itself in a community for a week at a time to run reading promotion activities and to involve children and teachers in fostering a love for books and reading. Activities at the reading tents in Uganda include storytelling, drama, and teacher training – they are lively events and a big day for the schools and pupils taking part.

The tents have helped foster more interest in reading and provided some skills for teachers, but to maximise their impact, more training in running reading tents for teachers is required.

For 2010, NABOTU is working with the Ministry of Education and Sports to ensure 17,000 primary schools across the country will participate in the National Book Week by engaging in school based reading activities, and it is hoped many will be able to run their own reading tents.

The guides were used to inform the training of teachers from schools taking part in the Reading Tent project, but with demand for the guides very high, they are being provided to libraries and other partners on request.

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Books change lives

Conclusion: A framework for action

References:

The five factors discussed in this paper – the availability, appropriateness, accessibility, management and use of books and learning materials – provide a framework for a key contribution to improving the quality of education in Africa. Achieving the Education for All goals requires the development of a vibrant literate environment in schools - moving beyond the provision of textbooks to supporting a full range of interventions that encourage reading, literacy, promotion of the creative use of supplementary books and learning materials in the classroom, and the creation of well-used libraries to broaden the horizons of teachers, librarians and users.

DFID (1999) The Effectiveness of Teacher Resource Centre Strategy – Education Research Paper No. 34.

London: DFID.

Book Aid International’s work in this field for over 50 years has confirmed the importance of this approach. Along with our partners in Africa, we will continue to press for the policy framework and recommendations set out here to be adopted by governments and donors.

Fuller, B. and Clarke, P. (1994) ‘Raising School Effects While Ignoring Culture? Local Conditions and the Influence of Classroom Tools, Rules, and Pedagogy’, Review of Educational Research, 64 (1), 119157.

Heyneman, S. (2006) ‘The Role of Textbooks in a Modern System of Education: Towards high Quality Education for All’ in C. Braslavsky (ed.) (2006) Textbooks and Quality Learning for All: Some Lessons Learned From International Experiences. Geneva: UNESCO. Lockheed, M. and Hanushek, E. (1988) ‘Improving educational efficiency in developing countries: what do we know?’ Compare, 18 (1), pp. 21–38.

Montagnes, I. (2000) Textbooks and Learning Materials 1990-1999: A Global Survey, Education for All assessment paper for UNESCO. Mullis, I. V. S., Martin, M. O., Gonzalez, E. J. and Kennedy, A. M. (2003). PIRLS International Report: IEA’s Study of Reading Literacy Achievement in Primary Schools in 35 Countries. Chestnut Hill, Mass., International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement and International Study Center, Boston College, Lynch School of Education.

Muwanga, Nansozi K. et al, (2007) Literacy practices in primary schools in Uganda : lessons for future interventions,. Kampala: Fountain Publishers Rosenberg, D. (ed.) (2000) Books for Schools: Improving Access to Supplementary Reading Materials in Africa. London: ADEA. UN (2000) United Nations Millennium Declaration - General Assembly Resolution A/RES/55/2, 18th September 2000.

UNESCO (2008) Education for All Global Monitoring Report. Paris: UNESCO. UNESCO (2009) ‘Ten Things you need to know about Education for All’, available at http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/ev.php URL_ID=52210&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html [accessed 26th January 2009].

World Bank (1988) Education in Sub-Saharan Africa: policies for adjustment, revitalization and expansion. Washington: World Bank.

World Bank (2001), A Chance to Learn: knowledge and finance for education in Sub-Saharan Africa, World Bank (2008), Textbooks and School Library Provision in Secondary Education in Sub-Saharan Africa. Washington: World Bank

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Books change lives Book Aid International is a charity and limited company registered in England and Wales.

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Registered Office: 39-41, Coldharbour Lane, Camberwell, London SE5 9NR Tel: 020 7733 3577 Fax: 020 7978 8006 info@bookaid.org www.bookaid.org