Presentation by Beulah Thumbadoo

For the Access to Learning Materials in Southern Africa Workshop

The State of Access to Learning Materials in Southern Africa

24 January 2005

• Lessons from Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) and South African National Literacy Initiative (SANLI): learners were incentivised to join and stay in literacy programmes when the costs of attendance and materials was free

• While the cost of learning materials is a barrier it also competes with other barriers

• Infrastructure, teacher motivation, language issues and availability of basic services (electricity) at schools are all impediments

• Which is precisely why if we can control the cost of learning materials, we must

• Neither students, nor teachers, nor parents like to be in a situation where they cannot “afford” education

• Accessible learning materials would help create a better environment in schools, plus, would fit in better with people’s expectations of a “free” education

Author Title Publisher ISBN US Price(Amazon)

Price in SA Shop

Robbins, Stephen P Management Prentice-Hall 0-13-121190-0 R394 R431

Stroud KA AdvancedEngineeringMathematics

Palgrave

Macmillan

1-403-90312-3 R251 R589

Boylestad, Robert L Introductory CircuitAnalysis

Prentice-Hall 0-13-048433-4 R371 R382

Michael Cernea Risk andReconstruction

World Bank 0821344447 R153 R530

TEXT BOOK COST COMPARISON

PICC*:

• There are many factors affecting the cost of learning support material, inter alia:

• Decentralised procurement, where nine provinces and individual schools purchase textbooks, creates fewer economies of scale, thus smaller print runs that mean higher costs. The solution to this is not to centralise book approval and/or procurement, but to co-ordinate the various timelines of submission…

*Are Books Expensive? Print Industries Cluster Council Report.

PICC:

• Diversity in language results in higher unit costs due to smaller print runs. This is inevitable in any country with a multilingual language policy.

PICC:

• A recent survey among academic publishers revealed that the purchase rate of prescribed textbooks at the local tertiary institutions is only 25 – 30%. This is indicative of two main concerns:

• Books are not perceived to add value as a tool to support people in their future career as one finds with a reading and well educated nation

• The industry is experiencing an increase in photocopying of books at tertiary institutions by both students and academics.

PICC:

• Furthermore, imported academic books are affected by the same financial imperatives as other imported consumer goods. Not only does the direct exchange rate and the volatility of the local currency contribute to higher pricing, but also 14% VAT and 10-13% of the value of goods for freight and shipping costs.

• The South African Constitution states that everyone has the right to a basic education, including adult basic education.

THANK YOU