In a move to support quality education for national development in Africa, Kenya is set to host a three-day high-level workshop on national book and reading policies in Africa,
Scheduled to begin to start next Monday, the workshop will be held under the auspices of the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) Books and Learning Materials section of the Inter-Country Quality Node on Teaching and Learning.
The workshop is being held in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, the Association for the Development of Education in Africa and with the United States Agency for International Development.
It is expected that around 50 participants representing the book industry as well as technical and financial partners from across Africa will join this event.
The main objectives are to discuss a harmonized approach in formulating and enacting national book policies, agree on an inclusive framework for National Book and Reading policies, develop a set of principles to guide in National Book and Reading Policy formulation.
“The strategic meeting is part of the long-lasting partnership between ADEA and the United States Agency for International Development ( USAID ), supported by the Global Book Alliance (GBA),” reads a statement by the Ministry of Education.
“It is a culmination of activities built on the gains made thus far, in following the Action Plan developed by ADEA and USAID in January 2018.”
The Global Book Alliance aims to transform book development, procurement, and distribution, especially in Africa and Asia to ensure that children everywhere have the essential books and learning materials produced in languages children use and understand, including braille and sign languages.
Several studies have shown that children do not have reading materials in languages they speak and understand, which facilitate the early reading acquisition.
As a result, USAID and partners have developed the Alliance to address the scarcity of titles in African languages, improve the efficiency of procurement and financing and strengthen supply chain management.
