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

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.

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

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  1. Presentation by Beulah ThumbadooFor the Access to Learning Materials in Southern Africa WorkshopThe State of Access to Learning Materials in Southern Africa24 January 2005

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. TEXT BOOK COST COMPARISON

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

  8. 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.

  9. 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.

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

  11. THANK YOU

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