Effective Use Of Textbooks

1Master Trainer NIQE(National Institute of Quality Education)

CCE, NEC, FHRI Gohar Publishers

Effective Use of TextbooksA Neglected Aspect of Education in Pakistan

Presentation by Waqas Ahmad KhanM.Phil (Quality Assurance Management)

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Presentation OverviewGiven the significant role that textbooks play in many countries of the

developing world, the presentation highlights issues related to the use of the

textbook in rural Pakistan, and identifies ways to improve upon current

practices. The findings presented in this presentation emerge from my analysis

of teachers’ experiences and practices related to the use of textbooks in

schools. Since the existing knowledge base is limited on teachers’ actual use of

the textbook, the presentation attempts to fill in this gap by highlighting the

various issues related to teachers’ perceptions and practices. These include

teachers’ limited use of textbooks, access to textbooks, information gaps and

limitations of textbooks – all working to restrict the use of the textbook as a

learning resource. The presentation concludes by offering recommendations on

improving textbook usage in Pakistan.

NIQE(National Institute of Quality Education) Gohar Publishers, Pakistan

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Sequence of Presentation1. The Textbook.

2. History.

3. Prominent Muslim Publishers

4. Publishing Houses

5. Problems Faced by Publishing Industry at the Time of Independence

6. Literacy

7. Publishing Industry of Pakistan

8. Categorization of books

9. Publishing Volume

10. Issues

11. Solutions


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The Textbook.

“The textbook is, in fact, the heart of the school and without the ubiquitous text there would be no schools, at least as we know them.” (Ian Westbury, cited in Oakes & Saunders, 2004)


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HistoryBefore 1947, Lahore the capital of the Punjab Province was the largest publishing centre of the British India. The lion share of this industry was in the hands of non-Muslims, who, after partition of the sub continent migrated to India. The prominent ones at that point in time were the publishers like:

Messrs Attar Chand Kapur, Munshi Gulab Singh, Sardar Sant Singh, Thakur Dev Anand, Atma Ram & Sons, Rama Krishna & Sons, etc.


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Prominent Muslim Publishers

Darul Ishaa’t

Sheikh Mubarak Ali

Taj Company

Sheikh Ghulam Ali & Sons

Haji Chiragh Din-Siraj Din

Malik Fazal Din

Malik Channan Din

Sheikh Ilahi Buksh Muhammad Jalaluddin etc..


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Publishing Houses

After independence the industry started emerging, primarily

in Lahore and Karachi, and a few other places. With few

exceptions, these publishing houses started functioning on

a small scale with presses or bookshops as their

subsidiaries. That was the time when some of the text book

publishers like Hamdard Kutab Khana emerged in 1954.

Gohar Publishers emerged after as a reliable name for

English medium text books in 2000.


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Problems Faced by Publishing Industry at the Time of Independence

Shrinkage of market

Abrupt decrease in the number of bookshops and heavy

reduction in demand

Bookshops owned by the non-Muslims got closed down

while majority of the Muslims preferred to switch over to

other business activities.

Those who wanted to make these shops operational were

not successful on account of inexperience and non-

professionalism.


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Literacy

The challenge to revitalize the industry was beyond the resources and acumen of the Muslim publishers. This grim situation continued for almost 40 years. The literacy rate of the Muslims in British India was low. It did not show much improvement after partition and even now after a lapse of sixty years it is 56%.


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Publishing Industry of Pakistan

The prominent publishing centers now are not confined to Lahore and Karachi but have expanded to many other cities, too. According to an estimate there are about 2000 publishers throughout Pakistan. The majority deals with the publishing of school textbooks. In the Punjab alone, there are four hundred publishers registered with the Punjab Textbook Board. The number of bookshops in the country is estimated to be over 20,000 including those in small towns. The number of publishers, who deal with the books of higher education, is relatively small and not over 100. The approximate number of printers including small, medium and those possessing state of the art facilities is 5000. According to an estimate annual titles published are about 2000.


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Categorization of books

School Textbooks up to Higher Secondary level

Books for scientific, technical and professional institutions

Books for children Books for general readers Braille publications Magazines, etc. Miscellaneous material for publishing


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Publishing Volume

(i) Total publishing volume Rs.4 billion

(ii) School textbooks Rs.1.75 billion

(iii) Exercise Note Books and other

materials related thereto Rs.1.25 billion

(iv) Books of general reading interest

including children books Rs.0.50 billion

(v) Books of higher education including

foreign books being used in English

medium schools Rs.0.50 billion

Source: Economic Survey of Pakistan


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Issues

Few major issues are,

1. How to select a textbook (A Big Question)

2. Brand names vs. needs

3. Availability & cost

4. Communication gap

5. Low or no localization in foreign books

6. Marketing force.


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How to Select a Textbook (A Big Question)

Keep in mind “all glitters are not gold”.

1. Infrastructure • Check if the publisher has a reliable infrastructure or not?

• Is there any research centre present?

• Authors are permanent employees or free lancers?

• For how many years the publisher is operating?

2. Quality• Check paper quality.

• Quality of the text. You may guess it by the validity and confidence of the text used in the book.

• Question quality of the author. Is author competent, has experience in writing text books? How many people have reviewed the book before printing. (Proof Reading)


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Brand names vs. needs

1. Question Yourself• Is brand name really important for me?

• Brand is my educational need or status luxury?

• If so then why? If not then why not?

• What am I looking for in a particular brand?

• What cost I will have to pay? (in terms of students learning outcomes)

• I have appropriate staff to teach the brand I am going to select?

• Are my students able to understand the textbook with little effort? (Effort shall be on transferring the concepts to the students )

Remember: Education is the matter of life & death for our nation (Quaid-e-Azam)


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Availability & cost

As a principal make sure• Publisher has made the books available in your area and a

“reliable” bookseller is taking it’s responsibility . Don’t go on day dreaming. Test yourself. (by phone call or personal visit)

• Guess the inventory or stock present in the area. Be sure that you will be able to get the textbooks in offseason. Is the publisher or his representative (bookseller) able to deliver very large (in 1000s) and very small (in digits 1-2) quantity on order or not.

• Check cost factor. My students can pay this? If not, make sure that publisher has many alternate textbooks series to fill the gap.

• The cost I am going to pay is adding value to my educational system or not?


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Communication Gap

The publisher/brand I am going to recommend is,• Using a language easily understandable for my teachers• Offering teacher resource materials• Making author of the book available if needed to

consult• Giving backup support in terms of teacher training• Ensuring 24/7/356 environment

Remember: Test the book by coming down to the student’s level


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Localization

Research has proved that,

• Localization is the biggest issue the world is facing today.• More than 65% of the world resources on education are

being spent on localizing the text books.• Children learn from their environment.• Daily life examples and characters from their own life work

more than anything else.• China, Japan, France and now India have left using foreign

brand textbooks for schools just because these are not localized.


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Marketing force.

You have heard it many times, lets once again.

“First impression is the last impression”• The publisher you are recommending has a marketing

executive who,• Is knowledgeable?• Has command on the content of the book and has a

comparative study to prove that his textbook suits you the best.• Is well dressed and confident?• Competent enough to answer your queries and help you to

connect to the publisher and author when needed?• Is helping you to get the books available in your area on time

and exactly according to the order?


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You need a solution?Here you are


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How to Select a Textbook (A Big Question)

Keep in mind “all glitters are not gold”.

1. Infrastructure • Gohar Publishers is working in more than 120 cities of Pakistan. • Gohar Publisher is the only publisher which has its own “Gohar Curriculum

Research and Development Centre ” at 7/C Lower Mall Lahore• 17 Full time 12 part time authors are on Gohar’s permanent employees.• Gohar is Hamdard’s Legacy, working since 1954.

2. Quality• Gohar uses paper weighing from 90-60 gm. in it’s different series depending on the

price of the book.• Text being used in Gohar books has valid and strong references. It’s either from the

world’s most reliable sources like encyclopedias, dictionaries, historical books or from author’s life long personal experience which is then reviewed by the proof reading panel.

• Gohar ‘s authors team is a mix of most competent professionals and researchers in the industry. Gohar’s authors are highly educated, have wider exposure and are provided with all possible facilities to create textbook master pieces. Gohar’s proof reading panel is the most trustworthy one in the trade.


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Brand names vs. needs

1. Gohar is the only solution to your textbook related issues because it

• Is a brand name really important for you. • Is your educational need and not a status luxury.• Has the most reliable infrastructure in publishers operating in Pakistan.• Has proved that students studying in schools using Gohar as a

textbook publisher have performed much better than students studying any other syllabus.

• Has a wide variety of textbooks which are designed according to the needs and ease of teachers.

• Ensures that Gohar textbooks can easily be understood by your students.

Remember: Education is the matter of life & death for our nation (Quaid-e-Azam)


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Availability & cost

Gohar assures you that• We have made books available in your area and a “reliable”

bookseller is taking it’s responsibility . Don’t go on day dreaming. Test yourself. (by phone call or personal visit)

• In your area we have delivered sufficient stock. We assure that you will be able to get the textbooks in offseason also. Our representative (bookseller) able to deliver both very large (in 1000s) and very small (in digits 1-2) quantity.

• Our prices are in control. If any of our price on a particular book does not match your criteria, don’t worry. We have many other series like New Babar, Sky Lark, Mount hill, Choice etc.. We will not let you go once stepped in with us.

• The price paid at Gohar will add value to your educational system.


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Communication Gap

Gohar Publishers,• Uses a language that is easily understandable for your

teachers and students.• Offers you teacher resource materials• Makes author of the book available if needed to

consult• provides backup support in terms of teacher training• Ensures 24/7/356 environment


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Localization

Gohar authors have made it sure that,

• They have described a concept in the local context.• You do not have to worry about any cultural or religious

mismatch.• Books carry examples and explanations from children own

environment.• Daily life examples and characters from their own life are

present.• If China, Japan, France and now India have left using foreign

brand textbooks for schools just because these are not localized why not you?


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Marketing force.

You have heard it many times, lets once again.

“First impression is the last impression”• Gohar Publishers has appointed a person in your area who,• Is knowledgeable?• Has command on the content of the book and has a

comparative study to prove that his textbook suits you the best.

• Is well dressed and confident?• Competent enough to answer your queries and help you to

connect to the publisher and author when needed?• Is helping you to get the books available in your area on

time and exactly according to the order?


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Together we can

Let’s Start today


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Thank you

[email protected]

0300-9119770


Effective Use Of Textbooks

Education

Transcript of Effective Use Of Textbooks