Textbook publishers to be certified by NaCCA

Textbook publishers would soon have to receive certification from the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) before they can sell their products to government and trade on the open market. 

The move is to ensure that publishers meet expected benchmarks and specifications set out by the Council to rid the country of unwholesome textbooks and materials that misrepresent facts. 

Executive Secretary of NaCCA, Dr Prince Armah says the work of publishers will go through an assessment process including proofreading, presentation and diagrams, checking for grammatical errors, checking for effective binding among others. 

He was speaking at a two-day capacity building workshop for textbook assessors on the proposed textbook approval process at Koforidua in the Eastern region on Tuesday. 

The textbook assessors would be taken through rudiments such as textbook assessment and approval methodology as well as an overview of the publisher submission guidelines.

They will also be taken through textbook approval process workflow and conformity to the technical specification of the new curriculum among others.

"After assessing the books we will write to the authors to tell them whether or not we have agreed or have assessed their books. If they need to make any changes, we will alert them. Once they do that and brings it back we then certify that the books as consistent with our curriculum," he said.

The workshop forms part of preparations for the implementation of the newly developed curricula for schools in September this year. 

Participants at the workshop included teachers and lecturers of different academic backgrounds most of whom were part of the development of the new textbooks. 

Those who spoke to Joy News lauded the new move as a game-changer in the country’s education system.

 

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