The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA), has begun a thorough assessment and scrutiny of the proposed textbooks for basic schools in the country.

NaCCA is alarmed by evidence that more business schools are resorting to unapproved textbooks due to the failure of government to supply them with a full complement of approved textbooks.

It has been four years since the new curriculum was approved for use in schools across the country.

But JoyNews is learning that despite several assurances, schools still lack the full complement of the books.

This revelation came to light during a tour by officials of NaCCA to some basic schools in Accra to assess proposed textbooks for these institutions.

The Director General of NaCCA, Professor Edward Appiah says it's unacceptable for teachers to use unapproved books when the recommended textbooks have been procured by the government.

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“There were one or two teachers who were using some books which were not approved, but it was for the teachers. They said that they are using it to help in their preparation, which is fine.

“And so we encourage teachers, even parents, to make sure that the books that are being used, they check to see whether surely it has been approved or not.”

According to him, NaCCA has been tasked by the Education Ministry to get the data for every school without the approved textbooks to help with the distribution of textbooks to schools.

“We need to have the data so that it can be used to do the distribution because it's sad when the textbooks have been procured yet the schools don’t have them...”

The headteacher of Mantse Tackie 1 primary in Accra, Belinda Dede Quaye confirmed that indeed they have received some of the textbooks however, they are inadequate.

She said the problem, although solved to a point, had persisted since 2019.

“Some of the textbooks have been provided but three other subjects – Our World, Our People; History, (and) RME have not been provided. Those in the upper primary also need Creative Arts and Computing textbooks, so we would be grateful if government would provide them.”

She advised parents to purchase some of the books from outside the schools.