Parents are free to purchase additional textbooks for their children even when the government has provided books for their use, provided the materials have been assessed and approved by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA).

Deputy Director-General in charge of Technical Services at NaCCA, Eric Amoah, said government-provided textbooks should not be considered the only learning materials pupils can use.

Speaking on JoyPrime on Tuesday, August 18, during a round-table discussion on “The Cost of Educating Ghana’s Child,” Mr Amoah explained that NaCCA’s role is primarily to develop curriculum and assessment standards and ensure that educational materials conform to those standards.

“Our mandate is clear. We are to develop curriculum and assessment standards,” he said.

NaCCA does not develop textbooks

Mr Amoah stressed that NaCCA does not have the mandate to develop textbooks.

He explained that while the Council may produce supplementary educational materials after developing the curriculum, textbooks are developed by publishers and subsequently submitted to NaCCA for assessment.

For textbooks intended for use at the basic school level, publishers are required to submit the textbook, teacher’s guide and workbook for assessment.

“You would need these three things before we can accept your book to assess,” he explained.

The assessment, he said, is intended to ensure that textbooks and related materials are aligned with the approved national curriculum.

Where deficiencies are identified, publishers are required to address the concerns before the materials can be approved and certified for sale.

Once a textbook meets the required standards and receives approval, it can be placed on the market.

Government-approved book not the only option

Mr Amoah further clarified that NaCCA does not designate a single textbook as the compulsory mathematics, English or other subject textbook for every learner in the country.

He said the government may choose to purchase a particular approved textbook for learners at a specific level, but that does not make the book the only textbook pupils can use.

“The government can decide to say that we are buying this particular book for the learners, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that that is the only book learners can use,” he said.

He argued that restricting learners to a single textbook could create unnecessary uniformity and may not adequately cater for the different abilities and learning needs of pupils.

Parents can purchase additional books

According to Mr Amoah, parents who wish to provide their children with additional learning materials can purchase textbooks that they consider suitable, provided the books have gone through NaCCA’s assessment and approval process.

He said the education system should recognise that learners have different abilities and learning styles and should therefore allow them access to appropriate supplementary materials.

The clarification highlights the respective roles of government, NaCCA, publishers and parents in the provision and use of educational materials.

While NaCCA develops the curriculum and assesses textbooks against approved standards, publishers are responsible for producing the books, while government determines which approved materials it procures for learners under its programmes.