Survey of children's reading materials in African languages in eleven countries: final report

The purpose of this activity, a Survey of Children's Reading Materials in African Languages in Eleven Countries, was to develop an approach to collecting information on the available supply of early grade reading materials. This report documents the approach used to gather information and the findings of the 11 countries used in the study: DRC, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. The survey had four main research objectives: 1. Describe the availability of titles in African languages for the early primary grades in terms of language and book type (textbooks or other reading materials). 2. Review the usefulness of available titles for reading development in terms of pedagogical utility, reading level, and the cultural relevance, age appropriateness, and social inclusivity of their contents. 3. Assess the feasibility of using, adapting, and reproducing available titles based on their copyright status and current availability in digital format. 4. Describe the general landscape of the production of EGR materials in African languages, including the types of organizations producing titles, the number of titles produced per decade since the 1960s, and market prices. In addition, this study reviewed language in education policies in the 11 sampled countries, comparing the policy on paper against its implementation on the ground, when empirical data were available. Because the formal education sector can drive a large percentage of the demand for educational materials, information on the use of African languages in education can serve to explain the market dynamics that affect the availability of EGR materials in sub-Saharan Africa.