Bpam warns on textbooks
Last year, the ministry, through an advertisement by Malawi Institute of Education (MIE), asked the publishers’ body and booksellers to suggest and evaluate titles recommended to fill the gap created by World Bank’s ban on MacMillan and its subsidiaries due to a fraudulent education deal in South Sudan.
Although the institute’s official list was released last month, some publishers have been approaching schools with booklists and samples purportedly recommended by the ministry as early January.
BPAM president Andrew Chisamba told the press in Blantyre on Friday it is “worrisome and misleading” for teachers because the decried publishers do not say whether the books are core or supplementary materials.
“Although it gives them an upper hand, this marketing strategy causes panic and affects how schools are repositioning themselves for procurement of books and examinations. If schools exhaust their money and base their lessons on books that are meant for the library, it will mislead students grossly and reduce their chances,” said Chisamba.
Booksellers Association president Frackson Walapa, who also runs a private secondary school, said this is misleading. However, he urged schools to check with BPAM and their education divisions for the full list.
The two said the ministry works together with the publishers’ body for circulation of accurate, categorised and complete booklists to schools.
But on Thursday, the independent schools association of Malawi (Isama) pooled its affiliates at Young Ambassadors Private School to appreciate textbooks the Education Ministry has released for secondary school curriculum.
“It is very important for secondary schools to participate in the activity as the books will be examinable in all subjects,” says an invitation signed by Isama executive secretary, a Mr M Mlongoti.
However, the invitation was only accompanied by a list of 77 books under Grey Matter Limited, overlooking about 400 other titles on the MIE certified list and explicitly giving the impression that all the titles on the list are core text meant for classrooms.
