Supplying course books to schools in good time extremely important

Parents shop for textbooks at Savanis Book Centre, Nairobi, ahead of school opening, on December 31, 2025. [Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]

In 2017, the government chose to source course books for public schools, arguing that the method that was being used at the time was riddled with corruption. There was a grain of truth in the argument. Some grift characterised the process. However, the jury is still out whether the current system is insulated against the vice that has become the country’s second name. 

The government's decision to supply textbooks to public schools was a noble idea that sought to boost teaching and learning. However, like any human venture, it has imperfections that need to be addressed.

Book publishing is a very expensive exercise. Publishers incur huge costs from the time they engage authors to when the books are supplied to schools. The sad news is that books supplied to the government have their costs reduced substantially, which reduces the profit margin for authors and publishers.

Worse, publishers are owed Sh10 billion by the government for previous supplies. The effect of the failure to make the payment is devastating on the economy. This is notwithstanding the fact that some publishers have been forced to think of alternative ways to keep afloat. Many are yet to pay their authors and sundry creditors.

As it were, the process of supplying books to schools has been hamstrung by lack of finances. Publishers are unable to print Grade 10 books in readiness for the opening of schools, yet when the government decided to supply books to public schools, it should have ensured that the undertaking was made promptly. 

Which books do we expect learners to use when schools open on January 5, 2026 if the printing process is scheduled to start in early January 2026? The Ministry of Education has a big problem with the planning and implementation of its policies.

Many challenges facing the education sector are attributable to this problem. From the early years education to the tertiary level, our education sector is groaning under poor planning and policy implementation. 

This baffles because the ministry should be in a pole position to guide other ministries given the number of technocrats at its disposal. Unfortunately, it is doomed to always fail to plan, hence inadvertently planning to fail.

There are many reasons instructional resources should be available to teachers and learners in good time. Doing this supports quality education, equity and effective curriculum implementation. It further engenders confidence and security in teachers as they facilitate learning. This is why good planning is a prerequisite for significant learning, a sine qua non of any education system. 

Planning has been credited with organised, effective and goal-oriented teaching and learning. It’s unfortunate that the current situation in the education sector, reflected in, among others, the persistent delay in supply of instructional materials and capitation to schools, bodes poorly for planning. Something needs to be done. And this should be done urgently. We can’t afford to throw a critical sector like education to the hounds. 

Unfortunately, ours is a government given to too much talk and little implementation. We are awash with unfulfilled promises, which is too sad for a country that harbours the dream of attaining first world status. We really need to change our behaviour. In fact, this should take a revolutionary streak. Small things like supplying textbooks promptly to public schools are the low-hanging fruits that can speed our 'journey to Singapore'. 

Visit the South East Asian Tiger states and experience the meticulousness in which they stick to rules and good practices. Lee Kuan Yew, the founding Father of the modern Singapore nation, realised the importance of education and fighting corruption at the infant stages of the country’s development. He steered the country to the path of prosperity,making it the envy of many former colonial states. 

Visit the South East Asian Tiger states and experience the meticulousness in which they stick to rules and good practices. 

Education plays a pivotal role in these, hence the need for effective planning in the sector. The problem textbook supply to schools demands a shift. Payment of publishers should be given the first priority so that they can supply the books in record time.