Second Textbook Development Project

Location

Uzbekistan

Duration

2006 - 2008

Donor

Asian Development Bank

Budget

690.000 USD

Description and Deliverables

The overall goal of the Project is to improve the quality of basic education. The purpose of the Project is to establish efficient and sustainable provision of affordable textbooks nationwide, and other instructional materials, supported by necessary institutional and policy reforms.

The Project comprises four components:

strengthening the basic education policy framework - through curriculum reform, modernizing testing and assessment system, and related research studies;
sustainable provision of textbooks - through supplying affordable textbooks nationwide and strengthening the institutional basis of the textbook rental schemes;
book sector development - through encouraging authorships, improving implementation of the Copyright Law, and promoting private sector participation in publishing and printing; and
school library development - through library improvements in 1,000 pilot schools with provision of adequate space, furniture, books and other instructional materials, audiovisual equipment and computers.

Component I will strengthen the national curriculum for basic education. This component will also strengthen the national assessment and examinations system, which is necessary to ensure quality in implementing educational standards and contents required by a modernized curriculum. A number of research studies will also be undertaken under this component, focusing on key educational policy issues, including a national ICT development strategy in education, and the Language of Instruction (LOI) practices.

Component II will extend the Textbook Rental Scheme (TRS) to grade 6, 7 and 8 so as to complete the coverage of TRS to all core subjects at all grade levels (except Grade 1) in all schools. It will also develop and institutionalize the legal mechanism necessary to ensure financial sustainability and proper management of the TRS.

Component III will continue the process of upgrading skills in the chain of textbook and learning materials development including authorship, publishing, production and distribution. It will provide support for the development of in-service book sector skills training in order to establish permanent local training capacity in the full range of skills required. The component will also seek to create conditions for a more active private sector role in the book sector.

Component IV will strengthen and develop school libraries as resource centers for learning and teaching. They will provide (i) alternative sources of information, which to date has been dominated by textbooks; (ii) necessary facilities and environment for the development of student research, project work and independent learning; and (iii) key methodological support to the introduction and nurturing of a more interactive, SCL approach. In addition, well-developed school libraries contribute significantly to long-term system cost reduction.

Services:

general project management
provision of consulting services and training
preparation of seminars and workshops and execution of training events
provision of training material and documentation
organisation of conferences and study tours
planning, procurement, tendering of equipment

establishment of a National Curriculum Framework Working Group
training and capacity building in curriculum reform and other related policy areas, including overseas study tours
design and conduct of national and regional research studies as part of the policy review process
competitive selection, procurement and distribution of core textbooks
study to clearly establish scope, locations and effective mechanisms for better targeting the support to the poor
establishment of the Republican Textbook Revolving Fund Foundation (RTRFF)
design and establishment of a nationwide system to support school-based ordering of textbooks
establishing a permanent base for capacity building at a local public educational institution
developing and conducting short training courses on the full range of educational book development skills;
reviewing publishing licensing procedures for textbooks and related regulatory barriers to publishing industry and making recommendations for their improvement;
reviewing current regulation, practices and incentives for educational authors and publishers and making recommendations for their improvement
training of a cadre of library professionals and teachers
monitoring, supervision and evaluation of the school library development