National Language and Book Policies

This page provides links to language and book policies in developing countries, and research on the impact of national book policies for content creators and publishers.

The South African Department of Education prioritised (Early Childhood Development ECD) through the development and implementation of the White Paper 5 on Early Childhood Development (2001). The policy's aim is to phase in Grade R as part of the schooling system. 

Author
Department of Education

After Independence in March 1990, the then Ministry of Education, Youth, Culture and Sport began reviewing the language policy for schools. The agreed policy was issued in the document Education and Culture in Namibia: The Way Forward to 1996 in 1991.

The policy goals include:

Author
Ministry of Basic Education
Sport and Culture (MBESC)

The language policy of education in Ghana has had a checkered history since the colonial era. In May 2002, Ghana promulgated a law, which mandates the use of English language as the medium of instruction from primary one (grade one) to replace the use of a Ghanaian language as the medium of instruction for the first three years of schooling, and English as the medium of instruction from primary four (grade four).

Author
Charles Owu-Ewie

This presentation was created for the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) workshop in Nairobi on National Book and Reading Policies for Africa from 17th to 19th June 2019. The presentation addresses issues related to the cost of storybook creation and adaptation of storybooks. 

Author
Lisbeth Levey
Publisher
Neil Butcher & Associates

For many years, linguists, educators and other academics have been calling upon the government of Botswana to develop a language policy which will recognize and empower all the ethnic groups represented in the country.

Author
Lydia Nyati-Ramahobo