FI N AL REPORT OF TH E EVALUATI ON OF TH E USAI D / EGYPT N ATI ON AL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCH OOLS CONTRACTED UNDER USAID/EGYPT CONTRACT NO. EDH-I-00-05-00033-00 SUBMITTED BY JUAREZ AND ASSOCIATES, INC 9/28/2008 This report was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by James M. Wile, Esmat Kamel, Soad Abdel Rassoul Hassan, Mohamed Bondok, Sobhi Moharram, Tarek Sheta and Sohair F. Wastawy for Juarez and Associates, Inc. FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 J uá re z a nd Assoc ia t e s, I nc . USAID/EGYPT THE NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS This report was developed for USAID/Egypt by Juarez and Associates, Inc. (Prime Contractor) ABE BASIC EDUCATION-INDEFINITE QUANTITY CONTRACT NO. EDH-I-00-05-00033-00. This report was contracted as Task Order No. 2 by USAID/Egypt. FI N AL REPORT OF TH E EVALUATI ON OF TH E USAI D / EGYPT N ATI ON AL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCH OOLS ( N BPS) Prepared by James M. Wile (Evaluation Team Leader), Esmat Kamel, Soad Abdel Rassoul Hassan, Mohamed Bondok, Sobhi Moharram, Tarek Sheta, and Sohair F. Wastawy. Submitted to: USAID/EGYPT Submitted by: Juarez and Associates, Inc. 12139 National Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90064 Telephone: (310) 478.0826 Fax: (310) 479.1863 1001 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. Suite 335 Washington, DC 20036 Telephone: (202) 331-7825 Fax: (202) 331-7830 Internet: www.juarezassociates.com Disclaimer: The authors’ views expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government. Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page ii FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................................................... 1 PROJECT SUMMARY .............................................................................................................................. 2 GLOSSARY ................................................................................................................................................ 3 ACRONYMS ............................................................................................................................................... 4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................... 5 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................... 11 THE DEVELOPMENT PROBLEM AND USAID’S RESPONSE ....................................................... 13 THE PROBLEM STATEMENT ............................................................................................................... 14 THE RESPONSE ..................................................................................................................................... 15 PURPOSE OF THE EVALUATION ................................................................................................... 18 RESEARCH DESIGN AND EVALUATION METHODOLOGY ..................................................... 20 Interviews............................................................................................................................................... 22 Case Studies ......................................................................................................................................... 22 FINDINGS ......................................................................................................................................... 23 Program Design and Implementation Management ........................................................................... 24 Findings ............................................................................................................................................. 24 Unimplemented Main Activities .......................................................................................................... 25 Coordination & Integration .................................................................................................................. 25 Impact on Publishers ............................................................................................................................... 26 Findings ............................................................................................................................................. 26 Suitability of the Book Collections.......................................................................................................... 28 Findings ............................................................................................................................................. 28 Impact on Schools.................................................................................................................................... 30 Findings ............................................................................................................................................. 30 Librarian Training ................................................................................................................................. 30 Data Analysis ............................................................................................................................................ 32 Products ..................................................................................................................................................... 32 Institutions ................................................................................................................................................. 33 Policies ....................................................................................................................................................... 34 Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page iii FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 CONCLUSIONS ....................................................................................................................................... 34 RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................................................................... 36 The Value of Specialist Librarians ..................................................................................................... 36 LESSONS LEARNED .............................................................................................................................. 37 THE ANNEX.............................................................................................................................................. 39 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (ARABIC VERSION) ............................................................................... 40 Evaluation Scope of Work................................................................................................................... 46 The Juarez and Associates Evaluation Team Composition .......................................................... 49 Data Collection Instruments ............................................................................................................... 51 Fry Readability Scale Directions ........................................................................................................ 51 Sample School Visits ........................................................................................................................... 53 Descriptive data on students .............................................................................................................. 53 Data Collection Instruments ............................................................................................................... 54 Motivation to Read Profile (English) .................................................................................................. 54 Data Collection Instruments ............................................................................................................... 57 Motivation to Read Survey (Arabic) ............................................................................................... 57 Data Collection Instruments ............................................................................................................... 63 Case Study Protocol—Observation Checklist (Arabic) .............................................................. 63 Data Collection Instruments ............................................................................................................... 65 Observation Checklist & Interview Protocols (English) .............................................................. 65 Part II. Interview Questions (Librarian) ............................................................................................. 67 Part III. Interview Questions (Teachers) ........................................................................................... 69 Part IV. Focus Group Discussion....................................................................................................... 70 Library Observation Data .................................................................................................................... 71 Reading Survey Results (Reading Assessment Motivation) ......................................................... 72 Interviewees .......................................................................................................................................... 73 School Visits .......................................................................................................................................... 75 Bibliography of Documents Reviewed .............................................................................................. 76 NBP Stakeholders Meeting Agenda .................................................................................................. 77 NBP Stakeholders Meeting (List of Participants) ............................................................................ 78 Final Recommendations from Stakeholders’ Workshop ................................................................ 79 Invitation to Stakeholders’ Workshop ................................................................................................ 81 Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page iv FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Evaluation Team wishes to express appreciation to the considerable contribution from Dr. Reda Abou Serie, First Undersecretary for General Education. Dr. Reda provided not only leadership and vision to our evaluation, his authority helped facilitate our access to schools and school personnel. Without his assistance the Team would have been deprived of its most significant source of data. Also within the Egyptian Ministry of Education, we wish to acknowledge the contribution of Sayeda Abdel Rahman, General Manager, and School Libraries Department. Madame Sayeda supplied important first- hand insights and recollections regarding the program; she was also helpful in providing critical training materials. The Team is also especially grateful for her assistance in selecting the schools for our field visits. The Team wishes to express appreciation to Dr. Atef Mahmoud, Education Specialist at USAIDEgypt and to Robert Burch, Senior Education Specialist at USAID for their complete cooperation and collegial support in the design and implementation of this evaluation of the National Book Program in Egypt. The Evaluation Team worked under considerable time constraints, and the promptness and thoroughness of the response from the staff at USAID-Egypt enabled the Team to meet its objectives. The Evaluation Team wishes to express appreciation to the staff of the National Book Program in Egypt. The evaluation activity commenced during the week that the program and office closed. The Chief of Party, Nancy Parks, and her dedicated staff were diligent in retrieving and providing critical program documents, many of which were already archived. We are especially grateful to Mariam Moussa Hanna, who provided the institutional memory of the National Book Program. Finally, the Evaluation Team wishes to thank the teachers, librarians, principals, supervisors, and children who took time to meet us in their schools. Their enthusiasm for the libraries and their pride in school and community was encouraging. Their generous hospitality to us was overwhelming. Since they are, after all, the main stakeholders in this National Book Program and the frontline of advocates for creating a nation of readers we hope we have accurately captured the reality of their present circumstances and the ideals they foresee as their future. Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 1 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 PROJECT SUMMARY Juárez and Associates (J&A) provided technical services in response to USAID/Egypt’s solicitation for conducting the Final Evaluation of the National Book Program for Schools (NBP) in Egypt under J&A’s Assistance to Basic Education (ABE-BE) Indefinite Quantity Contract (IQC) No. EDH-I-00-05-00033-00. The evaluation of the National Book Program for Schools (NBP) in Egypt assesses whether the NBP, funded by USAID/Egypt and implemented by the Academy for Educational Development (AED), succeeded in achieving a positive impact on young reader literacy rates, an increase in the collection of titles for extracurricular reading for schoolchildren and an increase in the quality of books published by Egyptian printers. It also assesses the efficacy of the Program’s design and management. NBP Books in school library. Egypt, 2008 Juarez and Associates, Inc. Project Name National Book Program for Schools Project Number EEE-I-09-01-00010-00 Task Order No. 9 The Juarez and Associates Evaluation Team includes: • • • • • • • James Wile, Ph.D., Team Leader Tarek Sheta, MBA, Local Project Manager/M&E Support Esmat Ibrahim Kamel, PhD, Senior Education Specialist Soad Rassoul Hassan, BA, Education Specialist/Translator Sobhi Moharram, MA, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist Mohamed Bondok, MA, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist Sohair F. Wastawy, Ph.D., Library Advisor J&A evaluation team of American and Egyptian experts and local enumerators carried out the evaluation of NBPS in Cairo and other USAID-targeted governorates from August 14 to September 28, 2008. The Evaluation Team was supported by home offices in Los Angeles and Washington, DC. Juarez and Associates, Inc. EEE-I-12-01-00010-00 Task Order No. 12 Strategic Objectives Improved Access to Quality Education Life of the Project: Three Years Implementing Partners Egyptian Ministry of Education (MOE), the Integrated Care Society (ICS) The assistance of ICS was obtained by a grant through a Cooperative Agreement and a waiver for non competitive assistance. The MOE and ICS shared responsibilities for program oversight, teacher training and orientation, book selection and end-use monitoring. Project Funding Final amended (USD$ 99.9 million), Original Funding (USD$ 61.3 million) Page 2 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 GLOSSARY Cascade Model of Training A training of trainers system used in professional development programs in which a cadre of local experts is trained in the content information and facilitation skills to replicate the training to others. In this program, the librarian training program used the cascade model of training. Consortia A group of institutions, agencies, or businesses that agree to combine their individual resources and capacities in a concerted, unified effort to achieve a common goal. In this program, the Egyptian publishers formed consortia to submit competitive responses to the USAID procurement. Extra-curricular Reading Pleasure reading, not for school credit or to supplement textbook reading and assignments specifically related to the school curriculum. It is reading as a hobby or life-long habit. Governorate The sub-national administrative level. The 29 Governorates are divided into districts and districts are divided into cities, towns and villages. Idaraa is the decentralized MOE unit at the District level. It is supervised by Muderya, the MOE decentralized administrative unit at the Governorate level. Idaraa A political sub-unit of the governorate. Readablity The level of difficulty a text presents to a reader. Readability can be expressed in terms of sentence length, average word length, numbers of sentences per page, use of effective headings and other graphic devices. Readability is often expressed as age level or grade level. Suitability The degree to which the content of a text is thematically or culturally appropriate. Texts that have high levels of suitability (e.g. the reader has great personal familiarity with the topic or language) can compensate for books that may have challenging levels of readability. Turn-key Approach A procurement approach in which one consortium leader is responsible for publishing, printing and delivering the consortium’s materials. The program used a turn-key approach in procurements SLEP I, SLEPII, and SEMP. Unbundled Approach An approach in which individual entities can respond to requests for procurement. Contract winners have individual responsibility for fulfilling all phases of their agreements. Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 3 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 ACRONYMS AHDR Arab Human Development Report AED Academy for Education Development COP Chief of Party CTO Cognizant Technical Officer EEP Education Enhancement Program EFA Education for All ERP Education Reform Program GILO Girls Improved Learning Outcomes GOE Government of Arab Republic of Egypt ICS Integrated Care Society MOE Ministry of Education (Egypt) NBP National Book Program NCERD National Center for Education, Research, and Development NGO Non-Governmental Organization RFA Reading For All RFP Request for Proposals SC Steering Committee SEMP Supplemental Education Materials Program SLEP School Library Enrichment Program STEAP School Team Excellence Awards Program USAID United States Agency for International Development Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 4 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A nation of readers is a prerequisite of the human capital Egypt needs in order to thrive in the 21st Century. The present is a time of emerging technologies, new markets and challenging intercultural dialogue. To engage in this context on a broad scale, Egypt must have a population that not only knows how to read but one in which reading is woven into the fabric of daily life at all levels of its society. The National Book Program (NBP), initiated in 2005 in a collaborative effort between the Governments of Egypt and the United States of America, was a large-scale project that aimed to ensure the next generations of Egyptians will become a nation of readers. Implemented under the direction of the Egyptian Ministry of Education and the Integrated Care Society, the program took a strategic stance toward developing a reading culture in Egypt by situating its efforts in public schools. In so doing, the program was designed to achieve a straightforward and tangible Girls reading. Egypt. 2008. Juarez and Associates, Inc. end: To significantly increase the access to quality books for Egyptian children and youth. The program was implemented with the goal of providing every school in Egypt with a library collection of exemplary reading materials. This strategy set out to achieve one fundamental objective: • Increase extracurricular reading among children and youth and promote a life-long habit of reading. The program designers and implementers recognized that they needed to confront some formidable challenges. To begin with, in comparison with European, Asian and North American countries, the reading habit in Egypt is less widespread and robust. Similar to many countries in the Middle East and North Africa, Egypt posts significantly high levels of illiteracy particularly among girls and women and people in rural areas. Although this picture continues to improve as a direct result of the specific attention given by the programs of the Ministry of Education, creating a nation of readers requires more than innovative pedagogy and reform policies. The task of creating a national community of life-long readers and learners is intimately connected with access to quality materials at affordable prices. However, owing to the nature of the Egyptian publishing industry and the weakness of the book distribution chain, access to suitable, interesting books is beyond the reach of the majority of Egyptians. Reciprocally, the lack of a large book buying market means that Egyptian publishers have little experience in publishing in large scale and in distribution to a national market. Additionally, publishers are disinclined to risk entering new markets (topics and age ranges) without assurance of return on their investments. Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 5 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 Egypt is fortunate to have publishing capacity. But the book distribution system has few vibrant retail outlets nationally. Egypt’s publishers are imminently capable of producing books of exceptional quality. But the retail pricing for such books remains beyond the economic means of many Egyptians. Egypt has an extraordinary tradition of quality classical literature. But, like many countries, it is just beginning to develop materials that are developmentally appropriate and interesting for children and adolescents. The program designers reasoned that if personal retail book purchasing was not yet a realistic economic option for every family in Egypt, access to books would have to be guaranteed through a library system. And yet, despite the impressive contributions of the Mubarak Public Libraries, the public library system in Egypt is not yet capable of providing universal access to most Egyptians. In order to achieve the overall objective of promoting a culture of reading by ensuring widespread access to quality reading materials suitable for children and youth, the program designers elected to situate this program at the school level and to support the development or enhancement of school libraries. The program designers and implementers realized they needed to support Egyptian publishers to enter new markets, to expand their current publishing catalogues and to increase their human and technical capacities to deliver large quantities of books at high quality standards. The National Book Project delivered, on time and on budget, nearly 25 million books and educational kits to approximately 37,000 primary, preparatory and secondary government schools in 29 Governorates. In doing so, it established a Steering Committee comprising national experts in the fields of literature, child psychology, sciences, arts, history, geography and applied technologies. The program designers developed and instituted a review process for evaluating the suitability of books submitted for procurement. It established and enforced legal standards for protection of intellectual property rights and technical standards for quality printing. Quality control mechanisms were put into place and materials that did not meet publishing standards were re-published (at the publisher’s expense). Delivery of high quality books to these schools has already been confirmed by previous internal and external auditors. Realizing that books alone cannot create readers, the program designers also included a component to develop a cadre of master trainers in the skills and attitudes of professional librarians. Professionalization of librarians holds that librarians must be more than merely the custodians of book collections. They must have the training, attitudes, dispositions and skills to become advocates for reading in their libraries, their schools and their communities. Thus NBP was partially a procurement activity but also a capacity-building program, in both a direct and indirect sense. In addition to formal training programs, the scale of this effort required the coordinated contribution of thousands of individuals: publishers, authors, illustrators, translators, printers, government officials, scholars, librarians, and teachers. The process of procuring and delivering books had a significant impact on the individuals and institutions necessary to sustain and further develop a culture of reading in Egypt. The Evaluation Team took as its starting point NBP’s success in distributing quality books to every primary, preparatory, and secondary school in Egypt. Like any other large-scale program, there were complications that were both foreseen and unanticipated. The program design and management Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 6 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 shifted over the course of the program in response to these lessons learned. These issues and responses have already been documented and discussed in previous reports and public venues. The Evaluation Team conceived of its work as an opportunity for stakeholders to look back on the processes that led to the success of the National Book Program, to reflect on its strengths and weaknesses and to consider ways of moving forward. The Evaluation Team saw its work as an exploration of several facets of the National Book Program. One set of questions the Evaluation Team explored had to do with issues of program design and management. Guiding questions within this line of inquiry included: What were the dynamics of the management and implementation process and how did the interplay among individuals and institutions (governmental, nongovernmental, and private enterprise) contribute to the success of this program? How might different decisions have led to different outcomes? What management decisions and actions are required to build on the NBP? Increasing the number of books in school libraries will have little effect on promoting reading if children and youth do not view these books as rewarding or interesting. A second set of questions the Evaluation Team explored had to do with how suitability was defined and how suitability criteria contributed to the overall process of book selection. Guiding questions within this line of inquiry included: What was the nature of suitability as it was defined by the program designers and implementers? How did this connotation of suitability compare with national (Egyptian) and international standards of suitability and appropriateness? How did the suitability criteria shape the book selection process? What needs to be done to further clarify “suitability?” The Evaluation Team recognized the critical role a vibrant publishing industry plays in sustaining a culture of reading. By participating in the National Book Program, publishers were required to produce print runs five and six times their typical runs and to do it within a constrained time limit. The National Book Program forced publishers to operate at new levels of production, quality and efficiency. A third set of questions the Evaluation Team explored had to do with the impact the program had on the Egyptian publishing industry. Guiding questions within this line of inquiry included: What has been the impact on the Egyptian publishing industry? What new capacities, markets, and processes were developed as a direct result of their participation in the National Book Program? How has participation in the National Book Program made Egyptian publishers more competitive in domestic and regional markets? What challenges remain for the future of Egyptian publishers? The Evaluation Team reasoned that the ultimate test of a large-scale publishing intervention such as the National Book Program is not the quality of its inputs but the degree of its impact on the one sector of the country that matters most to Egypt’s future prosperity---children and youth. A fourth set of questions the Evaluation Team explored had to do with the impact the National Book Program had at the school level. Guiding questions within this line of inquiry included: What impact has the National Book Program had on children, their teachers, librarian, and schools? What needs to be done in the future to build on these important steps? Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 7 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 In seeking answers to these vital questions, the Evaluation Team spent five weeks scrutinizing program documents and interviewing over thirty individuals who had critical roles in the design and implementation of this program. The Evaluation Team reviewed and analyzed selected books from the four book collections created by the National Book Program. And despite the coincidental timing of this study with the vacation season and Ramadan, the Evaluation Team was able to visit nineteen schools in five Governorates in Upper and Lower Egypt to inspect school libraries and interview librarians, teachers and principals and to interview School aged boy, Egypt. 2008 Juarez and Associates, Inc. nearly 100 children. These schools were not intended as statistical samplings, but rather and particularly as examples where the National Book Program materials were already having an impact. Our intention was to highlight what can be done, to learn about barriers to achieving full activation of these library collections and to hear how librarians and teachers had overcome those barriers. These case study visits were also helpful in bringing to the fore critical issues that remain at the school and community level. Our Evaluation Team explored the National Book Program in all these areas and found its impact impressive. Among the major findings we report the following: • • • • A significant number of new titles developed and distributed to the Egyptian public; Capacity of Egyptian publishers significantly enhanced; Capacity of librarians and teachers significantly enhanced and Efficiency of private sector book procurement significantly enhanced. These accomplishments are impressive. In analyzing the sustainable effects of this initiative the Evaluation Team found encouraging evidence that the National Book Program resulted in important impact on the products, institutions, and policies Egypt will need to continue its pursuit of creating a nation of readers. The evidence also makes clear that the task of creating a nation of readers is not complete. Good books contain merely the seeds of a new and different future. The outcome is not assured. Much remains to be done. As this report suggests, promoting and sustaining a nation of readers requires coordinated support from the education system, nongovernmental organizations, schools and families. We can also add businessmen, mass media and the society at large. In addition, effective support from the international community and donor agencies has to be sought in this concern. Not insignificant, the NBP offers potential for continued coordination and integration within USAID education activities in Egypt. Although the Evaluation Team did not find evidence that the program was intentionally designed to integrate USAID-Egypt’s education programs, it is evident that the NBP project follows the same theoretical and strategic plans that USAID has followed with the implementation of other education support programs in Egypt (ERP, TILO, GILO, and STEAP). This is not at all surprising. USAID programs are designed to support the overall aims of the Ministry of Education and the Government of Egypt. In this way they are intended to be coherent, consistent and integrated with each other and with the long-range plans of the Ministry of Education For example, book collections that have been delivered to all schools in Egypt offer valuable potential for supporting current and future USAID-sponsored professional development programs. Chiefs of Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 8 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 Party in the Education Reform Program (ERP) and the Girls’ Improved Learning Outcomes (GILO) expressed interest in using the book collections as the basis of their professional development program. The Chief of Party of the GILO program expressed interest in possibly utilizing the master trainer cadre developed by NBP in its literacy advocacy activities. Visit to School Library, Egypt 2008. Juarez and Associates, Inc. Ultimately, the success of the National Book Program depends on how those books are put to good use. Changing the national attitudes and habits is neither any more difficult nor any easier than changing individual attitudes and habits. Both take time, perhaps generations. Positive attitudes inevitably stem from a firm belief that change will be rewarding. It is premature to tell whether the National Book Program has succeeded in its overall objective. This report includes a set of recommendations from people the Evaluation Team met. These recommendations appear to be fundamental toward achieving that long-term objective. Among the more critical actionable items we report the following: Attention should be paid to the development of programs leading to the professionalization of the school librarian. Every school in Egypt should have a qualified librarian, whose sole responsibility is library services, not teaching. Pre-service and in-service teacher education programs should have a course requirement in children’s and adolescent literature. Recognizing that children are likely to follow the example adults set for them, schools should institute non-formal reading activities such as book clubs, writers’ workshops, and whole school reading times, and teachers and parents should be visible participants in these activities. Research should be conducted in the area of reading in the Arabic language. Much of the suitability criteria developed for the National Book Program lacked empirical evidence basis. These criteria need to be further reviewed in comparison with international standards so that Egyptian students are reading books comparable to those of their age counterparts in Europe, North America and Asia. One of the main constraints that hinders the realization of the effective use of the school library is the library space. The school library is just a small room in most of the schools. Therefore, the General Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 9 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 Authority of Educational Buildings (GAEB) should reconsider a new modern design for the school library in future new school buildings and, at the same time, to modify existing library spaces. Librarians and teachers should meet every six months to exchange experiences, especially concerning ways to meet specific challenges and solve some common difficulties. School management systems ought to be developed to permit teachers time to explore the school library. Professional days should be organized, during which librarians and teachers may discuss ways to better utilize the library collection. Publishers have saturated the beginning-to-read market with indigenous and imported/translated books. Despite the efforts of the National Book Project, there remains a dearth of appropriate materials for middle grades and secondary school students (grades 5-12) written by Egyptians for Egyptians. Perhaps most importantly, book distribution in Egypt needs to shift from a supply mentality to a demand-driven enterprise. Indeed, the program design might have been more considerate of local needs and interests, perhaps even the suitability of its books, if it had engaged local teachers and students in field tests, pilots, and feedback. The GOE can set an example by empowering educators at the school or Idaraa level with funds and the capacity to determine their own needs for the kinds of books and other reading materials that best fit their students, their schools and their communities. The Evaluation Team concluded that the National Book Program succeeded on a number of fundamental fronts. The program had the obvious and immediate impact of providing increased access to quality books. However, the program’s greatest achievement and most long-lasting impact may have been raising public awareness of the importance of creating a culture of reading and becoming a nation readers. Hopefully the very public debates, the lively controversies, and the enthusiasm touched off by the National Book Program will not fade away with its closure but will continue to keep these issues at the forefront of public discourse until the reading habit becomes embedded in the popular culture. School children wait to be interviewed. Egypt, 2008. Juarez and Associates, Inc. Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 10 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 INTRODUCTION The Arab Republic of Egypt has the largest population of any country in the Middle East and North Africa. Strategically situated along the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea, Egypt occupies a central geo-political position in one of the world’s most contentious regions. It is also centrally located in one of the world’s emerging economic growth areas. Interview with school principal. El Nahda, Egypt. 2008 Juarez and Associates, Inc. Approximately 83.5 million Egyptians live in a geographic space about one and a half times the size of the state of Texas, and yet most of its population is concentrated in Cairo, Alexandria or the other main population centers along the Nile River. These population centers contain an average of nearly 4000 persons per square mile. Economic conditions have caused significant populations of low income and unskilled rural people to relocate to Cairo and other cities, setting up shanty towns. These slum cities have become unsafe and overwhelm public services and sanitation. In recent years, Egypt has also absorbed significant numbers of people fleeing the war in Iraq. These middle- and upperincome émigrés have strained the Egyptian economy inflating housing prices and the costs of other goods. Politically, Egypt is divided into 29 Governorates. Each governorate is further divided into Idaraas. While much of the authority over Egypt’s education system (curricular, strategic planning, finance) remains concentrated in the central Ministry of Education (MOE), civil servants at the Governorate and Idaraa level are responsible for implementing and enforcing national policy. Achieving high levels of literacy proficiency remain a priority challenge for Egyptian educators. However, when cast in the light of historical trend data, accomplishments in recent generations are encouraging. For example, at the time of the 1952 Revolution, fewer than 50 percent of all primaryschool-age children attended school. Those who were enrolled were mainly boys and about 75 percent of the population over ten years of age at that time was illiterate. The situation for women was even more dire. Over 90 percent of the females in this age group were illiterate. As late as the 1980s as many as 16 percent of Egyptian children received no education and in 1990 only 45 percent of the population could read and write 1 . Today adult literacy is estimated at 69.5 percent of the population. Given that one of the greatest predictors of literacy is the literate competency of mothers and other female primary caregivers, these rates for female literacy have generational implications. An achievement in female literacy insures the next generation of literate children. People who came of age during this Post-Revolution period are the parents and grandparents of today’s children and Egypt’s future. Low levels of past adult parental literacy, especially among Egypt’s poorer citizens provide relatively barren ground in which to grow a culture of readers. Yet, the MOE and the Government of Egypt (GOE) have reacted forcefully to the literacy challenge. Egyptians have access to free public education and enrollment is compulsory from ages six through 15. Enrollment rates for primary and secondary education have strengthened in recent years. Ninetythree percent of children enter primary school today, compared with 87 percent in 1994. These 1 Egypt Human Development Report 2008, UNDP & Ministry of Economic Development. Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 11 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 increasing enrollments placed a strain on school capacity leading to overcrowded classrooms and lack of sufficient number of schools. With support from domestic and foreign investments new schools continue to be built while older schools are being refurbished. As the GOE works to address pressing issues of access to education, it has also begun to contend with issues of quality learning outcomes. Chief among these is the recognition of the importance of creating a generation that not only knows how to read and write with high levels of proficiency, but one that views reading as a valuable extracurricular activity. National literacy campaigns, such as Reading For All, led by Egypt’s First Lady, Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak, have recognized the critical need to stimulate and promote the reading habit. Free libraries established in Cairo and vicinity under the auspices of the Integrated Care Society are other examples of the organized effort to boost readership in Egypt. In a related effort to stimulate reading, the MOE launched a national campaign to put access to computers within the reach of Egypt’s middle class, equipping schools with computer labs and internet connectivity and making computer ownership possible through monthly installment payments. A year and a half after its official launch in Sharm el Sheikh in May 2006, the Egyptian Education Initiative had delivered over 39,000 PCs to schools and connected 900 schools to ADSL. Over 64,000 Egyptian teachers have been trained in the use of Interactive Communications Technology. Despite these considerable efforts, the national drive to create a culture of literacy in Egypt faces a most serious contextual challenge in the generally low level of per capita income estimated at the equivalent of about US $1,250 according to the World Bank, 2006 or less than LE 7000/year. The distribution of wealth means that most Egyptians do not have excess discretionary income to purchase books and other reading materials. It also suggests that most Egyptians are likely to have little time to pursue pleasure reading or writing. Nevertheless, Egyptians have a long and glorious tradition as a beacon in the literate world. During antiquity, the famed Library of Alexandria with its extraordinary collection was hailed as one of the Wonders of the Ancient World. The development of a writing system (hieroglyphics) and a serviceable medium (papyrus) established Egypt as one of the early centers of scholarship and literature. That legacy continues in its great universities. Egypt’s main universities include Cairo University with over 100,000 students and the 1,000-year-old Al-Azhar University, a major center of Islamic scholarship. Egypt is widely acknowledged as the pre-eminent center for contemporary literature in the Middle East and an important voice in world literature as well. Egyptian authors continue to expand the range of formal Arabic, pushing it into ever more colloquial and accessible styles and into new areas of human experience. Their efforts are leading the way in the rest of the Arab community. Egyptian novelist Naguib Mahfouz, the first Arab to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, has attained hero status and is a source of deep Egyptian pride. In addition to its classic authors, contemporary Egyptian writers like Alaa Al Aswany and Khaled Al Khamissi have caused a stir in popular reading. Many of Egypt’s authors have reached out beyond Egypt through books and films that are available throughout the Middle East. In short, Egypt has become one of the major centers for contemporary Arabic publishing. Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 12 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 Egypt is not only a strategic partner within the Middle East and North Africa; it is an essential partner with the people and Government of the United States of America. In recognition and support of the long-standing relationship between Egypt and the United States, the GOE is one of the largest recipients of U.S. foreign assistance. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has provided over $25 billion in economic and development assistance to Egypt between 1975 and 2002. A shift in assistance from infrastructure, health, food supply, and agriculture toward market-based economic development, good governance and training programs is reflected in the motto "From Aid to Trade." (US State Department Web-Site) It is precisely within this geo-political, economic and historical context that the National Book Program was developed. The National Book Program drew from these historical roots as it attempted to meet the challenges of today’s reality. The National Book Program needs to be evaluated in terms of its fulfillment of its mission and the impact of its efforts. The contextual challenge the program designers began with was formidable. The legacy of the NBP will need to be considered in its ability to capitalize on a growing generational transformation of readership, to build on Egypt’s legacy of literacy and literature and to enhance and extend Egypt’s capacity to serve as a model for the region. THE DEVELOPMENT PROBLEM AND USAID’S RESPONSE Several important international comparative studies undertaken recently to examine the current status of reading in the Arab world (e.g., UNDP, 2003; NextPage, 2007) described with alarm the status quo of reading in the Arabic–speaking countries of North Africa and the Middle East. In its report on the regional goal of building a real knowledge society, the United Nations Development Program was explicit in its depiction of the problems confronting Arab leaders: AHDR (Arab Human Development Report) 2003 makes it clear that, in the Arab civilization, the pursuit of knowledge is prompted by religion, culture, history and the human will to achieve success. Obstructions to this quest are the defective structures created by human beings- social, economic and above all political. Arabs must remove or reform these structures in order to take the place they deserve in the world of knowledge at the beginning of the knowledge millennium. In a study of the contemporary reading habits of literate individuals in seven countries of the Middle East and North Africa, NextPage, a nongovernmental literacy advocacy organization, produced a lackluster image of the general society along lines of fairly basic reading-related habits. These included the following factors: • • • • Amount of time spent of pleasure reading Book ownership Ages of onset of reading activity Ages of discontinuance of reading activity Some snapshots from the NextPage survey findings illuminate the problem in Egypt: • • Of Egyptians who knew how to read but stopped reading, 93 percent said they first learned to read in school while only 4 percent said they were exposed to books and reading in the home. Of Egyptian literate adults, 85 percent are likely to discontinue reading by age 19. Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 13 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS • • 2008 The average Egyptian keeps a library collection of about 45 books, of which almost 90 percent are school texts. The most common reasons Egyptians gave for discontinuing reading: Finished school, started work, no time. Other indicators of reading attitudes and reading habits were similar. Several important considerations emerge from these reports. First, it is clear that the school plays a critical role in introducing young children to reading and the reading habit. However, it is abundantly clear that for the majority of Egyptians reading is considered a “school activity” with little relevance or application to personal growth or leisure. However, it would appear that book ownership is not highly valued even among Egyptians for whom price is not a barrier. The National Book Program was designed to meet these considerations head on and to break the cycle of a-literacy, that is, persons who have the ability to read but for a variety of personal value reasons choose not to read. The National Book Program needs to be considered in the context of other education initiatives taking place in Egypt. It is certainly not the only program operating to promote a society of readers. These include multinational campaigns for education improvement such as Education for All (EFA) and the Millennium Development Goals. Since Egypt’s commitment to fulfill the goals of Education for All as stated in the Declaration of the World Conference on Education (Jomtien, Thailand March 1990), the educational system has made tremendous strides in providing access to primary education for all children. From the mid -1990’s the education sector in Egypt has focused on three important pillars: Improving quality in access to education, improving the quality of education and increasing the efficiency of the education sector. Considering the large financial resources needed, which the State cannot afford, the authorities diligently solicit the participation of civil society to contribute to some of the expenses of education and hope at the same time to receive more effective support from the international community and donor agencies. The Egyptian Government has adopted new strategic mechanisms to work within a future vision of education. The initiation of the NBP by USAID-Egypt in collaboration with the Government of Egypt is done in the spirit of partnership to realize the goals of Education for All. Furthermore, the National Book Program was implemented concurrent with other education programs supported by USAID. These Egyptian quality education improvement programs also include the Education Reform Program (ERP), Girls’ Improved Learning Outcomes (GILO) and the School Team Excellence Awards Program (STEAP). With respect to reading habits and reading attitudes, Egypt’s First Lady has personally contributed direction and leadership to promoting a culture of reading through her highly successful Reading for All campaign, the Mubarak Community Libraries, and the Susanne Mubarak prizes for children’s literature. THE PROBLEM STATEMENT The problem of creating a widespread reading culture within this context has many facets. A fundamental problem is providing access to a wide range of quality books that are attractive and suitable for children and adolescents. For many of Egypt’s children and youth, book ownership, Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 14 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 especially books of high quality, is not economically feasible. Many children and youth outside of Cairo do not have access to free public libraries. But the problem is not limited to distribution of appropriate reading materials. Many of the reasons for the low rate of children’s usage of books relate to the quality of the educational system and the nature of its educational goals and curricula. Other significant reasons relate to the book publishing market, which although competent and productive, is underdeveloped. Many of the functions and market mechanisms that are present in a vibrant developed publishing/printing market are absent or very weak in the Egyptian case. The NBP was developed to address these concerns. While Egyptian publishers have extensive catalogs of books for children at the beginning stages of learning to read, materials published in Arabic for intermediate and advanced readers (adolescents) are severely limited. This is especially the case in popular Arabic fiction but also significant in nonfiction areas of science and applied technology. Another facet of the problem concerns the attitudes and habits at the school and community level. In this regard, the lack of full-time professional librarians at every school was perceived as a critical part of the problem. Children lacked access to adults who understood the importance of reading, adults who can serve as positive models of reading attitudes and habits, and adults who can insure that children have easy access to suitable materials for pleasure reading and who know how to introduce effectively children to good books. Initiated in 2005, the National Book Program (NBP) was developed to address the lack of high quality children’s literature and other supplemental education materials in public schools and to increase the amount of time Egyptian children and youth spend on reading. The long-term goal of the NBP was to encourage reading for pleasure in order to raise levels of national literacy. As the loci of access, public kindergartens, primary, preparatory and secondary schools lacked sufficient books and instructional materials to enable students to master reading skills and expand their knowledge of the world. The limited supply of Arabic translations of high quality materials in the market further curtailed reading and technology transfer opportunities for the older age group of children. Egyptian teachers, librarians, school principals, and parents who have legal and ethical responsibilities for providing children and youth access to suitable reading materials often do not have either the attitude or the skills to serve as effective models of positive reading behavior. The school library tends to be disconnected from the rest of the school program and from the child’s life outside of school. The National Book Program was intended to address this school/community context through a strategic intervention of professional development for school librarians and other reading personnel. THE RESPONSE Book distribution in Egypt is traditionally supply driven. The distribution of textbooks, reading promotion books, even books offered retail through Book Fairs tends to be supply driven and not driven by consumer demand. Following this mode of disseminating books, USAID organized a strategy for procuring books and distributing these to schools in Egypt. The ultimate goal of the NBP was to provide every primary, preparatory, and secondary school in Egypt with a comprehensive collection of books that were deemed to be of high quality, high interest, Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 15 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 and suitable for children and youth within each of the target age ranges. It is important to note that from the outset, books procured and distributed by the NBP collections were conceived of as a comprehensive collection. Although the collections could easily be merged with existing school library collections, the NBP books were evaluated and ultimately selected and published not only because they were individually of high quality but also because they completed a portion of the requirements for the set as a whole collection. In addition to the procurement of extracurricular books, the NBP also procured book shelves, supplemental education materials, and provided initial training for school librarians utilizing a cascade model of professional development. The NBP book collections were implemented in four procurements. The initial procurement, the School Library Enrichment Project (SLEP), provided books and reference materials to school libraries in seven key Governorates in Egypt (Alexandria, Aswan, Beni Suef, Cairo, Fayoum, Menia, and Qena). SLEP I published 5.8 million books and distributed these to over 5000 public schools. The second phase of the NBP was School Library Enrichment Project II, an expansion of the collection and the distribution of books from SLEP I. The second phase of the NBP activity produced nearly 14 million books and distributed these to approximately 10 thousand schools in the remaining Governorates. A third phase of the program focused on the needs of beginning readers. While the basic concept of the NBP was to promote reading for pleasure, these were materials that were specifically designed by Alam SimSim (Sesame Street-Egypt) to facilitate beginning reading. These over-sized “big books” and education kits were designed for use in grade K-2 classrooms. The materials produced for the Supplemental Enrichment Materials Program (SEMP) included over 2 million oversized reading books and delivered to approximately 18,000 schools. The fourth phase of the distribution was intended to provide books suitable for the students in preparatory and secondary school (BPSS). This procurement resulted in the printing of over 2.2 million books and the distribution to approximately 8300 preparatory and 3400 secondary schools. Midway in the implementation of the procurement activities, the National Book Program developed a short in-service course for school librarians and teachers. The purpose of the course was to familiarize librarians with the contents of the NBP collection and to provide them with practical techniques and an awareness of the need for promoting interest in books and reading. A management structure was devised to facilitate the procurement process, the identification of suitable books and the efficient delivery of those books to schools. The major organizations and institutions engaged in the NBP activity were the Ministry of Education in Egypt (MOE), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Academy for Education Development (AED) and the Integrated Care Society (ICS) a nongovernmental agency in Egypt that has been working to promote reading in Egypt. While roles and responsibilities needed to be coordinated and integrated, each agency brought different strengths to the collaboration. The agencies and their general expected contributions are briefly summarized in Table 1. Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 16 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 Table 1: Agencies and their expected contributions to the NBP Agency/Institution United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Major Responsibilities Participated in the initial conceptualization of the program, developed program RFP, established criteria for suitability of books, developed topic categories for book collections, reviewed final book collections, coordinated activities between AED and the MOE and ICS. Ministry of Education (MOE) Participated in initial planning including problem identification, provided input on professional development program for school librarians, facilitated school participation, and nominated experts to serve on the Steering Committee (SC). Integrated Care Society (ICS) Participated in the initial general design of the program, including the development of suitability criteria provided to publishers; nominated experts to serve as members of the NBP SC, organized a social marketing campaign to promote reading in general and the NBP book collection in particular. Academy for Educational Development (AED) Develop an implementing agency in Egypt (the National Book Program), hire ex-patriot and local staff, provided expert consultants as needed by the project, developed procurement RFPs in consultation with USAID, provided orientations to publishers and reviewers as appropriate, and managed the overall implementation of the program with backstopping support from the AED home office in Washington, DC. Naturally, the actual day-to-day activities of staff members of each of these organizations varied. In general, the relative levels of responsibility and contribution were intended to be equally distributed among USAID, MOE, ICS, and AED/NBP. In addition, the program created a new operating entity, the Steering Committee (SC), consisting of Egyptian experts and scholars in the fields of education, English language, Arabic Language, literary criticism, child psychology, libraries, international relations, environment, agriculture, and journalism. The Steering Committee was intended to provide informed advice during the book review and selection process. In addition, the NBP established a set of book reviewers for each of the procurements. These title reviewers ranged in background qualification from classroom teacher to librarian, to academic with specific content area knowledge. Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 17 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 PURPOSE OF THE EVALUATION Unlike typical evaluations that comprise mainly retrospectives of decisions and events that transpired over a period of design and implementation, this evaluation study was purposefully designed to survey the present landscape at the conclusion of the program and, by our exploration, to offer some suggestions that are intended to stimulate widespread discussion about the way forward. To this end, this report of our evaluation study aims to achieve several goals and to inform several key audiences. Above all, it is our hope that this report will serve as a point of shared and common understanding of the impressive efforts that have been made by the contributions of a great many people and organizations. We hope this evaluation and this report will also help to stimulate continued discussion about the direction of the road ahead. The findings, conclusions, and actionable recommendations resulting from this evaluation are intended to inform future actions of the Government and the people of Egypt in the continuing effort to develop a nation of readers and writers. This report is intended to inform the United States Agency for International Development and the United States Government in its continuing efforts to support the education objectives of the Egyptian people in ways that not only help Egyptians realize their goals but that further strengthen the bonds of friendship and partnership between these two great nations. The National Book Program was created and implemented to achieve an important goal: To provide access to suitable books to every child and adolescent in Egypt, thereby promoting a Baghrous School Library, Egypt. 2008 Juarez and Associates, Inc. positive impact on reading abilities and having a positive impact on Egyptian children’s attitudes about reading. When considered within the context of global competition, intercultural communication, and the information age, the aim of promoting a deeply rooted culture of reading in a country is not only a noble effort, it is critical for the country’s future participation in events at home and in the world. The National Book Project consisted of an impressive effort to distribute over 25 million books to approximately 37,000 schools in Egypt. A number of previous studies and audits confirm that these books not only reached their destinations but reached them on time and on budget. This remarkable achievement reflected a concerted effort of government, private enterprise and individuals and deserves unqualified praise for a complex job well done. But even this accomplishment alone is unlikely to create the culture of readers the designers, funders, and implementers envisioned. What remains is to reflect on how the Government and people of Egypt might build on the achievements of the National Book Project. To do so, this report has attempted to collect information about the processes that were used and the impacts that were achieved. We have Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 18 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 learned a great deal in a very short time. The problem for the Evaluation Team was not obtaining information about the impact of the National Book Program but distilling this information to achieve clarity and potency. Often education programs state their objectives and measure their effects in terms of impact on individuals. We present an alternative view in our analysis of the National Book Project. We suggest that for a program to have sustainable and expanding influence it must have impact on three social structures: Products, institution, and policies. And while the explicit aims of the National Book Project were not stated in these terms nor were the efforts of the partners concentrated on achieving these specific goals, nevertheless we believe that the most useful way to understand and fully appreciate the accomplishments of this project is to examine its impact on these key structures. What is the significance of these structures: Products, institutions, and policies? How can they contribute to promoting a culture of reading? Products are the tangible artifacts created and left behind by innovative programs. They are the physical embodiment, the archetypes of present knowledge and prevailing perspective. They provide a common frame of reference, a solid illustration in a context that is often overrun with theory. Products also provide a valuable reference point of the status quo, the epitome of our understanding. The National Book Project created thousands of products—books for children and youth. As we evaluate the program’s impact we should keep in mind not only the quantity of these products but whether or how these books advanced the understanding of what suitable and attractive reading materials are. Other products also emerge from such programs. These can include training manuals, social marketing materials, technical documents and tools. Kawakeb, School Library, Egypt. 2008 Juarez and Associates, Inc. Institutions are essential for sustaining development. Programs can have life-changing impact on individuals but each individual is a part of many institutions. If the program changes the individual but leaves key institutions unaffected it does not seem likely that innovation can go forward. We offer a broad application of the term “institution”. We take this to mean any organized grouping that works as a unit with shared goals and mission. Thus, institutions can be as small as a family or as large as the Ministry of Education. This evaluation has considered the impact the National Book Project has had on such institutions. We have also looked at the impact these institutions have had on the National Book Project. Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 19 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 We consider the term “policies” as referring to the rules and procedures that govern individual behavior. Again, a program that has an impact on an individual but leaves restrictive enabling policies intact will have short-lived consequences. On the other hand, activities that offer opportunities for innovative policy not only facilitate change; they coordinate change. Certainly not all policies are governmental laws. Our Evaluation Team has looked for the policies that guide publishers, donor agencies, professional schools for teachers and librarians as well as primary, preparatory and secondary schools and communities at large. The National Book Project may not have set out intentionally to have an impact in these specific areas. It would therefore be inappropriate to hold the designers and managers of that program accountable for outcomes that do not fall into these categories. It is obvious, however, that the program did have important impact on each of these areas as it concluded its stated objectives. Furthermore, the Evaluation Team suggests that this framework of sustainable structures—products, institutions, and policies—can provide a common and shared frame of reference for making sense of what has transpired. Our purpose here is to highlight the accomplishments of the National Book Program along these three critical categories so that all stakeholders can identify for themselves ways to continue to build on the foundation laid by the National Book Program. RESEARCH DESIGN AND EVALUATION METHODOLOGY The Evaluation Team could find no evidence of any baseline statistical data or needs assessments that were conducted prior to the development of the RFP and the implementation of the program. There are, for example, no data on the size of the school library collections before the program was launched and no data on such baseline items as children’s habits of reading, amount of time spent on extracurricular reading or children’s attitudes about reading. Similarly, we found no empirical data referring to the qualifications of school librarians. This lack of baseline data made it unlikely that the Evaluation Team could conduct any reliable pre-post comparisons. The process of publishing and distributing the NBP collections had already been completed before the Evaluation Team was recruited. For this reason, there was no opportunity for direct observation of that process. Similarly, schools were not in session during the evaluation process so it was not possible to conduct direct observations of the NBP books being utilized in schools. The Evaluation Team reasoned Interviews with young readers. Egypt, 2008. Juarez and Associates, Inc. that the input process of creating and conducting the program could be reconstructed with indirect methods of data collection. Considerable effort was made during the organization of the evaluation plan to triangulate data sources to achieve a measure of reliability. Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 20 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 An indirect approach was used to collect data about the outcomes and results of the Program. However, given the scale of this Nation Book Program’s distribution to over 37,000 schools in all Governorates, it was not possible to conduct a statistically representative sampling of the collections. Furthermore, the evaluation was conducted just as the books from the final phase (BPSS) were being delivered to preparatory and secondary schools. Students and teachers in the preparatory and secondary schools had not had an opportunity to use the books. The evaluation team reasoned that it would make sense to look at the impact the National Book Program had at the primary school level only. There are a number of important areas that remain fertile ground for future research and certainly could provide valuable information. Hopefully, future studies will explore these areas and other aspects of the impact of the National Book Program. This evaluation assessed the impact the National Book Program had on increasing access to suitable reading materials for children and school-aged youth in Egypt. The evaluation also examined the impact the program had on publishers, librarians, schools and families. To understand better both the process that went into creating the impact of the NBP and the outcomes resulting from that program the Evaluation Team used a variety of qualitative and quantitative data collection methods in this study. The main data collection methodology included the following activities: • • • • Document review Interviews Case studies Document reviews In some instances, document reviews enabled the Evaluation Team to reconstruct key ideas and management decisions. These included documents developed by USAID, documents developed by AED/NBP and strategic plans and other documents from the Egyptian Ministry of Education. Naturally, one important category of documents was the separate book collections produced by the National Book Project and the individual titles within those collections. Another important set of documents reviewed were the training materials the National Book Program developed. These included facilitators’ manuals for the library professionals training program as well as presentations and orientation materials used in the training the National Book Program provided publishers and reviewers. In conducting its document review, the Evaluation Team sought to triangulate perspectives from among the contributing partners and to link the flow of ideas to the program’s implementation. Most documents were read independently by at least two members of the Evaluation Team and summarized and presented to the entire Evaluation Team in a series of weekly Team meetings. Discrepancies or ambiguities in program documents were discussed in follow up interviews with appropriate representatives (for example, representatives of the SC, NBP, USAID or publishers). In general, the Evaluation Team had a greater supply of process documents from the final procurement phase (BPSS), although the Evaluation Team was generally confident that it had sufficient amount of documents not only to piece together the sequence of events and priorities of the Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 21 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 program but also to create confirmation of these findings in redundant documents. A comprehensive list of the documents reviewed can be found in the Annex to this report. Interviews The Evaluation Team was fortunate to be able to meet with over 30 of the key contributors to the National Book Program. At the school level, the Evaluation Team also met with over 100 teachers, librarians, principals, and children. The Evaluation Team organized a set of interview questions based on the strategic objectives of this evaluation in the work plan submitted to and approved by the sponsor of this study, USAID. Working in pairs or individually, the members of the Evaluation Team used the interview protocols with key informants from the following categories: • • • • • • • Ministry of Education USAID National Book Program Integrated Care Society Publishers Representatives of the Steering Committee School Personnel A complete list of informants interviewed is listed in the Annex to this report. Visit to school library in Menia, Egypt. 2008 Juarez and Associates, Inc. Case Studies The scope of this evaluation activity did not include a national scale assessment of schools and student reading attitudes. Instead, with the approval of USAID-Egypt and CTO, the Evaluation Team organized selected school visits in five Governorates. Rather than attempting to document empirically the widespread impact of the National Book Program, the intention of the Evaluation Team was to look in depth at the impact the program had on specific schools and school communities. Each school was considered a small case study. It was anticipated that these schools would provide a range of impact information (the extent and direction of impact the NBP had on their schools). The Evaluation Team also hypothesized that if a set of case study protocols were applied, the information from even a small set of cases might produce common trends. The Evaluation Team developed a set of criteria designed for selecting case study schools. These criteria include schools that had had the NBP book collections for at least one school year, a mixed representation of socio-economic communities and schools that had a librarian or teacher trained by the NBP. The Evaluation Team also submitted a list of key informants it wished to meet at each school (so that the case study data would be comparable across cases). These included school principals, librarians, teachers, supervisors and students. These criteria and requests were submitted to USAID and processed in collaboration with representatives from the MOE. The Evaluation Team developed a case study protocol based on (1) the explicit aims of the NBP and (2) the specific intended outcomes of various training programs developed and implemented by the NBP and the SC. The case study protocol was used to guide the independent site visits the Evaluation Team made to the case study schools. In all, the Evaluation Team conducted 19 school visits. Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 22 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 Working in pairs and individually the members of the Evaluation Team implemented the case studies, which included the following components: • • • • • • Checklist observation of school library Student interview --Motivation To Read Survey Interview with school librarian Interviews with Senior and Classroom Teachers Focus group discussion with Parents, Supervisors, Principals Data collection tools adapted or created by the Evaluation Team are included in the Annex to this report. The Evaluation Team organized its exploration around four main areas of activity: 1. Impact on Students 2. Impact on Publishers 3. Impact on Teachers and Librarians 4. Impact on national (and bi-lateral) agencies We believe this framework will be useful for the Government of Egypt and USAID in reflecting on what the National Book Program has accomplished. We believe that our analysis of the data into key aspects of products, institutions and policies will provide a clear and useful discussion for all stakeholders wishing to carry the inquiry and the process forward. "Motivation to read" survey. Egypt. 2008 Juarez and Associates, Inc. FINDINGS The Evaluation Team concurred that the National Book Program, in terms of its stated objective—to provide suitable books to every school in Egypt to support extracurricular reading—achieved its overall purpose. The books, 25 million, having been reviewed by experts according to a standardsbased set of criteria following a review process, were ultimately delivered to 37,000 schools throughout all Governorates of Egypt. The Evaluation Team began its work with the understanding that the procurement aspect of NBP has already been documented by external auditors and verification consultants and decided not to use its limited time to retrace this aspect of the program. With approval of USAID, the Evaluation Team focused its attention on several key areas intimately related to NBP’s strategic objective. These areas include: • • • Program design and implementation management Impact on publishers Suitability of the book collections Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 23 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS • 2008 Impact on librarians, teachers, students, families and the school community The findings for each category are listed below. Program Design and Implementation Management The program design and implementation activity consisted of several critical tasks: (1) to develop criteria for the collection; (2) to develop a Steering Committee for reviewing and implementing the criteria; (3) to monitor the review, printing process, and delivery process; (4) to organize training for school librarians and (5) to organize a social marketing campaign for promoting reading. Findings Book collection criteria were developed by AED/USAID and ICS. The same principles were the basis of the Book Evaluation Manual. The manual was developed by expatriate consultants provided by AED. According to representatives from the SC, it was not involved in the development or approval of the suitability criteria. The review process was organized in a way that allowed individual experts according to their areas of expertise to conduct the review first and share and discuss the results in a small task force meeting consisting of experts related to the subject matter of the books. This mechanism reduced the likelihood of human error or bias and suited the Egyptian culture. Members of the SC that were interviewed believe that the process did not permit sufficient time for a thorough review of the books. After SLEP II completion and in preparation for BPSS, criteria for book evaluation were reviewed and adjusted by members of the SC. Officials at MOE consider the evaluation manual a good and helpful tool and expressed intent to use it after NBP's phasing out. Procurements under the phases 1, 2, 3 had been turnkey contracts with one consortium leader responsible for publishing, printing and delivering books to the schools. Two consortia of 53 publishers led by Nahdet Misr were the winners for SLEP I and II. Dar El Shorouk leading a consortium of eight companies won the contract for SEMP. Turnkey approach limited competition and participation for small publishers, authors and illustrators; and controlling role of major publishers and the unfair financial deals imposed by the leader of the consortium over the small publishers. USAID CTO rejected the unbundled approach; however, with the replacement of the CTO, this approach was used in BPSS procurement. The unbundled approach maximized participation of publishers and provided room for small publishers to submit their titles and be selected. The unbundled approach overwhelmed the NBP staff with management and oversight responsibility. The development of pricing negotiation tools developed by AED/NBP ensured the best use of available resources was made and prices of books reduced. Due to AED’s lack of knowledge of the prevailing prices of books in the local Egyptian market previously books had been procured on the basis of prevailing prices in the US and international market. The main advantage of the turnkey approach was the responsibility of the leading publisher for every activity that led to the delivery of collections to the schools. The unbundled approach required AED to Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 24 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 exert more managerial, consolidation and logistics efforts to secure the delivery of collections printed by 14 publishers to schools. In addition, the responsibility of monitoring many contracts and the management of the process of consolidation and delivery created problems requiring the lean NBP staff to assume greater efforts to take corrective actions. The specifications of book cabinets provided did not match national standards. They were procured without consultation with the MOE's Library Department. The book review and selection process was not “blind;” books were submitted with the publishers’ logos. This was confirmed by publishers and by the NBP COP. This appears to be a serious ethical flaw in the book procurement process and an inappropriate model of the review process. The Evaluation Team was unable to discern a rationale for this procedure. At the very least, it opens the process to suggestions that the selection process was not entirely impartial. Unimplemented Main Activities AED/NBP was supposed to provide technical assistance to ICS in the following areas: 1. Develop the necessary system to monitor the use of the materials in Egyptian classrooms and school libraries and in training its staff to run this system, and 2. Advance its efforts in promoting children’s literature and readership through social marketing. These two activities were not implemented. Based on information gained during the life of the project USAID determined that the MOE was the most appropriate counterpart for ensuring that the books were read. Additionally, since the ICS already runs an annual Reading for All (RFA) campaign, additional assistance for social marketing was not required and the NBP books could be included in the RFA campaign, which they were 2 . Coordination & Integration The National Book Program combined procurement and capacity building. A capacity-building program specifically for re-skilling school librarians was implemented to ensure the book collections would be properly used. A modest but appropriate cascade in-service program offered foundational concepts and techniques for reading promotion. This professional development program was evidence of effective collaboration between USAID, AED/NBP, and the MOE. There appears to be potential that the MOE Department of School Libraries will expand this training program in the future. 2 Note: The Evaluation Team was unable to meet with the key representative of the ICS and Chair of the Steering Committee, Dr. Farida El Reidi, during its time in country. Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 25 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 The NBP offers potential for coordinating and integrating USAID education activities in Egypt, although the Evaluation Team did not find evidence that the program was intentionally designed to integrate USAID-Egypt’s education programs. However, the book collections that have been delivered to all schools in Egypt offer valuable potential for supporting current and future USAID-sponsored professional development programs. Two important points should be clear. First, USAID has developed a School Library. Egypt, 2008. Juarez and Associates, Inc. coherent strategic results framework to support the longrange objectives of the Ministry of Education. And, second, all USAID education programs adhere to a common strategic framework. This strategic planning and communication between the Egyptian Ministry of Education and USAIF-Egypt help to ensure that education initiatives in Egypt not only run along parallel tracks but that to the extent possible these tracks can merge. Chiefs of Party in the Education Reform Program (ERP) and the Girls’ Improved Learning Outcomes (GILO) expressed interest in using the book collections as the basis of their professional development program. The Chief of Party of the GILO program expressed interested in possibly utilizing the master trainer cadre developed by NBP in its literacy advocacy activities. Impact on Publishers An explicit objective of the National Book Program was to support the competitive advantage of Egyptian publishers to open new markets and create new products that would appeal to Egyptian children and youth. The National Book Program injected substantial funds into the private commercial publishing industry while imposing challenging technical standards and deadlines. Although the NBP did not directly invest in capacity-building programs for publishers, authors, editors, illustrators, designers and printers, the Evaluation Team found ample evidence that the program did have a significant impact on this key industry. Findings The National Book Program led to an increase in the number of titles published for the children and youth market. The National Book Program allowed publishers to purchase copyrights and develop translations or simplifications of new titles, especially for the preparatory and secondary school collections. The technical and quality standards introduced by NBP were not challenging for Egyptian publishers. Publishers who participated in NBP already produced books at high quality. The challenge publishers face is to produce quality at a price affordable to low-income Egyptians. Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 26 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 Egyptian publishers accustomed to modest print runs of 2000-3000 copies were challenged to produce 10000-15000 copies while maintaining print quality and deadlines. All publishers the Evaluation Team interviewed identified important areas where this international standard helped improve their efficiency and in-house operations. The increased demand for production created new jobs for designers, editors, and proofreaders—key skilled individuals if Egypt is to continue to develop this children and youth market. The National Book Program did not result in large-scale development of new, original works by Egyptian authors. The compressed time allotted for delivery of books in each procurement did not allow for the development of new authors and new texts. More often, the publishers responded by (a) submitting titles from their existing collection, or (b) purchasing copyrights to foreign books and translating these into Arabic. Publishers felt that the AED/NBP staff they were interacting with had insufficient background in commercial publishing for this procurement. While Egyptian publishers currently have significant titles suitable for beginning and intermediate readers, there remains a serious lack of availability of suitable books (Arabic original) for the preparatory and secondary school age groups (12-17). The cultural values and traditions about classical literature in Egypt were not significantly expanded or impacted by this program. Contemporary realistic fiction, about adolescent Egyptians facing real life social and personal problems, is not currently part of the publishers’ catalogues. Publishers and the Steering Committee felt that the constraint to avoid controversy resulted in submitting/reviewing books that may have been less appealing or less attractive and that selection guidelines were too restrictive. In order to fulfill procurements, publishers relied on translation of foreign books (European and North American). Particularly in the area of fiction, translation proved to be problematic. Publishers relied on computer translating programs. Other publishers mentioned that the scale of NBP placed a strain on the supply of qualified translators. Publishers mentioned USAID’s requirement for proof of copyright ownership as an important component in the program. Copyright law and intellectual property rights do not receive full respect in Egypt and other countries in the region. Publishers expressed an opinion that the NBP will have an impact on strengthening intellectual property rights. A number of publishers (large companies and small companies) expressed feelings of pride reflecting on their proven ability in accomplishing the large print runs, in meeting quality production standards and in general participation in the program. Their accomplishment was seen as a mark of competitive quality. Publishers who participated in the NBP have marketing plans to reprint titles for which they hold copyright permission and to sell these in Egypt at retail outlets (Carrefour, HyperMarkets and their own retail outlets). The National Book Program led to increased contact with foreign publishers opening new lines of communications, new partnerships and new ideas. Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 27 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 Publishers generally felt the NBP’s impact on increasing competition or collaboration amongst Egyptian publishers was negligible; the relative strengths and weaknesses of the system were reinforced by the procurement process. However, as a whole, Egyptian publishers appear to be more competitive in relation to the regional markets and in fact have strengthened their ability to sell throughout the Gulf, the Levant and North Africa. The National Book Program did not directly engage the Egyptian Publishers’ Association in any substantive discussion about publishing standards, creating new markets or devising new reading promotion activities. Suitability of the Book Collections A critical aspect of the National Book Program was that these books possessed qualities that made them highly attractive and appropriate to the target age groups they were intended for. Indeed, the NBP did produce extraordinarily elaborate, visually appealing, and richly designed and illustrated books. However, attractiveness in books is not always based on appearance, but the reader friendliness of the work. The procurement was divided into three main age ranges—beginning readers (SEMP), intermediate readers (SLEP I/II) and advanced readers (BPSS). The suitability criteria explicitly stated in the procurement RFPs and echoed in the reviewers’ materials (topic appropriateness, language School children in the library. Egypt, 2008. Juarez and Associates, Inc. appropriateness, and appropriate balance of print and non print elements) are more than mere screening mechanisms. Inherent in the NBP’s design and the ultimate composition of the NBP book collection concepts of suitability constituted an important statement about Egyptian children and youth and the education goals and cultural values of Egyptian adults. Linking suitability to reading promotion may have been one of NBP’s more significant efforts. While this represents a watershed moment for children’s and youth publishing, considerably more research and discussion needs to be done to flesh out these important concepts. Findings In each procurement, program designers specified suitability in four general categories: Topic interest, language, content and the balance between text and non-text elements. Suitability criteria tended to be based on subjective interpretation, especially when reviewers were asked to assign scores that reflect appropriateness without providing reviewers any elaborated rubrics or consensus frames of reference. Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 28 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 The program designers appeared to emphasize books on sciences, applied technologies and personal development topics (for example, values, tolerance for diversity, problem-solving) and less emphasis on fiction or biography. In spite of the review process, some of the selected books were not culturally suitable. The Evaluation Team found no evidence that the topic suitability criteria reflected a developmental foundation. Readability levels for each age range varied widely, especially for simplified English texts; topic content for a book may have been secondary level while the vocabulary level may have been primary. The technical requirements for page trim, page counts, font size and design may have produced uniform books, but at a cost to creativity, innovation, attractiveness. The notion of language appropriateness for Arabic remains ill-defined. Often reviewers or publishers referred to the presence or absence of diacritical marks as the distinguishing difference in language difficulty and age appropriateness. But other aspects of language (high frequency words, content and technical vocabulary, grammar, sentence and text structures, for example) also play an important role in determining the suitability of texts for various ages and stages of reading proficiency. Publishers expressed the opinion that selection choices were often made on pricing rather than suitability criteria. There was no evidence that program designers considered international standards when developing suitability criteria. This is especially important in terms of level of difficulty. If Egyptian students are expected to match up competitively to their age counterparts in Europe or North America, they must read texts that have comparable levels of difficulty. When asked how he estimates reading level, one publisher commented, “I look at what grade level the book is used in the UK and add two years for Egypt.” This obviously puts Egyptian students at an unfair disadvantage when their academic achievements (or their habits for pleasure reading) are compared with their same-age counterparts. Suitability criteria originated in the RFP and were further developed by AED/NBP staff along with a publishing consultant; Egyptian publishing consultants or classroom teachers were not consulted in the development of suitability criteria. The program design did not include any opportunity for field-testing new titles with children, teachers or parents. Representatives of the Steering Committee expressed the opinion that often the suitability criteria “pre-screened” the books that were available to them in the review/selection process. As one reviewer commented, “I can only review what the publishers submit.” Publishers expressed the opinion that the suitability criteria, especially warnings to avoid controversy, inhibited their choice of books to submit in their proposals. A representative from the Steering Committee provided an orientation to reviewers on using the suitability criteria and illustrated scoring exemplars using actual books. Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 29 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 Impact on Schools The National Book Program was designed to have an impact on the reading attitudes and extracurricular reading of children and youth in Egypt. Certainly the accomplishment of stocking every school in Egypt with hundreds of quality books is an important effort toward achieving that objective. Such an impact cannot be measured immediately after the project has been implemented. Some measurements need to be created and data regarding usage need to be collected to assess the long-term impact. USAID may need to invest or recommend that MOE engage in a longitudinal study to assess the impact and build baseline data for future projects and studies. If the library collections of the National Book Program are to have any lasting impact on children’s reading habits, it would seem the program will also need to have an impact on the school community in which those collections (and those reading habits) are situated. The National Book Program implemented a professional development program for librarians and teachers, specifically in methods of promoting the use of the school library and motivating children to read. The Evaluation Team reviewed these training programs, interviewed participants and designers, and visited schools to observe the impact the NBP had on teachers, librarians, students, and communities. Findings Librarian Training Goals of training as stated by the project designers were to introduce participants to the library books and materials; to provide activities that encourage the use of the books; to increase the confidence of instructors in working with the new library materials; to introduce Egyptian authors and illustrators to the librarians and teachers and to instruct users in the care and use of the libraries. The model of training adopted was based on results of the needs analysis carried out by a consultant and discussion with the Ministry and other partners. Training consisted of a three-stage cascade—a five-day orientation for 30 master trainers, a three-day workshop for 1550 librarians, early grades teachers, school supervisors and direct training of school librarians. NBP was directly responsible for the training at Level 1and Level 2 with the MOE taking over the training at Level 3. The redefining of SEMP to provide big books for early reading/reading readiness created a pedagogical focus for NBP, which has allowed for synergy in training effort. Training allowed for closer links between librarians and teachers to improve cross-curricular use of the collection as well as to foster the development of reading skills and love of reading in children. At the start of the program there was an insufficient number of expert school librarians to create an adequate master training cadre to support a national scale training program. The design of the learning materials contained instances of best practice while being suitable for the realities of the Egyptian context. Training materials needed to address librarianship skills as well as early reading and motivating children to read. Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 30 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 Care was taken to ensure that the materials were specifically geared towards the NBP collection. For example, in the module relating to the library environment, participants were required to see how they could use the book cabinet provided to promote themes from the collection as well as to motivate children to read individual books in the collection. The first draft of the training modules was initially developed by the consultant and circulated to Andy Smart and NBP staff for comment. Input was solicited from Madame Sayeda (MOE) who supplied a great deal of useful source material which help incorporating them into the modules. The Arabic version was then refined by local consultants. A group of librarians was given the task of checking the first two modules to ensure accuracy against MOE regulations. School site visits prsented a consistent picture of the school library as an inviting environment and a lively context for displaying NBP books and promoting reading. Observers found ample evidence that books from the collection were being read, loaned out to children, and returned. Observers also found ample evidence that children were using the NBP books for national reading promotion activities. While it was impossible to make pre-post comparisons of the program’s impact on children’s reading habits and attitudes about reading, data reveal that children (at all grade levels of primary school) tended to have generally positive attitudes about reading. Admittedly, the children assessed were participating in a summer reading activity and therefore most likely to have positive attitudes about reading. Perhaps the most important finding in this regard is that the motivation to read survey adapted for this evaluation activity is reliable and therefore applicable to future research and evaluation activities. Librarians and teachers generaly felt the NBP book collections had an impact on attracting students to the library, but noted a number of constraints, namely: lack of sufficient space to display books, inadequate space to accommodate over-enrolled classes, lack of time during the school day and week to promote reading for enjoyment. In general, teachers and librarians did not appear to view reading promotion as a priority, and if so were ill-prepared to serve as advocates. Teachers generally were not knowledgeable about the books in the NBP collection. In general, the book collections have not yet been applied to solving community problems , but parents are reportedly positive about the collection and are encouraging their children to use the collection books which they find attractive and useful. Instead of keping these in the library, often the SEMP materials (Big Books) were distributed directly to the Kg-2 classrooms to support beginning reading instruction. Modifications in policies about replacement of lost library materials have encouraged librarians to broaden their lending practices. The formation and functioning of reading clubs was an effective strategy for increasing book use. The children at one school met meeting each week to help the librarian arrange the books, review the new books, and encourage their friends to read the new titles the club members invited some writers and talk with them and the local newspaper announced the meeting. Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 31 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 The NBP books were generally viewed as culturally appropriate. In one school the Arabic and religious teacher reviewed the fiction collection and found good stories about honesty, helping other people and many social values. The teacher used the fiction collection as learning materials in group work for his class, asking the groups to point out the social values and present them to the whole class. Additional data on sample school libraries and student survey of motivation to read can be found in the Annex to this report. Data Analysis The Evaluation Team proposed to organize its findings regarding the impact of the National Book Program under the headings of products, institutions and policies. It hypothesized that even though the National Book Program had not deliberately set out to have impacts on these three structural categories of Egyptian society, that such outcomes may have been the unintended consequences of the NBP fulfilling its mission. More importantly, as discussed above, the Evaluation Team agreed that in order for the NBP to have any lasting impact for the present and for it to have served as a foundational event for the future, it would be useful to analyze the impact of the NBP according to these categories. We summarize our analysis below but also encourage other stakeholders to explore these categories further from their own perspectives. Products The most obvious products resulting from this program were the books themselves. In some ways these books helped extend or upgrade the library collections at schools visited. More importantly, the books produced by the NBP and distributed to the schools served as important models, setting the standards for the next generation of books published for children. Many of the books were translations of books designed in UK, France, Germany, Australia, and the United States. These books represent an important discourse for publishers who were introduced to new ideas in book design and authorship. Although Egyptian publishers were already capable of printing books with high standards of quality production, these NBP books should stimulate publishers to think of new genres, designs, and innovative formats. Two other products stand out. First is the training material developed for school librarians. The library training program implemented by the NBP was certainly not sufficient to create a professional librarian cadre. However, it can and should serve as a foundational product for more extensive inservice or pre-service professional development courses. These materials were developed with significant input from the MOE and it would be useful to see the MOE conduct widespread field tests on the efficacy of this training, to implement a thorough needs assessment of school librarians and consider how these training materials might support their future efforts to address critical shortcomings in this field. Another important product is the set of suitability criteria used in the book selection process. Although lacking in empirical foundation and concurrence to international standards, the suitability criteria developed for this program are important first steps at creating a national discourse on what constitutes child appropriateness and reader friendly texts. Much of the English speaking world has devoted considerable research and development effort in the fields of linguistics, developmental psychology, and popular marketing, to try to pinpoint readers’ needs and interests and to match those Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 32 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 with appropriate materials. Response from interviewees to questions regarding suitability suggests that much of this remains subjective rather than based on objective criteria. Too often publishing choices (and purchasing choices) are made on the basis of what an expert believes a child or adolescent should read and not on what the child or adolescent wants to read. These suitability criteria could have important implications, if for example, the MOE were to create a task force to further expand these categories and to flesh out the descriptors as it prepares standards for its future textbook procurements. Institutions No doubt the scale of the National Book Program stretched the capacities of individuals who participated in it. However, what about the impact on the institutions in which those individuals are situated? The National Book Program did have an impact on several key institutions responsible for promoting a culture of reading. Obviously, the National Book Program was not capable of transforming national institutions, nor was it organized to do so. Yet it did appear to have institutional impact, and Egyptian society may want to consider how best to follow up and support further institutional change. Commercial publishing institutions seemed to have received a significant impact from participation in this program. The scale of the procurements placed real strains on the publishers to deliver quality products on time at reasonable prices. To do so, publishers needed to improve their in-house efficiency. More importantly, publishers told the Evaluation Team that participation in this program gave their employees a real taste of what commercial publishing could be (as it is practiced in other demand-driven markets). The publishing institutions mentioned the issue of intellectual property rights as an important facet of their participation in NBP. The guarantee of intellectual property rights and the legal enforcement of publishing contracts between authors and publishers and between publishers and booksellers remain thorny and will require considerable legal and professional standards that are developed in Egypt by Egyptians. Clearly, left unresolved, the issue of intellectual property rights will stifle the development of new authors and new books. It would be hopeful that the Egyptian Publishers’ Association will be able to take a leadership role in addressing this critical issue in the future. Publishers acknowledge the fact that this is the largest printing project Egypt has ever seen and that the individual experience some acquired throughout the project time will manifest itself on the collective psyche of the publishing business. This is an experience the publisher would have not had without the NBP. The Ministry of Education may not have been transformed by participation in the National Book Program but several of its current initiatives are certainly being informed and shaped by the National Book Program. Chief among these has been the implementation of new strategies for procuring textbooks. The MOE recently issued requests for proposals for publishing new textbooks (Grade 4 primary and Grade 3 for preparatory). In issuing its call, in designing its price negotiations, and in its general communication with the commercial publishing industry the MOE’s book procurement plan seems to have been influenced by the NBP. The MOE was also apprised of the need to concentrate new efforts on developing capacity of reading specialists and school librarians. Hopefully, the MOE will include this priority in its strategic plans. One institutional shift that has not transpired is that book distribution remains a supply driven activity rather than a market-based, demand-driven process. Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 33 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 The MOE may want to look to other comparable education systems (in Europe, North America, Asia) for alternative models of book distribution and the support for quality reading materials. Impact on schools would seem to be the most critical in terms of institutional change. However, given the highly centralized nature of schools in Egypt, it may prove difficult to manage significant institutional transformations at the school level. Schools are more likely to follow directions than to set out on their own innovative path. As the resources of the NBP work their way into the bloodstream of these schools, it would seem logical that school principals, teachers, librarians and parents open up discussions about what needs to change within their local school community to promote a culture of reading. Staff from USAID played an extensive role in the design and implementation of the National Book Program. With the completion of the program USAID is working to ensure that these school resources and its investment are effectively utilized by Egyptian students.. The National Book program represented a significant investment of time and money and most importantly, political capital. USAID learned a lot from this activity and is generally pleased with the quality of books delivered. However, according to senior management at USAID-EGYPT, it is unlikely that a program of this magnitude and complexity would be undertaken in the future especially without a more in-depth analysis up front of the business practices of the local publishing industry among others. Policies Real change is sustained through policy. USAID has supported a number of policy initiatives with educators in Egypt. The National Book Program highlights the need for the development of specific school policies to support and promote a culture of reading in Egypt. A small but significant example of a transforming education policy was the change in the ceiling under which teachers or librarians were held responsible for replacement of lost or damaged books. Relaxing this ceiling policy had an immediate impact on teachers’ and librarians’ willingness to loan out books from the school library collection. On the other hand, teachers generally agreed that the overloaded school curriculum and the over enrolled classrooms made library reading difficult to manage and to fit within a crowded school day and school week. Representatives of the MOE and local school personnel may want to initiate further discussions about the policies that presently serve as barriers to reading promotion and ways to craft new policies that encourage reading in school and as an extracurricular activity. CONCLUSIONS The design and implementation of the National Book Program required careful integration with the existing political, economic and social structures in Egypt. Although the program design outlined roles and responsibilities for major institutions, the pressure for expedience may have undermined the potential for broad coordination and greater integration with other USAID and MOE initiatives. The Evaluation Team found ample evidence that the decision-making process used in the NBP often broke new ground in Egyptian inter-institution relations and these interactions will likely have important implications for the institutions involved in the program design and management. For example, the MOE has already expressed an interest in adapting some of procedures developed by the NBP in its own book procurement activities. Some key program decisions, however, were made without sufficient widespread ownership and responsibility and this may have implications for follow-on programs from MOE or ICS. Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 34 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 The private publishing industry in Egypt has the capacity to supply high quality books for Egyptian children, especially beginning readers. The NBP helped boost Egyptian publishing capacity by stimulating the hiring of new skilled publishing workers. The ability to meet rigorous standards for quality and efficiency became a source of pride for Egyptian publishers and demonstrated their capacity. Important impact outcomes included new standards for intellectual property rights, new concepts in design, and new levels of printing efficiency. Notably, the NBP produced high quality and much needed non-fiction books, particularly reference books, dictionaries, atlases and science-related books. In spite of NBP’s efforts to increase the supply of suitable books, however, there remains a critical shortage of appropriate and interesting books for preparatory and secondary school youth. The expediency of the NBP did not allow publishers to address this empty market directly, either by raising awareness or by encouraging the development of new authors, illustrators and designers. Instead, publishers relied on importing and translating foreign books, many of which were 18th and 19th Century classics of English literature. Considerable effort remains to develop new Egyptian authors who are skillful in writing for the adolescent market. The National Book Program used several categories to help reviewers select suitable books for each collection. More often, though, rather than serving as an opportunity for an informed discussion about children’s literature and the developmental needs and interests of children, these criteria seem arbitrary. Ironically, the ambiguous nature of the criteria may have actually constrained the variety and range of materials publishers submitted for review. The suitability criteria may have been used as the basis for disqualifying certain submitted books more often than for identifying the best book in each category. The idea that suitable books are required to attract children to read is an important concept and explicit in the National Book Program design. Books, like clothes, must be tailored to the reader. Indeed, the National Book Program did offer important steps in the development of suitability criteria; however, the notion of suitability, particularly in Arabic, needs further research, exploration, and critical discussion. The concept of school librarianship in Egypt is not fully developed. The professional development offered to librarians through the National Book Program was an important step toward that professionalization of school libraries beyond creating a book cabinet and calling it a library. Unlike traditional notions of librarians as the custodians of books, the NBP training program was an attempt to transform librarians into advocates for reading and partners with classroom teachers. The program, developed with significant input from the MOE, offers possibilities of further development and implementation within the MOE plans for pre-service and in-service professional development programs. Measuring impact on children was in most cases premature. For example, books were only recently delivered to preparatory and secondary schools. Visits to selected primary schools did provide evidence that the NBP books were displayed. Evidence from library log books and samples of children’s book-based work confirmed that many of the books in the collection were being used, especially in connection with the summer Reading for All program. Further study should be taken up by education researchers (and publishers) to drill down and identify topics and titles children found attractive and which books children found less attractive. Finally, the Evaluation Team hypothesized that the NBP collections would have had an impact on school practice. Even in the primary schools that had the NBP collection for over two years, the Evaluation Team found little evidence of transformation in school management policies to integrate the school library in the school and the local community. The challenge remains to create time and procedures that will allow the NBP collections and the school libraries to leverage readership in the school. Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 35 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 RECOMMENDATIONS Bringing about improvement in reading goes beyond a one-time program. It is a process that demands planning, effort, commitment, and professional training. Libraries contribute a great deal to learning. Throughout the developed world the school library is usually seen as a necessity that helps students improve reading, expands their horizons, facilitates learning and promotes access to knowledge and enjoyment. It should be viewed no less in this part of the world. Some of the schools visited have an inviting space for their library. Others do not. For changing course and helping this nation become a reading one, especially in the absence of public libraries availability in each township, the school library must be the substitute and the place where the young Egyptians can be empowered and become lifelong learners. The school library will be a critical piece in improving primary and secondary education in Egypt. For the NBP to continue to yield value beyond the life of the project, we recommend that the MOE and the schools work together to: • • • • • • • Improve the use of the library via programming that allows students and teachers to interact outside the classroom; Consider ways to promote students’ independent study by more effective use of library; Put in place systematic programs for instructing teachers on information literacy skill; In case of absence of a neighborhood public library, make school libraries available for substantial periods before and after school; Design reading programs that facilitate learning across the curriculum, encourage students’ independence, promote their reading and improve their information literacy skills; Improve evaluation of the library to take into account the full range of evidence to assess its impact on students learning and require librarians to report formally; and Hire, train and invest in librarians’ professional development. The last point is one that is considered quite important, as the most critical factor leading to improvement in school libraries is the commitment and leadership of the librarian in charge. One of the main constraints that hinder the realization of the effective use of the school library is the library space. The school library is just a small room in most of the schools. Therefore, the General Authority of Educational Buildings (GAEB) should reconsider a new modern design for the school library in future new school buildings and, at the same time, to modify existing library spaces. Librarians and teachers should meet every six months to exchange experiences, especially concerning ways to meet specific challenges and solve some common difficulties. The Value of Specialist Librarians There is no substitute for a well trained librarian who has good specialist knowledge. Such a person can be a major influence on increasing the effectiveness of school libraries, impact teaching, and the personal development and learning of an impressionable young generation. Having a teacher or a group of teachers or a non-specialist handle the school library will lead to its decline, as collective responsibility is never a substitute for specialization and adequate methodology. Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 36 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 The impact of a well-trained librarian on all aspects of the library functions, collection quality and services to students and teachers should not be underestimated. A school librarian should be one who is not only professionally trained but also someone with good knowledge of children’s literature; a passion for reading, learning, knowing; a person who understands the research process and has knowledge of the school curriculum; has teaching skills and an ability to work with students as well as teachers. Knowledgeable and enthusiastic librarians will bring great energy and initiative to the task of promoting reading. Many librarians build their program around national events (National Children’s Book Day, Human Rights Day, etc.), establish book clubs, host authors and many other activities that can facilitate the reading process. Promoting reading, facilitating access to books, building good programs, and investing in librarians’ professional development are just some of the mechanisms that will help young Egyptian read and grow up as readers. LESSONS LEARNED USAID and its implementation agent the Academy for Education Development should be commended for their work in organizing and implementing the National Book Program. The logistical accomplishment of procuring and distributing books on a national scale offers lessons for the USAID, for implementing organizations and ministries of education. Perhaps one of the main lessons to be learned is the need to clearly delineate roles and responsibilities among managing and implementing partners and to keep the operation moving along these lines. It seems that individuals from various partner agencies may have exerted more control than was intended or was ultimately helpful to the program. Senior staff at USAID may have reflected on the consequences of having its own staff so actively involved in the design and implementation process and made adjustments accordingly in the course of the project. Even with the Steering Committee serving as a review board, it appears that many of the key decisions were made final by certain staff at USAID in the first three phases. It was pointed out by different groups that for all its expertise, USAID does not have expertise in commercial publishing. This shortcoming may have left the Agency open to missteps and was corrected in the fourth and final phase. The National Book Program devised a complex process for reviewing and selecting materials. This was an exceptionally helpful process for the implementation of the program, but it seemed disassociated with the realistic process of book-buying in Egypt, more generally. The NBP could have been an opportunity to engage publishers, researchers, and educators in the debate on these procedures. The National Book Program experimented with two forms of procurement, a turnkey approach and an unbundled approach. Both approaches have their advantages and disadvantages. These had implications for time, pricing and overall management. The National Book Program operated with a remarkably lean staff and shifted management responsibilities to the consortia leaders in the turnkey approach. Assuming responsibility in the unbundled approach helped open the field to competition; but as the program managers realized, this also meant that they had to deal with smaller publishers who could not meet contract agreements or that they simply spent much more time managing publishers and delivery systems. Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 37 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 Concerning the design and procurement process, there are lessons to be learned from the manner in which procurement decisions were made. The Evaluation Team could find no evidence that teachers and administrators at the Idaraa or school level were consulted on their perceptions of library needs and children’s interests in their schools and communities. The National Book Program was a supplydriven activity and reflected the prevailing centralized manner in which decisions about local people are made at considerably higher altitudes. While the supply-driven approach may have been more expedient to manage, it seems possible that creating a book distribution design that was demand driven may have achieved the same end result. The obvious difference is that the procurement process would have helped develop the autonomy and expertise of the Idaraa or school making the purchasing requests. This huge project needs more publicity in the light of the fact that it is now the second wing of the other expansive Egyptian project Reading for All that began 16 years ago. School competitions depend mainly on the books of both projects. Finally, most participants including publishers, librarians, school directors and the Steering Committee felt there was insufficient time in the roll out of the program to develop new authors, to develop new capacities for the publishers and to adequately train new school personnel. The MOE of Egypt and the United States Agency for International Development, like governmental agencies the world over, must operate under very real time constraints; but it would seem that even in a straightforward book procurement activity, such as the National Book Program, an investment in time might have been equally or more valuable than an investment in money. The National Book Program created and distributed an impressive 25 million books to schools all over Egypt in a relatively short period of time. While this efficiency is praiseworthy, it came at a cost. Publishers who felt pride at having met demanding time delivery schedules also pointed out that the rapid turnaround from contract to delivery was not compatible with the publishing process required to develop new books of high quality. If one of the major considerations was to enhance the Egyptian publishers’ competitive advantage in the region, the pace of this program did not seem to have significant impact on the development of new authors, illustrators and designers. Instead, it did enhance the capacity of its licensing and contracts specialists, translators and proofreaders. The National Book Program was intended to have a significant impact on the children and adolescents in Egypt. It is too soon to learn whether this will be the outcome. What is certain is that the program fulfilled a critical need in Egyptian schools and a foundational function in building a nation of readers. Teachers and librarians have been given some valuable new tools to educate the children of Egypt. With the support of flexible school policies, distributed responsibility, and on-going professional development for librarians, teachers and publishers, Egypt will be well on its way to promoting a culture of reading for all its citizens. Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 38 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 THE ANNEX Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 39 ‫‪2008‬‬ ‫‪FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT‬‬ ‫‪NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS‬‬ ‫)‪EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (ARABIC VERSION‬‬ ‫اﻟﻤﻠﺨﺺ اﻟﺘﻨﻔﻴﺬى‬ ‫ﻳﻌﺪ اﻟﻮﻗﺖ اﻟﺤﺎﺿﺮ زﻣﻦ ﻇﻬﻮر اﻟﺘﻜﻨﻮﻟﻮﺟﻴﺎت واﻷﺳﻮاق اﻟﺠﺪﻳﺪة واﻟﺤ ﻮارات اﻟﺜﻘﺎﻓﻴ ﺔ اﻟﻤﺘﺒﺎدﻟ ﺔ اﻟﺘ ﻰ‬ ‫ﺗﻤﺜﻞ ﺗﺤﺪﻳًﺎ‪ .‬إن وﺟﻮد أﻣﺔ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻘﺮاء هﻮ ﺷﺮط ﻣﺴﺒﻖ ﻟﺨﻠ ﻖ رأس اﻟﻤ ﺎل اﻟﺒﺸ ﺮى اﻟ ﺬى ﺗﺤﺘﺎﺟ ﻪ ﻣﺼ ﺮ ﺣﺘ ﻰ‬ ‫ﺗﺴﺘﻄﻴﻊ أن ﺗﺤﻘﻖ اﻻزدهﺎر ﻓﻰ اﻟﻘﺮن اﻟﺤﺎدى واﻟﻌﺸﺮﻳﻦ‪.‬‬ ‫وﻟﻜﻰ ﺗﻌﻤﻞ ﻣﺼﺮ ﻓﻰ هﺬا اﻟﺴﻴﺎق ﻋﻠﻰ ﻧﻄﺎق واﺳﻊ ﻓﺈﻧ ﻪ ﻳﺠ ﺐ ﻋﻠ ﻰ ﺳ ﻜﺎﻧﻬﺎ أﻻ ﻳﻘﻨﻌ ﻮا ﺑﻤﺠ ﺮد آﻴﻔﻴ ﺔ‬ ‫اﻟﻘﺮاءة ﺑﻞ ﻳﺠﺐ أن ﺗﻜﻮن اﻟﻘﺮاءة ﺟ ﺰءا ﻻ ﻳﺘﺠ ﺰأ ﻣ ﻦ ﻧﺴ ﻴﺞ اﻟﺤﻴ ﺎة اﻟﻴﻮﻣﻴ ﺔ ﻋﻠ ﻰ ﺟﻤﻴ ﻊ ﻣﺴ ﺘﻮﻳﺎت اﻟﻤﺠﺘﻤ ﻊ‬ ‫اﻟﻤﺼﺮى‪.‬‬ ‫اﻟ ﺬى ﺗ ﻢ ﺗﻘﺪﻳﻤ ﻪ ﻋ ﺎم ‪ 2005‬آﺠﻬ ﺪ ﺗﻌ ﺎوﻧﻰ ﺑ ﻴﻦ اﻟﺤﻜﻮﻣ ﺔ )‪(NBP‬وﻳﻌﺘﺒ ﺮ ﺑﺮﻧ ﺎﻣﺞ اﻟﻜﺘ ﺎب اﻟﻘ ﻮﻣﻰ‬ ‫اﻟﻤﺼﺮﻳﺔ وﺣﻜﻮﻣﺔ اﻟﻮﻻﻳﺎت اﻟﻤﺘﺤﺪة‪ ،‬ﻣﺸﺮوﻋﺎ ﻳﺘﻢ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻧﻄﺎق واﺳﻊ‪ ،‬وﻳﻬ ﺪف إﻟ ﻰ اﻟﺘﺄآﻴ ﺪ ﻋﻠ ﻰ أن اﻷﺟﻴ ﺎل‬ ‫اﻟﻘﺎدﻣ ﺔ ﻣ ﻦ اﻟﻤﺼ ﺮﻳﻴﻦ ﺳ ﻮف ﺗﺼ ﺒﺢ أﻣ ﺔ ﻣ ﻦ اﻟﻘ ﺮاء‪ .‬وﻟﻘ ﺪ ﺗ ﻢ ﺗﻨﻔﻴ ﺬ اﻟﻤﺸ ﺮوع ﻓ ﻰ إﻃ ﺎر ﺗﻮﺟﻬ ﺎت وزارة‬ ‫اﻟﺘﺮﺑﻴﺔ واﻟﺘﻌﻠﻴﻢ وﺟﻤﻌﻴﺔ اﻟﺮﻋﺎﻳﺔ اﻟﻤﺘﻜﺎﻣﻠﺔ‪ .‬وﻣﻦ هﻨﺎ ﻓﻘﺪ اﺗﺨﺬ اﻟﺒﺮﻧ ﺎﻣﺞ وﻗﻔ ﺔ اﺳ ﺘﺮاﺗﻴﺠﻴﺔ ﻧﺤ ﻮ ﺗﻄ ﻮﻳﺮ ﺛﻘﺎﻓ ﺔ‬ ‫اﻟﻘﺮاءة ﻓﻰ ﻣﺼﺮ ﻣﻦ ﺧﻼل ﺗﺮآﻴﺰ ﺟﻬﻮدﻩ ﻓﻰ ﻣﺪارس اﻟﺘﻌﻠﻴﻢ اﻟﻌﺎم‪.‬‬ ‫وﻣﻦ هﺬا اﻟﻤﻨﻄﻠﻖ ﺟﺎء ﺗﺼﻤﻴﻢ اﻟﺒﺮﻧﺎﻣﺞ ﺑﺤﻴﺚ ﻳﺤﻘﻖ هﺪﻓﺎ واﺿﺤﺎ ﻣﻠﻤﻮﺳ ﺎ‪ :‬ه ﻮ اﻟﻌﻤ ﻞ ﺑﺼ ﻮرة ﺟ ﺎدة‬ ‫ﻣﻦ أﺟﻞ اﺗﺎﺣﺔ آﺘﺐ ذات ﺟﻮدة ﺗﻘﺪم ﻟﻸﻃﻔﺎل واﻟﺸﺒﺎب اﻟﻤﺼﺮﻳﻴﻦ‪ .‬وﻗﺪ ﺗﻢ ﺗﻨﻔﻴﺬ اﻟﺒﺮﻧﺎﻣﺞ ﻋﻠﻰ أﺳ ﺎس ﺗﺤﻘﻴ ﻖ‬ ‫هﺪف ﺗﺰوﻳﺪ آﻞ ﻣﺪرﺳﺔ ﻓﻰ ﻣﺼﺮ ﺑﻤﺠﻤﻮﻋﺔ آﺘ ﺐ ﻟﻠﻤﻜﺘﺒ ﺔ ﺗﺤﺘ ﻮى ﻣ ﻮاد ﻗﺮاﺋﻴ ﺔ ﻣﺘﻤﻴ ﺰة‪ .‬وﻗ ﺪ وﺿ ﻌﺖ ه ﺬﻩ‬ ‫اﻻﺳﺘﺮاﺗﻴﺠﻴﺔ ﻟﺘﺤﻘﻴﻖ هﺪف رﺋﻴﺴﻰ واﺣﺪ‪:‬‬ ‫• زﻳ ﺎدة اﻟﻘ ﺮاءة اﻟﻤﺼ ﺎﺣﺒﺔ ﻟﻠﻤ ﻨﻬﺞ ‪ extracurricular‬ﺑ ﻴﻦ اﻷﻃﻔ ﺎل واﻟﺸ ﺒﺎب‪ ،‬وﺗﻌﺰﻳ ﺰ ﻋ ﺎدة‬ ‫اﻟﻘﺮاءة ﻣﺪى اﻟﺤﻴﺎة‪.‬‬ ‫وﻟﻘﺪ أدرك ﻣﺼﻤﻤﻮا وﻣﻨﻔﺬوا اﻟﺒﺮﻧ ﺎﻣﺞ أﻧﻬ ﻢ ﻓ ﻰ ﺣﺎﺟ ﺔ إﻟ ﻰ ﻣﻮاﺟﻬ ﺔ ﺑﻌ ﺾ اﻟﺘﺤ ﺪﻳﺎت اﻟﺠﺴ ﻴﻤﺔ‪ .‬ﻓﻔ ﻰ‬ ‫اﻟﺒﺪاﻳﺔ آﺎﻧﺖ هﻨﺎك ﺗﻠﻚ اﻟﻤﻘﺎرﻧﺔ ﻣﻊ اﻟﺪول اﻷوروﺑﻴﺔ واﻵﺳ ﻴﻮﻳﺔ ودول أﻣﺮﻳﻜ ﺎ اﻟﺸ ﻤﺎﻟﻴﺔ‪ ،‬واﻟﺘ ﻰ أﻇﻬ ﺮت أن‬ ‫ﻋﺎدة اﻟﻘﺮاءة ﻓﻰ ﻣﺼﺮ ﺗﻌﺪ أﻗﻞ اﻧﺘﺸﺎراً وﺻﻼﺑﺔ‪ .‬آﻤﺎ أن ﻣﺼﺮ ﻣﺜﻠﻬﺎ ﻣﺜ ﻞ اﻟﻌﺪﻳ ﺪ ﻣ ﻦ دول اﻟﺸ ﺮق اﻷوﺳ ﻂ‬ ‫وﺷﻤﺎل أﻓﺮﻳﻘﻴﺎ ﺗﻌﺎﻧﻰ ﺑﺼﻮرة ﺷﺪﻳﺪة ﻣﻦ ﻣﺴﺘﻮﻳﺎت ﻋﺎﻟﻴ ﺔ ﻣ ﻦ اﻷﻣﻴ ﺔ وﺧﺎﺻ ﺔ ﺑ ﻴﻦ اﻟﻔﺘﻴ ﺎت واﻟﻨﺴ ﺎء وﺳ ﻜﺎن‬ ‫اﻟﻤﻨﺎﻃﻖ اﻟﺮﻳﻔﻴﺔ‪ .‬وﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﺮﻏﻢ ﻣﻦ أن هﺬﻩ اﻟﺼﻮرة ﺁﺧﺬة ﻓﻰ اﻟﺘﺤﺴﻦ آﻨﺘﻴﺠﺔ ﻣﺒﺎﺷﺮة ﻟﻼهﺘﻤﺎم اﻟﺨ ﺎص اﻟ ﺬى‬ ‫ﻳﺘﻢ اﻳﻼؤة ﻣﻦ ﺟﺎﻧﺐ اﻟﺒﺮاﻣﺞ اﻟﺘﻰ ﺗﻘﺪﻣﻬﺎ وزارة اﻟﺘﺮﺑﻴ ﺔ واﻟﺘﻌﻠ ﻴﻢ‪ ،‬إﻻ أن ﺧﻠ ﻖ أﻣ ﺔ ﻣ ﻦ اﻟﻘ ﺮاء ﻳﺘﻄﻠ ﺐ أآﺜ ﺮ‬ ‫ﻣﻦ ﺗﻌﻠﻴﻢ ﻳﺘﻢ ﺗﺠﺪﻳﺪﻩ وﺧﻄﻂ اﺻﻼﺣﻴﺔ‪.‬‬ ‫إن ﻣﻬﻤﺔ ﺧﻠﻖ ﻣﺠﺘﻤ ﻊ ﻗ ﻮﻣﻰ ﻣ ﻦ اﻟﻤﺘﻌﻠﻤﻴ ﻴﻦ واﻟﻘ ﺮاء ﻣ ﺪى اﻟﺤﻴ ﺎة ﻳ ﺮﺗﺒﻂ ارﺗﺒﺎﻃ ﺎ وﺛﻴﻘ ﺎ ﺑﺈﺗﺎﺣ ﺔ ﻣ ﻮاد‬ ‫ذات ﺟﻮدة ﺑﺄﺳﻌﺎر ﻓﻰ ﻣﺘﻨﺎول اﻟﺠﻤﻴﻊ‪ .‬وﻣ ﻊ ذﻟ ﻚ وﻧﻈ ﺮًا ﻟﻄﺒﻴﻌ ﺔ ﺻ ﻨﺎﻋﺔ اﻟﻨﺸ ﺮ اﻟﻤﺼ ﺮﻳﺔ وﺿ ﻌﻒ ﺳﻠﺴ ﻠﺔ‬ ‫ﺗﻮزﻳﻊ اﻟﻜﺘﺎب‪ ،‬ﻓ ﺈن اﺗﺎﺣ ﺔ اﻟﻜﺘ ﺐ اﻟﻤﻨﺎﺳ ﺒﺔ واﻟﻤﻤﺘﻌ ﺔ ﻟﻴﺴ ﺖ ﻓ ﻰ ﻣﺘﻨ ﺎول اﻟﻐﺎﻟﺒﻴ ﺔ ﻣ ﻦ اﻟﻤﺼ ﺮﻳﻴﻦ‪ .‬وﺑﺼ ﻮرة‬ ‫ﺗﺒﺎدﻟﻴ ﺔ ﻓ ﺈن اﻻﻓﺘﻘ ﺎر إﻟ ﻰ وﺟ ﻮد ﺳ ﻮق واﺳ ﻌﺔ ﻟﺸ ﺮاء اﻟﻜﺘ ﺎب ﻳﻌﻨ ﻰ أن اﻟﻨﺎﺷ ﺮﻳﻦ ﻻ ﻳﻤﻴﻠ ﻮن إﻟ ﻰ اﻟﻤﻐ ﺎﻣﺮة‬ ‫ﺑ ﺪﺧﻮل أﺳ ﻮاق ﺟﺪﻳ ﺪة )ﻣ ﻦ ﺣﻴ ﺚ اﻟﻤﻮﺿ ﻮﻋﺎت واﻟﻤﺴ ﺘﻮﻳﺎت اﻟﻌﻤﺮﻳ ﺔ( دون اﻣﻜﺎﻧﻴ ﺔ اﻟﺤﺼ ﻮل ﻋﻠ ﻰ ﻋﺎﺋ ﺪ‬ ‫ﻻﺳﺘﺜﻤﺎراﺗﻬﻢ‪.‬‬ ‫‪Page 40‬‬ ‫‪Juarez and Associates, Inc.‬‬ ‫‪2008‬‬ ‫‪FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT‬‬ ‫‪NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS‬‬ ‫وﺗﻌﺪ ﻣﺼﺮ ﻣﺤﻈﻮﻇﺔ ﻣﻦ ﺣﻴﺚ ﻗﺪراﺗﻬﺎ ﻓﻰ ﻣﺠﺎل اﻟﻨﺸﺮوﻟﻜﻦ ﻧﻈﺎم ﺗﻮزﻳﻊ اﻟﻜﺘﺎب ﻟﻴﺲ ﻟﺪﻳﻪ إﻻ اﻟﻘﻠﻴﻞ‬ ‫ﻣﻦ اﻟﻤﻨﺎﻓﺬ اﻟﻤﺬﺑﺬﺑﺔ ﻟﻠﺒﻴﻊ ﺑﺎﻟﺘﺠﺰﺋﺔ ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﻤﺴﺘﻮى اﻟﻘﻮﻣﻰ‪ .‬وﻓﻰ ﻣﻘﺪور اﻟﻨﺎﺷﺮﻳﻦ ﻓ ﻰ ﻣﺼ ﺮ إﻧﺘ ﺎج آﺘ ﺐ ذات‬ ‫ﺟﻮدة اﺳﺘﺜﻨﺎﺋﻴﺔ‪ .‬وﻟﻜﻦ ﺳﻌﺮ اﻟﺘﺠﺰﺋﺔ ﺑﺎﻟﻨﺴﺒﺔ ﻟﻬﺬﻩ اﻟﻜﺘﺐ ﻣ ﺎزال ﻓ ﻰ ﻏﻴ ﺮ ﻣﺘﻨ ﺎول اﻟﻌﺪﻳ ﺪ ﻣ ﻦ اﻟﻤﺼ ﺮﻳﻴﻦ ﻣ ﻦ‬ ‫ﺣﻴﺚ اﻣﻜﺎﻧﺎﺗﻬﻢ اﻻﻗﺘﺼﺎدﻳﺔ‪ .‬وﺗﺘﻤﺘﻊ ﻣﺼ ﺮ ﺑﺘ ﺮاث ﻓﺮﻳ ﺪ ﻣ ﻦ اﻷدب اﻟﻜﻼﺳ ﻴﻜﻰ اﻟ ﺬى ﻳﺘﺴ ﻢ ﺑ ﺎﻟﺠﻮدة‪ .‬وﻟﻜﻨﻬ ﺎ‬ ‫ﻣﺜ ﻞ اﻟﻌﺪﻳ ﺪ ﻣ ﻦ اﻟ ﺪول‪ ،‬ﻗ ﺪ ﺑ ﺪأت ﺣ ﺪﻳﺜﺎ ﻓ ﻰ ﺗﻄ ﻮﻳﺮ اﻟﻤ ﻮاد اﻟﺘ ﻰ ﺗﻌ ﺪ ﻣﻨﺎﺳ ﺒﺔ وﻣﻤﺘﻌ ﺔ ﺑﺎﻟﻨﺴ ﺒﺔ ﻟﻸﻃﻔ ﺎل‬ ‫واﻟﻤﺮاهﻘﻴﻦ ﻣﻦ وﺟﻬﺔ اﻟﻨﻈﺮ اﻟﺘﻄﻮﻳﺮﻳﺔ‪.‬‬ ‫وﻟﻘﺪ ﻓﻄﻦ ﻣﺼﻤﻤﻮا اﻟﺒﺮﻧﺎﻣﺞ إﻟﻰ أﻧ ﻪ إذا آﺎﻧ ﺖ ﻋﻤﻠﻴ ﺔ ﺷ ﺮاء اﻟﻜﺘ ﺎب ﺑﺎﻟﺘﺠﺰﺋ ﺔ ﻋﻠ ﻰ ﻣﺴ ﺘﻮى اﻷﻓ ﺮاد‬ ‫ﻟﻴﺴﺖ ﺑﻌﺪ ﺧﻴ ﺎرا اﻗﺘﺼ ﺎدﻳًﺎ ﺑﺎﻟﻨﺴ ﺒﺔ ﻟﻜ ﻞ أﺳ ﺮة ﻓ ﻰ ﻣﺼ ﺮ‪ ،‬ﻓ ﺈن اﺗﺎﺣ ﺔ اﻟﻜﺘ ﺐ ﻳﺠ ﺐ أن ﺗﻜ ﻮن ﻣﻀ ﻤﻮﻧﺔ ﻣ ﻦ‬ ‫ﺧﻼل ﻧﻈﺎم اﻟﻤﻜﺘﺒﺎت‪ .‬وﻣﻊ ذﻟﻚ ﻓﺈﻧﻪ ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﺮﻏﻢ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻤﺴﺎهﻤﺎت اﻟﻤﺆﺛﺮة اﻟﺘﻰ ﺗﺘﻢ ﻣﻦ ﺧﻼل ﻣﻜﺘﺒ ﺎت ﻣﺒ ﺎرك‬ ‫اﻟﻌﺎﻣﺔ‪ ،‬ﻓﺈن ﻧﻈﺎم اﻟﻤﻜﺘﺒﺔ اﻟﻌﺎﻣﺔ ﻓﻰ ﻣﺼﺮ ﻟﻴﺲ ﻗﺎدرًا ﺑﻌﺪ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺗﻌﻤﻴﻢ اﺗﺎﺣﺔ اﻟﻜﺘﺐ ﻟﻤﻌﻈﻢ اﻟﻤﺼﺮﻳﻴﻦ‪.‬‬ ‫وﺣﺘﻰ ﻳﻤﻜﻦ ﺗﺤﺪﻳﺪ اﻟﻬﺪف اﻟﺸﺎﻣﻞ ﻟﺘﻌﺰﻳ ﺰ ﺛﻘﺎﻓ ﺔ اﻟﻘ ﺮاءة ﻣ ﻦ ﺧ ﻼل ﺗﺄآﻴ ﺪ اﺗﺎﺣ ﺔ واﺳ ﻌﺔ ﻟﻤ ﻮاد ﻗﺮاﺋﻴ ﺔ‬ ‫ذات ﺟﻮدة وﻣﻨﺎﺳﺒﺔ ﻟﻸﻃﻔ ﺎل واﻟﺸ ﺒﺎب‪ ،‬ﻓ ﺈن ﻣﺼ ﻤﻤﻮا اﻟﺒﺮﻧ ﺎﻣﺞ ﻗ ﺪ اﺧﺘ ﺎروا أن ﻳﺠﻌﻠ ﻮا ه ﺬا اﻟﺒﺮﻧ ﺎﻣﺞ ﻋﻠ ﻰ‬ ‫ﻣﺴﺘﻮى اﻟﻤﺪرﺳﺔ وأن ﻳﺪﻋﻤﻮا ﺗﻄﻮﻳﺮ أو ﺗﺤﺴﻴﻦ اﻟﻤﻜﺘﺒﺎت اﻟﻤﺪرﺳﻴﺔ‪.‬‬ ‫وﻓﻮق ذﻟﻚ‪ ،‬ﻓﻘﺪ ﺗﺤﻘﻖ ﻣﺼﻤﻤﻮا اﻟﺒﺮﻧ ﺎﻣﺞ واﻟﻤﻨﻔ ﺬﻳﻴﻦ ﻣ ﻦ أﻧﻬ ﻢ ﻓ ﻰ ﺣﺎﺟ ﺔ ﻟ ﺪﻋﻢ اﻟﻨﺎﺷ ﺮﻳﻦ اﻟﻤﺼ ﺮﻳﻴﻦ‬ ‫ﺣﺘﻰ ﻳﺴﺘﻄﻴﻌﻮا دﺧ ﻮل أﺳ ﻮاق ﺟﺪﻳ ﺪة واﻟﺘﻮﺳ ﻊ ﻓ ﻰ آﺘﺎﻟﻮﺟ ﺎت اﻟﻨﺸ ﺮ اﻟﺤﺎﻟﻴ ﺔ اﻟﺨﺎﺻ ﺔ ﺑﻬ ﻢ وزﻳ ﺎدة ﻗ ﺪراﺗﻬﻢ‬ ‫اﻟﻔﻨﻴﺔ واﻟﺒﺸﺮﻳﺔ ﻟﺘﻘﺪﻳﻢ آﻤﻴﺎت آﺒﻴﺮة ﻣﻦ اﻟﻜﺘﺐ وﻓﻖ ﻣﻌﺎﻳﻴﺮ ﺟﻮدة ﻋﺎﻟﻴﺔ‪.‬‬ ‫وﻟﻘﺪ اﺳﺘﻄﺎع ﻣﺸﺮوع اﻟﻜﺘﺎب اﻟﻘﻮﻣﻰ ﺗﻘﺪﻳﻢ ﻣﺎ ﻳﻘﺮب ﻣﻦ ‪ 25‬ﻣﻠﻴﻮن آﺘﺎب ﺑﺠﺎﻧ ﺐ أدوات ﺗﻌﻠﻴﻤﻴ ﺔ إﻟ ﻰ‬ ‫ﻣﺎ ﻳﻘﺮب ﻣﻦ ‪ 37.000‬ﻣﺪرﺳﺔ اﺑﺘﺪاﺋﻴﺔ واﻋﺪادﻳﺔ وﺛﺎﻧﻮﻳﺔ ﺣﻜﻮﻣﻴﺔ ﻓﻰ ‪ 29‬ﻣﺤﺎﻓﻈﺔ‪ .‬وﻟﻜﻰ ﻳﺘﻢ ذﻟ ﻚ ﺗ ﻢ اﻧﺸ ﺎء‬ ‫ﻟﺠﻨ ﺔ ﺗﺴ ﻴﻴﺮ ﺗﺘﻜ ﻮن ﻣ ﻦ ﺧﺒ ﺮاء وﻃﻨﻴ ﻴﻦ ﻓ ﻰ ﻣﺠ ﺎﻻت اﻷدب وﻋﻠ ﻢ ﻧﻔ ﺲ اﻟﻄﻔ ﻞ واﻟﻌﻠ ﻮم واﻟﻔﻨ ﻮن واﻟﺘ ﺎرﻳﺦ‬ ‫واﻟﺠﻐﺮاﻓﻴ ﺎ واﻟﺘﻜﻨﻮﻟﻮﺟﻴ ﺎت اﻟﺘﻄﺒﻴﻘﻴ ﺔ‪ .‬وﻟﻘ ﺪ ﻗ ﺎم ﻣﺼ ﻤﻤﻮا اﻟﺒﺮﻧ ﺎﻣﺞ ﺑﺘﻄ ﻮﻳﺮ وإﻧﺸ ﺎء ﻋﻤﻠﻴ ﺔ ﻣﺮاﺟﻌ ﺔ ﻟﺘﻘﻴ ﻴﻢ‬ ‫ﻣﺪى ﻣﻨﺎﺳﺒﺔ اﻟﻜﺘﺐ اﻟﻤﻘﺪﻣ ﺔ ﻟﻠﺸ ﺮاء ﺣﻴ ﺚ ﺗ ﻢ اﻧﺸ ﺎء وﺗﻔﻌﻴ ﻞ ﻣﻌ ﺎﻳﻴﺮ ﻗﺎﻧﻮﻧﻴ ﺔ ﻟﺤﻤﺎﻳ ﺔ ﺣﻘ ﻮق اﻟﻤﻠﻜﻴ ﺔ اﻟﻔﻜﺮﻳ ﺔ‬ ‫وﻣﻌﺎﻳﻴﺮ ﻓﻨﻴﺔ ﻟﺘﺤﻘﻴﻖ ﻃﺒﺎﻋﺔ ذات ﺟﻮدة‪.‬‬ ‫وﻟﻘﺪ ﺗﻢ ﺗﺄآﻴﺪ ﺗﻘﺪﻳﻢ آﺘﺐ ذات ﺟﻮدة ﻋﺎﻟﻴﺔ ﻟﻬﺬﻩ اﻟﻤﺪارس ﻣﻦ ﺧﻼل اﻟﻤﺮاﺟﻌﻴﻦ اﻟ ﺪاﺧﻠﻴﻴﻦ واﻟﺨ ﺎرﺟﻴﻴﻦ‬ ‫اﻟﺴ ﺎﺑﻘﻴﻦ‪ .‬وﻗ ﺪ وﺿ ﻌﺖ ﺁﻟﻴ ﺎت ﻣﺮاﻗﺒ ﺔ اﻟﺠ ﻮدة ﻓ ﻰ ﻣﻜﺎﻧﻬ ﺎ اﻟﺼ ﺤﻴﺢ‪ .‬أﻣ ﺎ اﻟﻤ ﻮاد اﻟﺘ ﻰ ﻻ ﺗﺘﻤﺸ ﻰ ﻣ ﻊ ﻣﻌ ﺎﻳﻴﺮ‬ ‫اﻟﻨﺸﺮ ﻓﻘﺪ أﻋﻴﺪ ﻧﺸﺮهﺎ )ﻋﻠﻰ ﻧﻔﻘﺔ اﻟﻨﺎﺷﺮ(‪.‬‬ ‫وﻓﻰ ﺿﻮء اﻟﺘﺤﻘﻖ ﻣﻦ أن اﻟﻜﺘﺐ وﺣﺪهﺎ ﻻ ﺗﺴﺘﻄﻴﻊ أن ﺗﺨﻠﻖ ﻗﺮاءاً‪ ،‬ﻓﻘﺪ ﻗﺎم ﻣﺼ ﻤﻤﻮا اﻟﺒﺮﻧ ﺎﻣﺞ أﻳﻀ ًﺎ‬ ‫ﺑﺘﻀﻤﻴﻦ ﻣﻜﻮن ﻳﻬﺪف إﻟﻰ ﺗﻄﻮﻳﺮ آﺎدر ﻣﻦ اﻟﻤﺪرﺑﻴﻦ اﻟﺮﺋﻴﺴﻴﻴﻦ ﻓ ﻰ ﻣﺠ ﺎﻻت اﻟﻤﻬ ﺎرات واﻟﻤﻮاﻗ ﻒ اﻟﻤﺘﻌﻠﻘ ﺔ‬ ‫ﺑﺄﻣﻨﺎء اﻟﻤﻜﺘﺒﺎت اﻟﻤﻬﻨﻴﻴﻦ‪.‬‬ ‫ﻓﺎﻟﺠﺎﻧ ﺐ اﻟﻤﻬﻨ ﻰ ﻷﻣﻨ ﺎء اﻟﻤﻜﺘﺒ ﺎت ﻳﺘﻄﻠ ﺐ أن ﻳﻜﻮﻧ ﻮا أآﺜ ﺮ ﻣ ﻦ ﺣ ﺮاس ﻟﻤﺠﻤﻮﻋ ﺎت ﻟﻜﺘ ﺐ‪ .‬ﻓﻼﺑ ﺪ أن‬ ‫ﻳﻜﻮن ﻟﺪﻳﻬﻢ اﻟﺘﺪرﻳﺐ واﻻﺗﺠﺎهﺎت واﻟﻤﻬﺎرات اﻟﺘﻰ ﺗﻤﻜﻨﻬﻢ ﻣﻦ أن ﻳﻜﻮﻧ ﻮا ﻣ ﺪاﻓﻌﻴﻦ ﺣﻘﻴﻘﻴ ﻴﻦ ﻋ ﻦ اﻟﻘ ﺮاءة ﻓ ﻰ‬ ‫ﻣﻜﺘﺒﺎﺗﻬﻢ وﻣﺪارﺳﻬﻢ وﻣﺠﺘﻤﻌﺎﺗﻬﻢ‪.‬‬ ‫ﻟﻘﺪ ﺟﺎء ﻓﻬﻢ ﺑﺮﻧﺎﻣﺞ اﻟﻤﺸﺮوع اﻟﻘﻮﻣﻰ ﻟﻴﺲ ﻓﻘﻂ ﺑﺎﻋﺘﺒﺎرﻩ ﻧﺸﺎط ﻣﺸﺘﺮوات وﻟﻜﻦ أﻳﻀًﺎ آﺒﺮﻧ ﺎﻣﺞ ﻟﺒﻨ ﺎء‬ ‫اﻟﻘﺪرات‪ .‬وﺑﺎﻻﺿﺎﻓﺔ إﻟﻰ ﺑﺮاﻣﺞ اﻟﺘﺪرﻳﺐ اﻟﺮﺳﻤﻴﺔ‪ ،‬ﻓﺈن ﻣﺴ ﺘﻮى ه ﺬا اﻟﺠﻬ ﺪ ﻳﺘﻄﻠ ﺐ اﻻﺳ ﻬﺎم اﻟﻤﻨﺴ ﻖ ﻵﻻف‬ ‫اﻷﻓﺮاد‪ :‬اﻟﻨﺎﺷﺮﻳﻦ‪ ،‬اﻟﻤﺆﻟﻔﻴﻦ‪ ،‬اﻟﻤﺼ ﻮرﻳﻴﻦ‪ ،‬اﻟﻤﺘ ﺮﺟﻤﻴﻦ‪ ،‬اﻟﺮﺳ ﻤﻴﻴﻦ اﻟﺤﻜ ﻮﻣﻴﻴﻦ‪ ،‬واﻟﻌﻠﻤ ﺎء وأﻣﻨ ﺎء اﻟﻤﻜﺘﺒ ﺎت‬ ‫‪Page 41‬‬ ‫‪Juarez and Associates, Inc.‬‬ ‫‪2008‬‬ ‫‪FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT‬‬ ‫‪NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS‬‬ ‫وﻟﻘ ﺪ اﺗﺨ ﺬ ﻓﺮﻳ ﻖ اﻟﺘﻘﻴ ﻴﻢ ﻧﺠ ﺎح ﺑﺮﻧ ﺎﻣﺞ اﻟﻜﺘ ﺎب اﻟﻘ ﻮﻣﻰ ﻓ ﻰ ﺗﻮزﻳ ﻊ آﺘ ﺐ ذات ﺟ ﻮدة ﻓ ﻰ آ ﻞ ﻣﺪرﺳ ﺔ‬ ‫اﺑﺘﺪاﺋﻴﺔ واﻋﺪادﻳ ﺔ وﺛﺎﻧﻮﻳ ﺔ ﻓ ﻰ ﻣﺼ ﺮ آﻨﻘﻄ ﺔ اﻟﺒﺪاﻳ ﺔ ﺑﺎﻟﻨﺴ ﺒﺔ ﻟﻌﻤ ﻞ اﻟﻔﺮﻳ ﻖ‪.‬وﻗ ﺪ ﺻ ﺎﺣﺐ ه ﺬا اﻟﺒﺮﻧ ﺎﻣﺞ ﻣﺜﻠ ﻪ‬ ‫آﻤﺜﻞ أى ﺑﺮاﻣﺞ أﺧﺮى ﺗﺘﻢ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻧﻄﺎق واﺳﻊ‪ ،‬ﻋﺪد ﻣﻦ اﻟﺘﻌﻘﻴﺪات اﻟﺘﻰ ﻳﺘﺤﺘﻢ ﺗﻨﺎوﻟﻬﺎ ﻓﻰ هﺬﻩ اﻟﻌﻤﻠﻴﺔ‪ .‬وﻟﻘﺪ ﺗﻢ‬ ‫ﺑﺎﻟﻔﻌﻞ ﺗﻮﺛﻴﻖ اﻟﻜﺜﻴﺮ ﻣﻦ ذﻟﻚ وﺗﻤﺖ ﻣﻨﺎﻗﺸﺘﻪ ﻓﻰ ﺑﺮاﻣﺞ ﺳﺎﺑﻘﺔ وﻣﻮاﻗﻊ ﻋﺎﻣ ﺔ‪ .‬وﻟﻘ ﺪ آ ﺎن ﻓﺮﻳ ﻖ اﻟﺘﻘﻴ ﻴﻢ ﻣﺘﻔﻬﻤ ﺎً‬ ‫ﻟﻌﻤﻠﻪ ﺑﺎﻋﺘﺒﺎرﻩ ﻓﺮﺻﺔ ﻟﻠﻤﻨﺘﻔﻌﻴﻦ ﻟﻤﺮاﺟﻌﺔ اﻟﻌﻤﻠﻴﺎت اﻟﺘﻰ أدت إﻟﻰ ﻧﺠﺎح ﺑﺮﻧﺎﻣﺞ اﻟﻜﺘ ﺎب اﻟﻘ ﻮﻣﻰ ﺣﺘ ﻰ ﻳﻤﻜ ﻦ‬ ‫ﺗﺄﻣﻞ ﻣﻮاﻃﻦ اﻟﻘﻮة واﻟﻀﻌﻒ ﻓﻰ اﻟﺒﺮﻧﺎﻣﺞ واﻟﺘﻔﻜﻴﺮ ﻓﻰ اﻟﻮﺳﺎﺋﻞ اﻟﺘﻰ ﺗﺪﻓﻊ اﻟﻌﻤﻞ ﻟﻸﻣﺎم‪.‬‬ ‫آﺬﻟﻚ ﻓﺈن ﻓﺮﻳﻖ اﻟﺘﻘﻴﻴﻢ آﺎن ﻳﻨﻈﺮ إﻟﻰ ﻋﻤﻠﻪ ﺑﺎﻋﺘﺒﺎرﻩ اآﺘﺸ ﺎﻓًﺎ ﻟﻮﺟ ﻮﻩ ﻋﺪﻳ ﺪة ﻟﺒﺮﻧ ﺎﻣﺞ اﻟﻜﺘ ﺎب اﻟﻘ ﻮﻣﻰ‪.‬‬ ‫وﻟﻘ ﺪ آﺎﻧ ﺖ إﺣ ﺪى ﻣﺠﻤﻮﻋ ﺎت اﻷﺳ ﺌﻠﺔ اﻟﺘ ﻰ ﺗﻮﺻ ﻞ إﻟﻴﻬ ﺎ ﻓﺮﻳ ﻖ اﻟﺘﻘﻴ ﻴﻢ اﻟﻘ ﻮﻣﻰ ﺗﺘﻨ ﺎول ﻣﻮﺿ ﻮﻋﺎت ﺗﺘﻌﻠ ﻖ‬ ‫ﺑﺘﺼﻤﻴﻢ اﻟﺒﺮﻧﺎﻣﺞ وادارة اﻟﻤﺸﺮوع‪ .‬وآﺎﻧﺖ أﺳﺌﻠﺔ اﻟﺘﻮﺟﻴﻪ ﻓﻰ إﻃﺎر هﺬا اﻟﺴﻴﺎق ﻣﻦ اﻟﺒﺤﺚ ﺗﺘﻀﻤﻦ‪:‬‬ ‫ﻣﺎ هﻰ دﻳﻨﺎﻣﻴﺎت ﻋﻤﻠﻴﺔ اﻹدارة واﻟﺘﻨﻔﻴﺬ وآﻴﻒ أﺳﻬﻢ ﺗﺪاﺧﻞ اﻷدوار ﺑﻴﻦ اﻷﻓﺮاد واﻟﻤﺆﺳﺴ ﺎت )ﺣﻜﻮﻣﻴ ﺔ‪ ،‬ﻏﻴ ﺮ ﺣﻜﻮﻣﻴ ﺔ وﺷ ﺮآﺎت‬ ‫ﺧﺎﺻﺔ( ﻓﻰ ﻧﺠﺎح هﺬا اﻟﺒﺮﻧﺎﻣﺞ؟ آﻴﻒ أدت اﻟﻘﺮارات اﻟﻤﺨﺘﻠﻔﺔ إﻟﻰ ﻧﺘﺎﺋﺞ ﻣﺨﺘﻠﻔﺔ؟ وﻣﺎ هﻰ ﻗﺮارات واﺟﺮاءات اﻻدارة اﻟﻤﻄﻠﻮﺑﺔ ﻣ ﻦ أﺟ ﻞ‬ ‫اﻟﺒﻨﺎء ﻋﻠﻰ ﻣﺎ ﺣﻘﻘﻪ ﺑﺮﻧﺎﻣﺞ اﻟﻜﺘﺎب اﻟﻘﻮﻣﻰ؟‬ ‫إن ﺗﺰاﻳﺪ أﻋﺪاد اﻟﻜﺘﺐ ﻓﻰ ﻣﻜﺘﺒﺎت اﻟﻤﺪارس ﺳﻴﻜﻮن ﻟﻪ ﺗﺄﺛﻴﺮ ﺿﺌﻴﻞ ﻋﻠ ﻰ ﺗﻌﺰﻳ ﺰ اﻟﻘ ﺮاءة إذا ﻟ ﻢ ﻳ ﺮى‬ ‫اﻷﻃﻔﺎل واﻟﺸﺒﺎب ﻓﻰ هﺬﻩ اﻟﻜﺘﺐ أﻧﻬﺎ ﺷ ﻰء ﻣﻤﺘ ﻊ وﻣﺠ ﺰى‪ .‬وآﺎﻧ ﺖ هﻨ ﺎك ﻣﺠﻤﻮﻋ ﺔ ﺛﺎﻧﻴ ﺔ ﻣ ﻦ اﻷﺳ ﺌﻠﺔ اﻟﺘ ﻰ‬ ‫ﺗﻮﺻﻞ إﻟﻴﻬﺎ اﻟﻔﺮﻳﻖ ﺗﺘﻌﻠﻖ ﺑﻜﻴﻒ ﺗﻢ ﺗﺤﺪﻳﺪ ﻣﻼءﻣﺔ اﻟﻜﺘﺐ وأى ﻣﻌﺎﻳﻴﺮ وﺿ ﻌﺖ ﻟﻬ ﺬﻩ اﻟﻤﻼءﻣ ﺔ‪ ،‬ﺳ ﺎهﻤﺖ ﻓ ﻰ‬ ‫اﻟﻨﺠﺎح اﻟﺸﺎﻣﻞ ﻟﻌﻤﻠﻴﺔ اﺧﺘﻴﺎر اﻟﻜﺘﺐ‪ .‬وﻟﻘﺪ ﺗﻀﻤﻨﺖ أﺳﺌﻠﺔ اﻟﺘﻮﺟﻴﻪ ﻓﻰ إﻃﺎر هﺬا اﻟﺴﻴﺎق ﻣﻦ اﻟﺒﺤﺚ ﻣﺎ ﻳﻠﻰ‪:‬‬ ‫ﻣﺎ هﻰ ﻃﺒﻴﻌﺔ ﻣﻼءﻣﺔ اﻟﻜﺘﺐ آﻤﺎ ﺗﻢ ﺗﺤﺪﻳﺪهﺎ ﺑﻮاﺳﻄﺔ ﻣﺼﻤﻤﻰ اﻟﺒﺮﻧﺎﻣﺞ واﻟﻤﻨﻔﺬﻳﻦ؟ وآﻴ ﻒ ﻳﻘ ﺎرن ﻣ ﺎ ﻳﺴ ﺘﻨﺒﻂ ﻣ ﻦ ه ﺬﻩ اﻟﻤﻼءﻣ ﺔ‬ ‫ﻣﻊ اﻟﻤﻌﺎﻳﻴﺮ اﻟﻘﻮﻣﻴﺔ )اﻟﻤﺼﺮﻳﺔ( واﻟﺪوﻟﻴ ﺔ ﻟﻠﻤﻼءﻣ ﺔ واﻟﻤﻮاءﻣ ﺔ؟ وآﻴ ﻒ ﺷ ﻜﻠﺖ ﻣﻌ ﺎﻳﻴﺮ اﻟﻤﻼءﻣ ﺔ ﻋﻤﻠﻴ ﺔ اﺧﺘﻴ ﺎر اﻟﻜﺘ ﺐ؟ وﻣ ﺎ اﻟ ﺬى ﻳﺠ ﺐ‬ ‫ﻋﻤﻠﻪ ﺣﺘﻰ ﻳﻤﻜﻦ اﻋﻄﺎء ﻣﺰﻳﺪ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺘﻮﺿﻴﺢ ﻟﻜﻠﻤﺔ "ﻣﻼءﻣﺔ"؟‬ ‫وﻟﻘﺪ ﻓﻄﻦ ﻓﺮﻳﻖ اﻟﺘﻘﻴﻴﻢ ﻟﻠﺪور اﻟﻬﺎم اﻟﺬى ﺗﻠﻌﺒﻪ ﺻﻨﺎﻋﺔ اﻟﻨﺸﺮ اﻟﻤﺘﺬﺑﺬﺑﺔ ﻓﻰ ﻣﺴﺎﻧﺪة ﺛﻘﺎﻓﺔ اﻟﻘ ﺮاءة‪ .‬وﻣ ﻦ‬ ‫ﺧ ﻼل اﻟﻤﺴ ﺎهﻤﺔ ﻓ ﻰ ﺑﺮﻧ ﺎﻣﺞ اﻟﻜﺘ ﺎب اﻟﻘ ﻮﻣﻰ‪ ،‬ﻃﻠ ﺐ ﻣ ﻦ اﻟﻨﺎﺷ ﺮﻳﻦ أن ﻳﻘﻮﻣ ﻮا ﺑﺎﻧﺘ ﺎج ﻣﻌ ﺪل ﻃﺒﺎﻋ ﺔ ﻳ ﻮازى‬ ‫ﺧﻤﺲ أو ﺳﺖ ﻣﺮات ﻣﻌﺪﻻﺗﻬﻢ اﻟﻤﻌﺘﺎدة وأن ﻳﻘﻮﻣﻮا ﺑ ﺬﻟﻚ ﻓ ﻰ وﻗ ﺖ ﻣﺤ ﺪد ﺟ ﺪًا‪ .‬وﻟﻘ ﺪ أرﻏ ﻢ ﺑﺮﻧ ﺎﻣﺞ اﻟﻜﺘ ﺎب‬ ‫اﻟﻘﻮﻣﻰ اﻟﻨﺎﺷﺮﻳﻦ ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﻌﻤﻞ ﺑﻤﺴﺘﻮﻳﺎت ﺟﺪﻳﺪة ﻣﻦ اﻻﻧﺘﺎج واﻟﺠ ﻮدة واﻟﻜﻔ ﺎءة‪ .‬وآﺎﻧ ﺖ هﻨ ﺎك ﻣﺠﻤﻮﻋ ﺔ ﺛﺎﻟﺜ ﺔ‬ ‫ﻣﻦ اﻷﺳﺌﻠﺔ اﻟﺘﻰ ﻗﺎم ﻓﺮﻳﻖ اﻟﺘﻘﻴﻴﻢ ﺑﺎﻟﺘﻮﺻﻞ إﻟﻴﻬﺎ وﺗﺘﻌﻠﻖ ﺑﺘﺄﺛﻴﺮ اﻟﺒﺮﻧﺎﻣﺞ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺻﻨﺎﻋﺔ اﻟﻨﺸ ﺮ اﻟﻤﺼ ﺮﻳﺔ‪ .‬وﻗ ﺪ‬ ‫ﺗﻀﻤﻨﺖ أﺳﺌﻠﺔ اﻟﺘﻮﺟﻴﻪ ﻓﻰ اﻃﺎر هﺬا اﻟﺴﻴﺎق ﻣﺎ ﻳﻠﻰ‪:‬‬ ‫ﻣﺎ هﻮ اﻟﺘﺄﺛﻴﺮ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺻﻨﺎﻋﺔ اﻟﻨﺸﺮ اﻟﻤﺼ ﺮﻳﺔ؟ ﻣ ﺎ ه ﻰ اﻟﻘ ﺪرات واﻷﺳ ﻮاق واﻟﻌﻤﻠﻴ ﺎت اﻟﺠﺪﻳ ﺪة اﻟﺘ ﻰ ﺗ ﻢ ﺗﻄﻮﻳﺮه ﺎ آﻨﺘﻴﺠ ﺔ ﻣﺒﺎﺷ ﺮة‬ ‫ﻟﻤﺴﺎهﻤﺔ اﻟﻨﺎﺷﺮﻳﻦ اﻟﻤﺼﺮﻳﻴﻦ ﻓﻰ ﺑﺮﻧﺎﻣﺞ اﻟﻜﺘﺎب اﻟﻘﻮﻣﻰ؟ آﻴﻒ أدت اﻟﻤﺸ ﺎرآﺔ ﻓ ﻰ ﺑﺮﻧ ﺎﻣﺞ اﻟﻜﺘ ﺎب اﻟﻘ ﻮﻣﻰ ﻟﺠﻌ ﻞ اﻟﻨﺎﺷ ﺮﻳﻦ اﻟﻤﺼ ﺮﻳﻴﻦ‬ ‫أآﺜﺮ ﺗﻨﺎﻓﺴﻴﺔ ﻓﻰ اﻷﺳﻮاق اﻷﻗﻠﻴﻤﻴﺔ؟ ﻣﺎ هﻰ اﻟﺘﺤﺪﻳﺎت اﻟﻤﺘﺒﻘﻴﺔ ﺑﺎﻟﻨﺴﺒﺔ ﻟﻤﺴﺘﻘﺒﻞ اﻟﻨﺎﺷﺮﻳﻦ اﻟﻤﺼﺮﻳﻴﻦ؟‬ ‫وﻟﻘﺪ ﻓﻄﻦ ﻓﺮﻳﻖ اﻟﺘﻘﻴﻴﻢ إﻟﻰ أن اﻻﺧﺘﻴﺎر اﻟﻨﻬﺎﺋﻰ ﻟﻤﺪاﺧﻠ ﺔ اﻟﻨﺸ ﺮ ﻋﻠ ﻰ ﻧﻄ ﺎق واﺳ ﻊ آﻤ ﺎ ﺣ ﺪث ﺑﺎﻟﻨﺴ ﺒﺔ‬ ‫ﻟﻤﺸﺮوع اﻟﻜﺘﺎب اﻟﻘﻮﻣﻰ‪ ،‬ﻟﻴﺲ ﻓﻘﻂ ﺟﻮدة ﻣﺪﺧﻼﺗﻪ وﻟﻜﻦ أﻳﻀًﺎ درﺟﺔ ﺗﺄﺛﻴﺮﻩ ﻋﻠﻰ أﺣ ﺪ ﻗﻄﺎﻋ ﺎت اﻟﺪوﻟ ﺔ اﻟﺘ ﻰ‬ ‫ﺗﻌﻨﻰ اﻟﻜﺜﻴﺮ ﺑﺎﻟﻨﺴﺒﺔ ﻟﻼزدهﺎر اﻟﻤﺴﺘﻘﺒﻠﻰ ﻟﻤﺼﺮ وﻧﻌﻨﻰ اﻷﻃﻔﺎل واﻟﺸﺒﺎب‪ .‬وآﺎﻧﺖ هﻨﺎك ﻣﺠﻤﻮﻋﺔ راﺑﻌﺔ ﻣ ﻦ‬ ‫اﻷﺳﺌﻠﺔ اﻟﺘﻰ اﺳﺘﻄﺎع اﻟﻔﺮﻳﻖ اﻟﺘﻮﺻﻞ إﻟﻴﻬ ﺎ وﺗﺘﻌﻠ ﻖ ﺑﺘ ﺄﺛﻴﺮ ﺑﺮﻧ ﺎﻣﺞ اﻟﻜﺘ ﺎب اﻟﻘ ﻮﻣﻰ ﻋﻠ ﻰ ﻣﺴ ﺘﻮى اﻟﻤﺪرﺳ ﺔ‪.‬‬ ‫وﻗﺪ ﺗﻀﻤﻨﺖ أﺳﺌﻠﺔ اﻟﺘﻮﺟﻴﻪ ﻓﻰ اﻃﺎر هﺬا اﻟﺴﻴﺎق ﻣﻦ اﻟﺒﺤﺚ ﻣﺎ ﻳﻠﻰ‪:‬‬ ‫‪Page 42‬‬ ‫‪Juarez and Associates, Inc.‬‬ ‫‪2008‬‬ ‫‪FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT‬‬ ‫‪NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS‬‬ ‫ﻣﺎ هﻮ ﺗﺄﺛﻴﺮ ﺑﺮﻧﺎﻣﺞ اﻟﻜﺘﺎب اﻟﻘﻮﻣﻰ ﻋﻠﻰ اﻷﻃﻔﺎل وﻋﻠﻰ ﻣﺪرﺳﻴﻬﻢ وﻋﻠﻰ أﻣﻨﺎء اﻟﻤﻜﺘﺒﺔ واﻟﻤﺪرﺳ ﺔ؟ وﻣ ﺎ ه ﻮ اﻟﻤﻄﻠ ﻮب ﻋﻤﻠ ﻪ‬ ‫ﻓﻰ اﻟﻤﺴﺘﻘﺒﻞ ﻟﻠﺒﻨﺎء ﻋﻠﻰ هﺬﻩ اﻟﺨﻄﻮات اﻟﻬﺎﻣﺔ؟‬ ‫وﻓﻰ ﺳﺒﻴﻞ اﻟﺒﺤﺚ ﻋﻦ اﺟﺎﺑﺎت ﻟﻬﺬﻩ اﻷﺳ ﺌﻠﺔ اﻟﻬﺎﻣ ﺔ واﻟﺤﻴﻮﻳ ﺔ‪ ،‬ﻗﻀ ﻰ ﻓﺮﻳ ﻖ اﻟﺘﻘﻴ ﻴﻢ ﺧﻤ ﺲ أﺳ ﺎﺑﻴﻊ ﻓ ﻰ‬ ‫ﺗﻤﺤﻴﺺ وﺛﺎﺋﻖ اﻟﺒﺮﻧﺎﻣﺞ وﻋﻘﺪ ﻟﻘ ﺎءات ﻣ ﻊ ﻣ ﺎ ﻳﺰﻳ ﺪ ﻋﻠ ﻰ ﺛﻼﺛ ﻴﻦ ﺷﺨﺼ ًﺎ ﻣﻤ ﻦ آﺎﻧ ﺖ ﻟﻬ ﻢ أدوار ﻣ ﺆﺛﺮة ﻓ ﻰ‬ ‫ﺗﺼ ﻤﻴﻢ وﺗﻨﻔﻴ ﺬ ه ﺬا اﻟﺒﺮﻧ ﺎﻣﺞ‪ .‬وﻟﻘ ﺪ راﺟ ﻊ ﻓﺮﻳ ﻖ اﻟﺘﻘ ﻮﻳﻢ آﻤ ﺎ ﺣﻠ ﻞ اﻟﻜﺘ ﺐ اﻟﻤﺨﺘ ﺎرة ﻣ ﻦ ﻣﺠﻤﻮﻋ ﺎت اﻟﻜﺘ ﺐ‬ ‫اﻷرﺑﻊ اﻟﺘﻰ أﻧﺘﺠﻬﺎ ﺑﺮﻧﺎﻣﺞ اﻟﻜﺘﺎب اﻟﻘﻮﻣﻰ‪ .‬وﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﺮﻏﻢ ﻣ ﻦ وﻗ ﻮع ﺗﻮﻗﻴ ﺖ ه ﺬﻩ اﻟﺪراﺳ ﺔ ﻣ ﻊ ﺗﻮﻗﻴ ﺖ ﻣﻮﺳ ﻢ‬ ‫اﻻﺟﺎزات وﺷﻬﺮ رﻣﻀﺎن‪ ،‬إﻻ أن ﻓﺮﻳﻖ اﻟﺘﻘﻴﻴﻢ اﺳﺘﻄﺎع زﻳﺎرة ‪ 19‬ﻣﺪرﺳﺔ ﻓ ﻰ ﺧﻤ ﺲ ﻣﺤﺎﻓﻈ ﺎت ﻓ ﻰ اﻟﻮﺟ ﻪ‬ ‫اﻟﻘﺒﻠ ﻰ واﻟﻮﺟ ﻪ اﻟﺒﺤ ﺮى ﻓ ﻰ ﻣﺼ ﺮ ﻟﻼﻃ ﻼع ﻋﻠ ﻰ أﺣ ﻮال اﻟﻤﻜﺘﺒ ﺎت اﻟﻤﺪرﺳ ﻴﺔ وﻋﻘ ﺪ ﻟﻘ ﺎءات ﻣ ﻊ أﻣﻨ ﺎء‬ ‫اﻟﻤﻜﺘﺒﺎت واﻟﻤﺪرﺳﻴﻦ وﻣﺪﻳﺮى اﻟﻤﺪارس وآﺬﻟﻚ ﻋﻘﺪ ﻟﻘﺎءات ﻣ ﻊ ﻣ ﺎ ﻳﻘ ﺮب ﻣ ﻦ ‪ 100‬ﻃﻔ ﻞ‪ .‬وﻟ ﻢ ﻳﻜ ﻦ ﻳﻘﺼ ﺪ‬ ‫ﺑﻬ ﺬﻩ اﻟﻤ ﺪارس أن ﺗﻜ ﻮن ﻋﻴﻨ ﺎت اﺣﺼ ﺎﺋﻴﺔ‪ ،‬وﻟﻜ ﻦ آ ﺎن ﻳﻘﺼ ﺪ ﺑﻬ ﺎ أآﺜ ﺮ وﻋﻠ ﻰ وﺟ ﻪ اﻟﺨﺼ ﻮص أن ﺗﻜ ﻮن‬ ‫ﻧﻤﺎذج ﻟﻤﻮاﻗﻊ آﺎن ﻟﻤﻮاد ﺑﺮﻧﺎﻣﺞ اﻟﻜﺘﺎب اﻟﻘﻮﻣﻰ ﺗﺄﺛﻴﺮ ﻋﻠﻴﻬ ﺎ ﺑﺎﻟﻔﻌ ﻞ‪ .‬وﻟﻘ ﺪ آ ﺎن ه ﺪﻓﻨﺎ اﻟﻘ ﺎء اﻟﻀ ﻮء ﻋﻠ ﻰ ﻣ ﺎ‬ ‫ﻳﻤﻜﻦ ﻋﻤﻠﻪ وآﺬﻟﻚ اﻟﺘﻌﺮف ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﻌﻮاﺋﻖ اﻟﺘﻰ ﺗﻘﻒ ﺣﺠﺮ ﻋﺜ ﺮة ﻓ ﻰ ﺳ ﺒﻴﻞ ﺗﺤﻘﻴ ﻖ اﻟﺘﻔﻌﻴ ﻞ اﻟﻜﺎﻣ ﻞ ﻟﻼﺳ ﺘﻔﺎدة‬ ‫ﻣ ﻦ ه ﺬﻩ اﻟﻤﺠﻤﻮﻋ ﺎت اﻟﻤﻜﺘﺒﻴ ﺔ‪ ،‬وأن ﻧﺴ ﺘﻤﻊ ﻣ ﻦ أﻣﻨ ﺎء اﻟﻤﻜﺘﺒ ﺎت واﻟﻤﺪرﺳ ﻴﻦ ﻋ ﻦ آﻴﻔﻴ ﺔ ﺗﻐﻠ ﺒﻬﻢ ﻋﻠ ﻰ ه ﺬﻩ‬ ‫اﻟﻌﻮاﺋﻖ‪ .‬وﻟﻘﺪ آﺎﻧﺖ زﻳ ﺎرات دراﺳ ﺔ اﻟﺤﺎﻟ ﺔ ه ﺬﻩ ﻣﻔﻴ ﺪة أﻳﻀ ًﺎ ﻣ ﻦ ﺣﻴ ﺚ أﻧﻬ ﺎ أﻇﻬ ﺮت اﻟﻤﻮﺿ ﻮﻋﺎت اﻟﻬﺎﻣ ﺔ‬ ‫اﻟﺘﻰ ﻻ ﺗﺰال ﻗﺎﺋﻤﺔ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻣﺴﺘﻮى اﻟﻤﺪرﺳﺔ واﻟﻤﺠﺘﻤﻊ‪.‬‬ ‫وﻟﻘﺪ اﺳﺘﻄﻠﻊ ﻓﺮﻳﻖ اﻟﺘﻘﻴﻴﻢ اﻟﻤﻮﻗﻒ ﺑﺎﻟﻨﺴﺒﺔ ﻟﻜﻞ هﺬﻩ اﻟﻤﺠ ﺎﻻت ﻓ ﻰ ﺑﺮﻧ ﺎﻣﺞ اﻟﻜﺘ ﺎب اﻟﻘ ﻮﻣﻰ‪ ،‬ووﺟ ﺪ أن‬ ‫ﻟﻬﺎ ﺗﺄﺛﻴﺮًا هﺎﻣًﺎ‪ .‬وﻧﺬآﺮ ﻣﻦ ﺑﻴﻦ اﻟﻨﺘﺎﺋﺞ اﻟﺮﺋﻴﺴﻴﺔ‪:‬‬ ‫• ﺗﻢ اﻧﺘﺎج ﻋﺪد هﺎم ﻣﻦ اﻟﻜﺘﺐ اﻟﺠﺪﻳﺪة وﺗﻢ ﺗﻮزﻳﻌﻬﺎ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻣﺪارس اﻟﺘﻌﻠﻴﻢ اﻟﻌﺎم‪.‬‬ ‫• ﺗﻢ ﺗﻌﺰﻳﺰ ﻗﺪرات اﻟﻨﺎﺷﺮﻳﻦ اﻟﻤﺼﺮﻳﻴﻦ ﺑﺼﻮرة آﺒﻴﺮة ‪.‬‬ ‫• ﺗﻢ ﺗﻌﺰﻳﺰ ﻗﺪرات أﻣﻨﺎء اﻟﻤﻜﺘﺒﺎت واﻟﻤﺪرﺳﻴﻦ ﺑﺼﻮرة آﺒﻴﺮة‪ ،‬و‬ ‫• ﺗﻢ ﺗﻌﺰﻳﺰ آﻔﺎءة ﻣﺸﺘﺮوات اﻟﻘﻄﺎع اﻟﺨﺎص ﻟﻠﻜﺘﺎب ﺑﺼﻮرة آﺒﻴﺮة‪.‬‬ ‫وﺗﻌﺪ هﺬﻩ اﻻﻧﺠﺎزات ﻣﺆﺛﺮة‪ .‬وﻓ ﻰ ﻣﻌ ﺮض ﺗﺤﻠﻴ ﻞ اﻵﺛ ﺎر اﻟﻤﺴ ﺘﺪاﻣﺔ ﻟﻬ ﺬﻩ اﻟﻤﺒ ﺎدرة‪ ،‬وﺟ ﺪ ﻓﺮﻳ ﻖ اﻟﺘﻘﻴ ﻴﻢ‬ ‫أدﻟ ﺔ ﻣﺸ ﺠﻌﺔ ﻋﻠ ﻰ أن ﻣﺸ ﺮوع اﻟﻜﺘ ﺎب اﻟﻘ ﻮﻣﻰ ﻗ ﺪ أﻓ ﺮز ﻧﺘ ﺎﺋﺞ ﺗﻤﺜﻠ ﺖ ﻓ ﻰ اﻟﺘ ﺄﺛﻴﺮ اﻟﻬ ﺎم ﻋﻠ ﻰ اﻟﻤﻨﺘﺠ ﺎت‬ ‫واﻟﻤﺆﺳﺴﺎت واﻟﺴﻴﺎﺳﺎت اﻟﺘﻰ ﺳﻮف ﺗﺤﺘﺎﺟﻬﺎ ﻣﺼﺮ ﻟﻜﻰ ﺗﺴﺘﻤﺮ ﻓﻰ ﻣﺘﺎﺑﻌﺔ اﻟﺠﻬﺪ ﻟﺨﻠﻖ أﻣﺔ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻘﺮاء‪ .‬وﻟﻘ ﺪ‬ ‫أوﺿﺤﺖ اﻷدﻟﺔ أﻳﻀًﺎ أن ﻣﻬﻤﺔ اﻧﺸﺎء أﻣﺔ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻘﺮاء ﻟﻢ ﺗﻜﺘﻤﻞ ﺑﻌﺪ‪ .‬ﻓﺎاﻟﻜﺘ ﺐ اﻟﺠﻴ ﺪة ﺗﺤﺘ ﻮى ﻓﻘ ﻂ ﻋﻠ ﻰ ﺑ ﺬور‬ ‫ﺧﻠﻖ ﻣﺴﺘﻘﺒﻞ ﺟﺪﻳﺪ وﻣﺨﺘﻠﻒ‪ .‬ﻓﺎﻟﻤﺨﺮﺟ ﺎت ﻟ ﻢ ﻳ ﺘﻢ ﺗﺄآﻴ ﺪهﺎ‪ ،‬وﻻزال هﻨ ﺎك اﻟﻜﺜﻴ ﺮ اﻟ ﺬى ﻳﺘﻮﺟ ﺐ ﻋﻤﻠ ﻪ‪ .‬وآﻤ ﺎ‬ ‫ﻳﺸﻴﺮ هﺬا اﻟﺘﻘﺮﻳﺮ ﻓﺈن ﺗﻌﺰﻳﺰ ودﻋﻢ أﻣﺔ ﻣ ﻦ اﻟﻘ ﺮاء ﻳﺘﻄﻠ ﺐ ﺗﻨﺴ ﻴﻖ اﻟ ﺪﻋﻢ ﻣ ﻦ ﻗﺒ ﻞ ﻧﻈ ﺎم اﻟﺘﻌﻠ ﻴﻢ واﻟﻤﻨﻈﻤ ﺎت‬ ‫ﻏﻴ ﺮ اﻟﺤﻜﻮﻣﻴ ﺔ واﻟﻤ ﺪارس واﻷﺳ ﺮ‪ .‬وﻧﻀ ﻴﻒ أﻳﻀ ًﺎ رﺟ ﺎل اﻷﻋﻤ ﺎل ووﺳ ﺎﺋﻞ اﻻﻋ ﻼم واﻟﻤﺠﺘﻤ ﻊ ﺑﺄﺳ ﺮﻩ‪.‬‬ ‫وإﺿ ﺎﻓﺔ إﻟ ﻰ ذﻟ ﻚ ﻓ ﺈن هﻨ ﺎك ﺣﺎﺟ ﺔ ﻟﻠﺴ ﻌﻰ ﻟﻠﺤﺼ ﻮل ﻋﻠ ﻰ اﻟ ﺪﻋﻢ اﻟﻤ ﺆﺛﺮ ﻣ ﻦ اﻟﻤﺠﺘﻤ ﻊ اﻟ ﺪوﻟﻰ ووآ ﺎﻻت‬ ‫اﻟﻤﺎﻧﺤﻴﻦ‪.‬‬ ‫وﻻ ﻳﻤﻜ ﻦ اﻏﻔ ﺎل أهﻤﻴ ﺔ ﻣ ﺎ ﻳﻘﺪﻣ ﻪ ﺑﺮﻧ ﺎﻣﺞ اﻟﻜﺘ ﺎب اﻟﻘ ﻮﻣﻰ ﻣ ﻦ إﻣﻜﺎﻧ ﺎت ﻣ ﻦ أﺟ ﻞ اﻟﺘﻨﺴ ﻴﻖ واﻟﺘﻜﺎﻣ ﻞ‬ ‫اﻟﻤﺴﺘﻤﺮ ﻓﻰ اﻃﺎر اﻷﻧﺸﻄﺔ اﻟﺘﻌﻠﻴﻤﻴ ﺔ اﻟﺘ ﻰ ﺗﻘ ﺪﻣﻬﺎ هﻴﺌ ﺔ اﻟﻤﻌﻮﻧ ﺔ اﻷﻣﺮﻳﻜﻴ ﺔ ﻓ ﻰ ﻣﺼ ﺮ‪ ،‬ﻋﻠ ﻰ اﻟ ﺮﻏﻢ ﻣ ﻦ أن‬ ‫ﻼ ﻋﻠﻰ أن اﻟﺒﺮﻧﺎﻣﺞ ﻗﺪ ﺗﻢ ﺗﺼﻤﻴﻤﻪ ﺑﺼﻮرة ﻣﻘﺼﻮدة ﻟﻜﻰ ﻳﺤﺪث ﺗﻜﺎﻣﻼً ﺑ ﻴﻦ اﻟﺒ ﺮاﻣﺞ‬ ‫ﻓﺮﻳﻖ اﻟﺘﻘﻴﻴﻢ ﻟﻢ ﻳﺠﺪ دﻟﻴ ً‬ ‫اﻟﺘﻌﻠﻴﻤﻴﺔ اﻟﺘﻰ ﺗﺘﻢ ﺑﺎﻟﺘﻌﺎون ﺑﻴﻦ اﻟﻤﻌﻮﻧﺔ اﻷﻣﺮﻳﻜﻴﺔ وﻣﺼﺮ‪ .‬ﻓﻤﻦ اﻟﻮاﺿﺢ أن ﻣﺸﺮوع ﺑﺮﻧﺎﻣﺞ اﻟﻜﺘﺎب اﻟﻘﻮﻣﻰ‬ ‫ﻗﺪ ﺗﺒﻊ ﻧﻔﺲ اﻟﺨﻄﻂ اﻟﻨﻈﺮﻳﺔ واﻻﺳﺘﺮاﺗﻴﺠﻴﺔ اﻟﺘﻰ ﺗﺒﻌﺘﻬﺎ اﻟﻤﻌﻮﻧﺔ اﻷﻣﺮﻳﻜﻴﺔ ﺑﺎﻟﻨﺴﺒﺔ ﻟﺘﻨﻔﻴﺬ ﺑ ﺮاﻣﺞ دﻋ ﻢ اﻟﺘﻌﻠ ﻴﻢ‬ ‫‪Page 43‬‬ ‫‪Juarez and Associates, Inc.‬‬ ‫‪2008‬‬ ‫‪FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT‬‬ ‫‪NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS‬‬ ‫وﻋﻠ ﻰ ﺳ ﺒﻴﻞ اﻟﻤﺜ ﺎل ﻓ ﺈن ﻣﺠﻤﻮﻋ ﺎت اﻟﻜﺘ ﺐ اﻟﺘ ﻰ وزﻋ ﺖ ﻋﻠ ﻰ ﺟﻤﻴ ﻊ اﻟﻤ ﺪارس ﻓ ﻰ ﻣﺼ ﺮ‪ ،‬ﻗ ﺪ ﻗ ﺪﻣﺖ‬ ‫اﻣﻜﺎﻧﺎت ﻗﻴﻤﺔ ﻣﻦ أﺟﻞ دﻋﻢ ﺑﺮاﻣﺞ اﻟﺘﻨﻤﻴﺔ اﻟﻤﻬﻨﻴﺔ اﻟﺤﺎﻟﻴﺔ واﻟﻤﺴﺘﻘﺒﻠﻴﺔ اﻟﺘﻰ ﺗ ﺘﻢ ﺑﺮﻋﺎﻳ ﺔ ﻣ ﻦ ﺑﺮﻧ ﺎﻣﺞ اﻟﻤﻌﻮﻧ ﺔ‬ ‫وﺑﺮﻧ ﺎﻣﺞ ﺗﺤﺴ ﻴﻦ ﻣﺨﺮﺟ ﺎت اﻟ ﺘﻌﻠﻢ )‪(ERP‬اﻷﻣﺮﻳﻜﻴﺔ‪ .‬وﻗﺪ ﻋﺒﺮ رؤﺳﺎء اﻷﻗﺴﺎم ﻓﻰ ﺑﺮﻧﺎﻣﺞ ﺗﻄﻮﻳﺮ اﻟﺘﻌﻠﻴﻢ‬ ‫ﻋﻦ اهﺘﻤﺎﻣﻬﻢ ﺑﺎﺳﺘﺨﺪام ﻣﺠﻤﻮﻋﺔ اﻟﻜﺘﺐ آﺄﺳﺎس ﻟﺒﺮﻧﺎﻣﺠﻬﻢ اﻟﺨﺎص ﺑﺎﻟﺘﻨﻤﻴﺔ اﻟﻤﻬﻨﻴﺔ‪ .‬وﻗﺪ )‪(GILO‬ﻟﻠﻔﺘﻴﺎت‬ ‫‪ master‬ﻋ ﻦ اهﺘﻤﺎﻣ ﻪ ﺑﺈﻣﻜﺎﻧﻴ ﺔ اﺳ ﺘﺨﺪام آ ﺎدر اﻟﻤ ﺪرب اﻟﺮﺋﻴﺴ ﻰ )‪(GILO‬ﻋﺒ ﺮ رﺋ ﻴﺲ ﻗﺴ ﻢ ﺑﺮﻧ ﺎﻣﺞ‬ ‫‪ ،‬اﻟﺬى ﺗﻢ ﺗﻘﺪﻳﻤﻪ ﻣﻦ ﺧﻼل ﺑﺮﻧﺎﻣﺞ اﻟﻜﺘﺎب اﻟﻘﻮﻣﻰ‪ ،‬وذﻟﻚ ﻓﻰ أﻧﺸﻄﺔ ﻣﻨﺎﺻﺮة ﻣﺤﻮ اﻷﻣﻴﺔ‪trainer.‬‬ ‫وﺑﺸﻜﻞ ﻧﻬﺎﺋﻰ ﻓﻘ ﺪ اﻋﺘﻤ ﺪ ﻧﺠ ﺎح ﺑﺮﻧ ﺎﻣﺞ اﻟﻜﺘ ﺎب اﻟﻘ ﻮﻣﻰ ﻋﻠ ﻰ آﻴﻔﻴ ﺔ اﻻﺳ ﺘﻔﺎدة ﻣ ﻦ ه ﺬﻩ اﻟﻜﺘ ﺐ ﺑﺼ ﻮرة‬ ‫ﺟﻴﺪة‪ .‬ﻓﺈﺣﺪاث ﺗﻐﻴﻴ ﺮ ﻓ ﻰ اﻟﻤﻮاﻗ ﻒ واﻟﻌ ﺎدات اﻟﻘﻮﻣﻴ ﺔ ﻟ ﻴﺲ ﺑ ﺎﻷﻣﺮ اﻷآﺜ ﺮ ﺻ ﻌﻮﺑﺔ أو اﻷﻣ ﺮ اﻷآﺜ ﺮ ﺳ ﻬﻮﻟﺔ‬ ‫ﻻ‪ .‬ﻓ ﺎﻟﻤﻮاﻗﻒ اﻻﻳﺠﺎﺑﻴ ﺔ‬ ‫ﻣﻘﺎرﻧﺔ ﺑﺘﻐﻴﻴﺮ ﻣﻮاﻗ ﻒ اﻷﻓ ﺮاد وﻋ ﺎداﺗﻬﻢ‪ .‬ﻓﻜ ﻼ اﻷﻣ ﺮﻳﻦ ﻳﺴ ﺘﻐﺮق وﻗﺘ ًﺎ‪ ،‬ورﺑﻤ ﺎ أﺟﻴ ﺎ ً‬ ‫ﺗﻨﺒ ﻊ ﺑﺼ ﻮرة ﻣﺘﻮﻗﻌ ﺔ ﻣ ﻦ اﻻﻋﺘﻘ ﺎد اﻟﺮاﺳ ﺦ ﺑ ﺄن اﻟﺘﻐﻴﻴ ﺮ ﺳ ﻴﻜﻮن ﻣﺠﺰﻳ ًﺎ‪ .‬وﻣ ﻦ اﻟﺴ ﺎﺑﻖ ﻷواﻧ ﻪ أن ﻧﻘ ﻮل أن‬ ‫ﺑﺮﻧ ﺎﻣﺞ اﻟﻜﺘ ﺎب اﻟﻘ ﻮﻣﻰ ﻗ ﺪ ﻧﺠ ﺢ ﻣ ﻦ ﺣﻴ ﺚ ﺗﺤﻘﻴ ﻖ هﺪﻓ ﻪ اﻟﺸ ﺎﻣﻞ‪ .‬وﻳﺘﻀ ﻤﻦ ه ﺬا اﻟﺘﻘﺮﻳ ﺮ ﻣﺠﻤﻮﻋ ﺔ ﻣ ﻦ‬ ‫اﻟﺘﻮﺻﻴﺎت اﻟﺘﻰ اﻋﺘﻤ ﺪ اﻟﻔﺮﻳ ﻖ ﻓ ﻰ ﺻ ﻴﺎﻏﺘﻬﺎ ﻋﻠ ﻰ اﻷﺷ ﺨﺎص اﻟ ﺬﻳﻦ ﺗﻤ ﺖ ﻣﻘ ﺎﺑﻠﺘﻬﻢ‪ .‬وﺗﺒ ﺪو ه ﺬﻩ اﻟﺘﻮﺻ ﻴﺎت‬ ‫هﺎﻣﺔ ﻣﻦ ﺣﻴﺚ اﺗﺠﺎهﻬﺎ ﻟﺘﺤﻘﻴﻖ اﻟﻬﺪف اﻟﺒﻌﻴﺪ اﻟﻤﺪى ‪ .‬وﻣﻦ ﺑﻴﻦ اﻟﻔﻘﺮات اﻷآﺜ ﺮ أهﻤﻴ ﺔ واﻟﻘﺎﺑﻠ ﺔ ﻟﻠﺘﻨﻔﻴ ﺬ ﻧ ﻮرد‬ ‫ﻣﺎ ﻳﻠﻰ‪:‬‬ ‫• ﻳﺠﺐ اﻳﻼء اﻻهﺘﻤﺎم ﻟﺘﻄﻮﻳﺮ اﻟﺒﺮاﻣﺞ اﻟﺘﻰ ﺗ ﺆدى إﻟ ﻰ اﺿ ﻔﺎء ﺻ ﻔﺔ اﻟﻤﻬﻨﻴ ﺔ ﻋﻠ ﻰ ﻋﻤ ﻞ أﻣ ﻴﻦ ‪/‬‬ ‫أﻣﻴﻨﺔ ﻣﻜﺘﺒﺔ اﻟﻤﺪرﺳﺔ‪.‬‬ ‫• ﻳﺠﺐ أن ﻳﻜﻮن ﻓﻰ آﻞ ﻣﺪرﺳﺔ ﻓﻰ ﻣﺼ ﺮ أﻣ ﻴﻦ ‪ /‬أﻣﻴﻨ ﺔ ﻣﻜﺘﺒ ﺔ ﻣﺆه ﻞ ﺗﻜ ﻮن ﻣﺴ ﺌﻮﻟﻴﺘﻪ اﻟﻮﺣﻴ ﺪة‬ ‫ﺗﻘﺪﻳﻢ اﻟﺨﺪﻣﺎت اﻟﻤﻜﺘﺒﻴﺔ وﻟﻴﺲ اﻟﺘﺪرﻳﺲ‪.‬‬ ‫• ﻳﺠﺐ أن ﺗﻜﻮن اﻟﺒﺮاﻣﺞ اﻟﺘﻌﻠﻴﻤﻴﺔ ﻟﻠﻤﻌﻠﻤﻴﻦ ﻗﺒﻞ وأﺛﻨﺎء اﻟﺨﺪﻣﺔ ﻣﺘﻀﻤﻨﺔ ﺑﺮﻧﺎﻣﺠًﺎ ﺣﻮل ﻣﺘﻄﻠﺒ ﺎت‬ ‫اﻷﻃﻔﺎل واﻟﻤﺮاهﻘﻴﻦ ﻓﻰ ﻣﺠﺎل اﻷدب‪.‬‬ ‫• ادراك أن اﻷﻃﻔﺎل ﻳﻤﻴﻠﻮن ﻻﺗﺒﺎع اﻟﻤﺜﻞ اﻟ ﺬى ﻳﻀ ﻌﻪ اﻟﺒ ﺎﻟﻐﻮن ﻟﻬ ﻢ‪ ،‬وﻳﺠ ﺐ ﻋﻠ ﻰ اﻟﻤ ﺪارس أن‬ ‫ﺗﺮﺳ ﻰ ﻣﺒ ﺪأ اﻷﻧﺸ ﻄﺔ اﻟﺨﺎﺻ ﺔ ﺑ ﺎﻟﻘﺮاءة ﻟﻠﻤﺪرﺳ ﺔ ﺑﺄآﻤﻠﻬ ﺎ‪ .‬آ ﺬﻟﻚ ﻳﺠ ﺐ أن ﻳﻜ ﻮن ﻟﻶﺑ ﺎء‬ ‫واﻟﻤﺪرﺳﻴﻦ ﺣﻀﻮر آﻤﺸﺎرآﻴﻦ ﻓﻰ هﺬﻩ اﻷﻧﺸﻄﺔ‪.‬‬ ‫• ﻳﺠ ﺐ اﺟ ﺮاء اﻟﺒﺤ ﻮث ﻓ ﻰ ﻣﺠ ﺎل اﻟﻘ ﺮاءة ﺑﺎﻟﻠﻐ ﺔ اﻟﻌﺮﺑﻴ ﺔ ﻓﻤﻌﻈ ﻢ ﻣﻌ ﺎﻳﻴﺮ اﻟﻤﻼءﻣ ﺔ اﻟﺘ ﻰ ﺗ ﻢ‬ ‫ﺗﻄﻮﻳﺮه ﺎ ﻟﺒﺮﻧ ﺎﻣﺞ اﻟﻜﺘ ﺎب اﻟﻘ ﻮﻣﻰ ﺗﻔﺘﻘ ﺮ إﻟ ﻰ أﺳ ﺎس اﻟ ﺪﻟﻴﻞ اﻟﻌﻤﻠ ﻰ‪ .‬ﻓﻬ ﺬﻩ اﻟﻤﻌ ﺎﻳﻴﺮ ﻓ ﻰ ﺣﺎﺟ ﺔ‬ ‫ﻟﻤﺰﻳﺪ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻤﺮاﺟﻌﺔ ﻣﻘﺎرﻧﺔ ﺑﺎﻟﻤﻌ ﺎﻳﻴﺮ اﻟﺪوﻟﻴ ﺔ ﺣﺘ ﻰ ﻳﻤﻜ ﻦ ﻟﻠﻄ ﻼب اﻟﻤﺼ ﺮﻳﻴﻦ أن ﻳﻘ ﺮأوا آﺘﺒ ًﺎ‬ ‫ﻣﻘﺎرﻧ ﺔ ﺑﻤ ﺎ ﻳﻘ ﺮأﻩ ﻧﻈ ﺮاﺋﻬﻢ ﻣ ﻦ ﻧﻔ ﺲ اﻟﺸ ﺮﻳﺤﺔ اﻟﻌﻤﺮﻳ ﺔ ﻓ ﻰ أوروﺑ ﺎ وﺷ ﻤﺎل أﻣﺮﻳﻜ ﺎ وﺁﺳ ﻴﺎ‪.‬‬ ‫وﺗﺘﻤﺜ ﻞ إﺣ ﺪى اﻟﻌﻘﺒ ﺎت اﻟﺮﺋﻴﺴ ﻴﺔ اﻟﺘ ﻰ ﺗﻌ ﻮق ﺗﺤﻘﻴ ﻖ اﻻﺳ ﺘﺨﺪام اﻟﻤ ﺆﺛﺮ ﻟﻤﻜﺘﺒ ﺔ اﻟﻤﺪرﺳ ﺔ‪ ،‬ﻓ ﻰ‬ ‫ﻣﺴﺎﺣﺔ اﻟﻤﻜﺘﺒﺔ‪ .‬ﻓﻤﻜﺘﺒﺔ اﻟﻤﺪرﺳ ﺔ ه ﻰ ﻣﺠ ﺮد ﺣﺠ ﺮة ﺻ ﻐﻴﺮة ﻓ ﻰ ﻣﻌﻈ ﻢ اﻟﻤ ﺪارس وﻟ ﺬﻟﻚ ﻓﺈﻧ ﻪ‬ ‫ﻳﺠﺐ ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﻬﻴﺌﺔ اﻟﻌﺎﻣﺔ ﻟﻼﺑﻨﻴﺔ اﻟﺘﻌﻠﻴﻤﻴ ﺔ أن ﺗﻔﻜ ﺮ ﻓ ﻰ ﺗﺼ ﻤﻴﻢ ﺟﺪﻳ ﺪ وﺣ ﺪﻳﺚ ﻟﻤﻜﺘﺒ ﺔ اﻟﻤﺪرﺳ ﺔ‬ ‫وﺧﺎﺻﺔ ﻓﻰ اﻟﻤﺒﺎﻧﻰ اﻟﻤﺪرﺳﻴﺔ اﻟﻤﺴﺘﻘﺒﻠﻴﺔ ‪ ،‬وﻓﻰ ﻧﻔﺲ اﻟﻮﻗﺖ ﺗﺤﺎول ﺗﻌ ﺪﻳﻞ ﻣﺴ ﺎﺣﺎت اﻟﻤﻜﺘﺒ ﺎت‬ ‫اﻟﻘﺎﺋﻤﺔ‪.‬‬ ‫‪Page 44‬‬ ‫‪Juarez and Associates, Inc.‬‬ ‫‪2008‬‬ ‫‪FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT‬‬ ‫‪NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS‬‬ ‫• ﻳﺠﺐ أن ﻳﻜﻮن هﻨ ﺎك ﻟﻘ ﺎء ﺑ ﻴﻦ أﻣﻨ ﺎء اﻟﻤﻜﺘﺒ ﺎت واﻟﻤﻌﻠﻤ ﻴﻦ ﻣ ﺮة آ ﻞ ﺳ ﺘﺔ أﺷ ﻬﺮ‪ ،‬ﺑﻬ ﺪف ﺗﺒ ﺎدل‬ ‫اﻟﺨﺒﺮة وﺧﺎﺻﺔ ﻓﻴﻤﺎ ﻳﺘﻌﻠ ﻖ ﺑﺄﺳ ﺎﻟﻴﺐ اﻟﺘﻐﻠ ﺐ ﻋﻠ ﻰ اﻟﺘﺤ ﺪﻳﺎت اﻟﻨﻮﻋﻴ ﺔ وﺣ ﻞ ﺑﻌ ﺾ اﻟﺼ ﻌﻮﺑﺎت‬ ‫اﻟﻤﺸﺘﺮآﺔ‪.‬‬ ‫• ﻳﺠﺐ ﻋﻠ ﻰ أﻧﻈﻤ ﺔ اﻹدارة اﻟﻤﺪرﺳ ﻴﺔ أن ﺗﺘﻄ ﻮر ﺑﺤﻴ ﺚ ﺗﺠﻌ ﻞ وﻗ ﺖ اﻟﻤﻌﻠﻤ ﻴﻦ ﻳﺴ ﻤﺢ ﺑ ﺎﻟﺘﻌﺮف‬ ‫ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﻤﻜﺘﺒﺔ‪ .‬آﻤﺎ ﻳﺠﺐ ﺗﻨﻈﻴﻢ ﻣﺎ ﻳﺴ ﻤﻰ ﺑﺎﻷﻳ ﺎم اﻟﻤﻬﻨﻴ ﺔ واﻟﺘ ﻰ ﻳﻤﻜ ﻦ ﻟﻠﻤﻌﻠﻤ ﻴﻦ وأﻣﻨ ﺎء اﻟﻤﻜﺘﺒ ﺔ‬ ‫ﺧﻼﻟﻬﺎ ﻣﻨﺎﻗﺸﺔ اﻷﺳﺎﻟﻴﺐ اﻟﺘﻰ ﺗﺴﺎﻋﺪ ﻋﻠﻰ أﻓﻀﻞ اﺳﺘﺨﺪام ﻟﻤﺠﻤﻮﻋﺔ اﻟﻤﺪرﺳﺔ‪.‬‬ ‫• ﻋﻤﻞ اﻟﻨﺎﺷ ﺮون ﻋﻠ ﻰ اﺷ ﺒﺎع ﺳ ﻮق ﺑ ﺪاﻳﺎت اﻟﻘ ﺮاءة ﺑﻜﺘ ﺐ وﻃﻨﻴ ﺔ وآﺘ ﺐ ﻣﺴ ﺘﻮردة وﻟﻜ ﻦ ﻇ ﻞ‬ ‫هﻨﺎك اﻓﺘﻘﺎر إﻟﻰ اﻟﻤﻮاد اﻟﻤﻨﺎﺳﺒﺔ ﻟﻄﻼب اﻟﺼﻔﻮف اﻟﻤﺘﻮﺳﻄﺔ واﻟﺜﺎﻧﻮﻳﺔ )اﻟﺼ ﻔﻮف ﻣ ﻦ ‪(12-5‬‬ ‫اﻟﺘﻰ ﻳﻜﺘﺒﻬﺎ اﻟﻤﺼﺮﻳﻮن ﻟﻠﻤﺼﺮﻳﻴﻦ‪.‬‬ ‫• رﺑﻤﺎ ﻳﻜﻮن ﻣﻦ اﻷﻣﻮر اﻷآﺜﺮ أهﻤﻴﺔ‪ ،‬أن ﻳﺘﺤﻮل ﻧﺸ ﺮ اﻟﻜﺘ ﺎب ﻓ ﻰ ﻣﺼ ﺮ ﻣ ﻦ ﻣﻨﻄﻠ ﻖ اﻟﻌ ﺮض‬ ‫اﻟﻰ اﻟﻄﻠﺐ ‪ ،‬وأن اﻟﺒﺮﻧﺎﻣﺞ آﺎن ﻳﺠﺐ أن ﻳﻀﻊ ﻓﻰ اﻻﻋﺘﺒﺎر اﻻﺣﺘﻴﺎﺟﺎت واﻻهﺘﻤﺎﻣ ﺎت اﻟﻤﺤﻠﻴ ﺔ‬ ‫‪.‬وﺣﻴﺚ ﺗﻜﻮن اﻟﻜﺘﺐ أآﺜ ﺮ ﻣﻼءﻣ ﺔ اذا آ ﺎن هﻨ ﺎك اﺧﺘﻴ ﺎر ﻣﺒ ﺪﺋﻰ او دراﺳ ﺔ ﺗﺠﺮﻳﺒﻴ ﺔ ﻳﻘ ﻮم ﺑﻬ ﺎ‬ ‫اﻟﻤﺪرﺳﻮن واﻟﻄﻼب‪ .‬وﺑﻄﺒﻴﻌﺔ اﻟﺤﺎل ﻓﻘﺪ ﻳﻜﻮن ﺗﺼ ﻤﻴﻢ اﻟﺒﺮﻧ ﺎﻣﺞ ﻗ ﺪ ﺗ ﻢ ﻓ ﻰ اﻃ ﺎر اﻳ ﻼء ﻣﺰﻳ ﺪ‬ ‫ﻣﻦ اﻻهﺘﻤ ﺎم ﻟﻼﻋﺘﺒ ﺎرات اﻟﻤﺘﻌﻠﻘ ﺔ ﺑﺎﻻﺣﺘﻴﺎﺟ ﺎت واﻻهﺘﻤﺎﻣ ﺎت اﻟﻤﺤﻠﻴ ﺔ‪ ،‬ورﺑﻤ ﺎ ﺣﺘ ﻰ ﺑﻤﻼءﻣ ﺔ‬ ‫اﻟﻜﺘ ﺐ إذا آ ﺎن ﻗ ﺪ ﺗ ﻢ اﺷ ﺮاك ﻣﻌﻠﻤ ﻴﻦ وﻃ ﻼب ﻣﺤﻠﻴ ﻴﻦ ﻓ ﻰ ﻣﺠ ﺎﻻت اﻻﺧﺘﺒ ﺎرات واﻟﺘﺠﺮﻳ ﺐ‬ ‫واﻟﺘﻐﺬﻳﺔ اﻟﺮاﺟﻌﺔ‪ .‬وﻳﻤﻜﻦ ﻟﻠﺤﻜﻮﻣﺔ اﻟﻤﺼﺮﻳﺔ أن ﺗﻀﻊ ﻧﻤﻮذﺟًﺎ ﻣﻦ ﺧﻼل ﺗﻤﻜﻴﻦ اﻟﻤﻌﻠﻤﻴﻦ ﻋﻠﻰ‬ ‫ﻣﺴﺘﻮى اﻟﻤﺪرﺳﺔ أو اﻻدارة وذﻟﻚ ﺑﺎاﻻﺳﺘﻌﺎﻧﺔ ﺑﺎاﻟﻤﻮارد اﻟﻤﺎﻟﻴﺔ واﻟﻘﺪرة ﻋﻠﻰ ﺗﺤﺪﻳﺪ اﺣﺘﻴﺎﺟﺎﺗﻬﻢ‬ ‫اﻟﺨﺎﺻﺔ ﺑﺎﻟﻨﺴﺒﺔ ﻷﻧﻮاع اﻟﻜﺘﺐ وﻏﻴﺮهﺎ ﻣ ﻦ اﻟﻤ ﻮاد اﻟﻤﺘﻌﻠﻘ ﺔ ﺑ ﺎﻟﻘﺮاءة اﻟﺘ ﻰ ﺗﻜ ﻮن أآﺜ ﺮ ﻣﻨﺎﺳ ﺒﺔ‬ ‫ﻟﻄﻼﺑﻬﻢ وﻣﺪارﺳﻬﻢ وﻣﺠﺘﻤﻌﺎﺗﻬﻢ‪.‬‬ ‫وﻗﺪ ﺗﻮﺻﻞ ﻓﺮﻳﻖ اﻟﺘﻘﻴﻴﻢ إﻟﻰ ﻧﺘﻴﺠﺔ ﻧﻬﺎﺋﻴﺔ ﻣﻔﺎده ﺎ أن ﺑﺮﻧ ﺎﻣﺞ اﻟﻜﺘ ﺎب اﻟﻘ ﻮﻣﻰ ﻗ ﺪ ﻧﺠ ﺢ ﻓ ﻰ ﻋ ﺪد ﻣ ﻦ‬ ‫اﻟﺠﺒﻬﺎت اﻟﺮﺋﻴﺴﻴﺔ‪.‬ﻓﻘﺪ آﺎن ﻟﻠﺒﺮﻧﺎﻣﺞ ﺗﺄﺛﻴﺮ ﻣﺒﺎﺷﺮ وواﺿﺢ ﻣﻦ ﺣﻴ ﺚ ﺗﻘ ﺪﻳﻢ ﻣﺰﻳ ﺪ ﻣ ﻦ اﻻﺗﺎﺣ ﺔ ﻟﻠﻜﺘ ﺐ اﻟﺠﻴ ﺪة‪.‬‬ ‫وﻣﻊ ذﻟﻚ ﻓﻘﺪ آ ﺎن اﻹﻧﺠ ﺎز اﻻﻋﻈ ﻢ ﻟﻠﺒﺮﻧ ﺎﻣﺞ وآ ﺬﻟﻚ ﺗ ﺎﺛﻴﺮﻩ اﻷآﺜ ﺮ دﻳﻤﻮﻣ ﺔ ﻣﺘﻤ ﺜﻼ ﻓ ﻰ زﻳ ﺎدة اﻟ ﻮﻋﻰ اﻟﻌ ﺎم‬ ‫ﺑﺄهﻤﻴ ﺔ ﺧﻠ ﻖ ﺛﻘﺎﻓ ﺔ اﻟﻘ ﺮاءة وأن ﺗﺼ ﺒﺢ ﻣﺼ ﺮ أﻣ ﺔ ﻣ ﻦ اﻟﻘ ﺮاء‪ .‬وﻣ ﻦ اﻟﻤ ﺄﻣﻮل ﻣ ﻊ ﺧﺘ ﺎم اﻟﺒﺮﻧ ﺎﻣﺞ أﻻ ﻳﺨﺒ ﻮ‬ ‫اﻻهﺘﻤﺎم ﺑﺎﻟﻤﻨﺎﻇﺮات اﻟﻌﺎﻣﺔ واﻟﻤﺠﺎدﻻت اﻟﺤﻴﺔ واﻟﺤﻤﺎس اﻟﺬى وﻟ ﺪﻩ ﺑﺮﻧ ﺎﻣﺞ اﻟﻜﺘ ﺎب اﻟﻘ ﻮﻣﻰ‪ ،‬ﺑ ﻞ أن ﻳﺴ ﺘﻤﺮ‬ ‫ﺟﻌﻞ ﺗﻠﻚ اﻟﻤﻮﺿﻮﻋﺎت ﻓﻰ ﻣﻘﺪﻣﺔ اﻟﻤﻨﺎﻗﺸﺎت اﻟﻌﺎﻣﺔ ﺣﺘﻰ ﺗﺼﺒﺢ ﻋﺎدة اﻟﻘﺮاءة ﻣﺘﺄﺻﻠﺔ ﻓﻰ اﻟﺜﻘﺎﻓﺔ اﻟﺸﻌﺒﻴﺔ ‪.‬‬ ‫‪Page 45‬‬ ‫‪Juarez and Associates, Inc.‬‬ FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 Evaluation Scope of Work Juárez and Associates, Inc. SCOPE OF WORK EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM ABE BASIC EDUCATION-INDEFINITE QUANTITY CONTRACT #263-08-022 USAID/EGYPT THE NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS International Consultant: James Wile, Phd Objective of the Evaluation Initiated in 2005, the National Book Program (NBP) was developed to address the lack of high quality children’s literature and other supplemental educational materials in public schools, and to increase low levels of reading and access to books for students in Egypt. Hence, the long-term goal of the NBP is to encourage reading for pleasure in order to improve literacy. The team leader will be responsible for heading the evaluation of the National Book Program. The evaluation will entail design of instruments and review of documents, contracts, quarterly reports, and other relevant documentation. Jim Wile, THE Team Leader, and the evaluation team members under his authority will visit schools where books have been delivered, meeting with teachers and other members of the school community in order to gain an understanding of how and to what extent the program books have been used, and interviewing implementing partners, Ministry of Education counterparts and Steering Committee members. Scope of Work Technical The international consultant/Team Leader is required to undertake the following tasks and any other work related to formulation of a comprehensive work plan and a monitoring mechanism for the final evaluation of the National Book Program in Egypt. The international consultant will conduct the following specific tasks in consultation with USAID/Egypt CTO and with the support of the Juárez and Associates: 1. Review relevant documents and meet with USAID mission officials and implementers of NBP. 2. Lead the evaluation team’s collaboration and discussion with USAID/Egypt, Ministry of Education, other government officials, Academy for Educational Development, Integrated Care Society and book publishers, as necessary. 3. Provide guidance to the team and provide overall direction and management to its work in Egypt. Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 46 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 4. Lead the development of the Work Plan due at USAID/Egypt within five days after arrival in country. Meet with USAID/Egypt after four weeks to provide updates. 5. Co-conduct a focus group with representatives of the MOE, Integrated Care Society and the Steering Committee. 6. Interview USAID staff and representatives of the Egyptian Ministry of Education to investigate constraints and challenges to the NBP. 7. Develop a motivation to read scale to assess current reading attitudes and habits. 8. Develop a matrix for evaluating professional knowledge, teaching techniques and dispositions regarding the promotion of reading as an extracurricular activity. 9. Develop a structured questionnaire (on teacher knowledge and dispositions) for collecting data from a sample of teachers and school librarians. 10. Develop a teacher/librarian survey. 11. Travel with the evaluation team to Alexandria, Beni Suef and Fayoum to conduct interviews, attend focus groups and meet with evaluators. 12. Review project management activities focusing on effective management, procurement and monitoring strategies with respect to the program’s stated objectives. Conduct interviews with program implementers including appropriate staff members of AED and USAID. Also conduct interviews with other stakeholders including representatives of the book publishing consortia, government ministries and executives of participating non-governmental organizations. 13. Insure the inclusion of gender variables in the evaluation design and the final report. 14. Deliver the oral presentations on results found. 15. Lead the writing of the Final Report; deliver a draft report at the end of week five and a final report at the end of week six. 16. Disseminate the final report. Scheduled Outputs The National Book Program evaluation will be completed within six weeks upon award. Within this period the team leader will provide USAID with: • • • • A work plan covering the overall design strategy for the evaluation, the data collection and analysis plan for the evaluation and the team’s evaluation schedule within five days of commencing work. Updates on work completed and remaining deliverables four weeks after arrival in Egypt. A draft report and a detailed briefing to present preliminary findings and recommendations from the evaluation one week before completion. A final evaluation report addressing findings, conclusions and actionable recommendations of the evaluation team (reflecting feedback from USAID) within six weeks after arrival in Egypt in a standard format stipulated by USAID. Management • • • Responsible for the coordination of all project activities in Egypt, including disbursement of funds for payment to local team members and data collectors, management of project costs, monitoring of team member activities and approval of time sheets. Ensure that project meets all contractual budgetary requirements. Provide instructions for administrative requirements to team members. Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 47 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 Timeframe The consultancy will be for a total of six weeks, including five weeks in-country. The period of performance encompasses one roundtrip from U.S to Egypt and travel within Egypt to site locations in Cairo, Alexandria, Minia, Beni Suef and Fayoum. Period of Performance: August 17th through October 15th, 2008. Level of Effort: 38 days Deliverables: • Reports of technical assistance provided and result (see below) o Trip Reports (as required) Reporting Specifications 1) Evaluation Plan: The contractor must submit a work plan to USAID/Egypt covering a) the overall design strategy of the evaluation; b) the data collection and analysis plan for the evaluation, and c) the team’s evaluation schedule (due five [5] days after arrival in country). 2) Mid-Course Briefing: The contractor will meet with USAID/Egypt to provide updates on work completed and discuss remaining deliverables (due four [4] weeks after arrival in country). 3) Draft Evaluation Report and Briefing: The consultant will submit a draft report and conduct a detailed briefing to present preliminary findings and recommendations of the assessment to USAID one week before completion. USAID will review the report and provide written comments on the draft within three (3) days of receipt (due five [5) days after arrival in country). 4) Final Evaluation Report: Within a 6-week time period, the consultant must submit a final report that reflects USAID’s comments. The form of the Final Report shall be no longer that 30 pages and include the following: • • • • • • • • Executive Summary of findings, conclusions and recommendations, not to exceed three pages. Introduction and Background (including program description and methodological summary, not to exceed three pages). Body of Report organized as follows for each component, not to exceed 30 pages: Background Major Findings (Evidence) Conclusions and Recommendations Lessons Learned Annexes All reports must be submitted in English. The Executive Summary with findings and recommendations should be translated into Arabic and submitted to the USAID/Egypt HRH/ET Office. The Team Leader must submit five hard copies of the Final Report and one electronic copy in Microsoft Word to USAID (due six weeks after arrival in country). In addition, there should be a final presentation of findings by the team leader. Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 48 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 The Juarez and Associates Evaluation Team Composition Dr. James M. Wile (Team Leader) is an expert in the field of reading promotion with over 30 years of experience in education and education publishing. Dr. Wile is the former Director of International Development at the International Reading Association, a leading professional society committed to promoting global literacy. Dr. Wile has designed and supervised reading promotion and capacity building programs in South Asia, Eastern Europe, and Sub-Saharan Africa. His experience in literacy issues in Egypt include the development of USAID’s Literacy Hub for the Broader Middle East and North Africa (www.literacyhub.org) an on-line searchable database for policymakers and program developers in the BMENA region. Dr. Wile also contributed to a multi-national study on reading habits entitled “What Arabs Read” sponsored by the NextPage Foundation and has presented numerous critical analyses on effective reading promotion campaigns. Mr. Tarek Sheta (Project Manager/M&E Support) has strong technical and leadership experience with civil society development activities and management of health, safety, environmental and quality management systems and projects. Mr. Sheta has more than 15 years of progressive experience working in private, civil and government sectors. He has designed and implemented more than 400 project evaluations and provided training programs and technical assistance for non-governmental organizations and governmental entities, such as, the Ministry of Social Solidarity, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. His core competencies include excellent project management skills with in‐depth knowledge of budgeting, financial planning, strategic planning and personnel management; outstanding skills in planning, implementing and reporting on monitoring and evaluation projects and experience in M&E methods and techniques and modern approaches, i.e., RBM, RBA, PME, etc. Mr. Sheta holds an MBA and is a Ph.D. student. Dr. Esmat Ibrahim Kamel (Education Specialist) has qualifications that include Educational Technology and Curriculum Development with broad experience in instructional development and design of teacher training programs. She has designed programs for preparing teachers and supervisors in the field of teaching skills (planning, implementation and evaluation), teaching practice, teaching supervision, academic advising, micro teaching modules for improving teaching skills, developing education programs, early childhood education. Dr. Kamel taught for several years in the College of Education, Bahrain University. She has acted as a consultant for UNESCO-Cairo for the “In-service Training of Basic Education Teachers” in Yemen and The Sudan and UNESCOBeirut Office, for “Training workshop for female leaders working in the field of adult education” in Riyadh. Other consultancies include the Ministry of Education, Egypt in cooperation with the World Bank and the European Union (EU) for the Basic Education Enhancement Program (EEP). Dr. Kamel has a Ph.D. in Education from Indiana University-Bloomington. Mr. Sobhi Moharram (Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist) has 40 years of practical experience, both nationally and internationally, working as a development administration, training, and management and communication consultant with a specific focus on education and community development. Mr. Moharram’s main strengths are his is familiarity with the working environments of the rules and regulations of USAID, World Bank, the United Nations and other donors as well as his exceptional understanding of institutional and administrative structures of GOE and civil society organizations. He has been responsible for the institutionalization, management and administration, monitoring and evaluation components of numerous local and regional projects in a variety of sectors and areas such as education, health, gender, environment, community development. His prior Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 49 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 positions include Program Director, UNICEF/SPAAC-Cairo for “Building the Capacity of Street Children” project and Team Leader for World Bank’s “Save the Children” project. Mr. Moharram holds a M.A. in Mass Communications from Cairo University. Mr. Mohamed Bondok (Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist) has over 30 years of experience in planning, developing and evaluating training programs in the field of education and training. He has provided training programs in the field of teacher training, teachers and supervisors, school managers and middle management training abroad. In addition, Mr. Bandok worked with The World Bank and The European Union on the Education Enhancement Program (EEP) as the Head of the Monitoring and Evaluation Department; he supervised M&E activities, the baseline survey and evaluated the EEP impact through its longitudinal study and other quantitative measures. While involved in national education reform projects, Mr. Bandok had the opportunity provide technical assistance by introducing and promoting trends and initiatives such as curriculum development, teacher training, national standards, distance learning, girls’ education, second chance education and evaluation educational development projects funded by international donors and community participation. He also worked with the Center for Curriculum and Instructional Material Development (CCIMD) as a training manager where he designed and supervised training programs to prepare a cadre of trainers on newly developed books and instructional materials. Mr. Bondok holds a Master’s Degree in Education Programs from the Institute of Education, London. Ms. Soad Rassoul Hassan (Translator/Education Specialist) has expertise in organization and coordination, management and communications. She has worked within the structure of a global social environment for more than 35 years. She has worked with international experts helping the Egyptian Ministry of Education and participating in designing and implementing workshops attended by governorate representatives as partners in formulating the MoE Education strategic plan. Ms. Hasan is currently a national consultant for the Policy and Strategic Planning Unit, Ministry of Education. Other past positions include Head of Community Participation and Donors’ Coordination (Education Enhancement Program) for The World Bank, The European Union and the Ministry of Education; Focal Point Representative of the Egyptian Ministry of Education on the implementation of the Egyptian European Association Agreement and Under-Secretary of State, Cultural Relations, Ministry of Higher Education. Ms. Hassan holds a Certificate in Management English, a General Diploma in Education and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Cairo. Dr. Sohair F. Wastawy (Advisor) is the Chief Librarian for the Bibliotheca Alexandrina where she provides leadership to a full range of library activities and is responsible for the administration of the main library, its budget and human resources, and oversees the maintenance and development of the Library in the areas of user services, digital and print collections and resources, management and infrastructure, cooperative initiatives and outreach, research support and fund raising. She manages the entire operation of special libraries (the Children’s Library, Young People’s Library, Arts and Multimedia, the Library for the Blind and Virtually Impaired, and the Digital Library Services). Her extensive experience also includes the position of Dean of Libraries, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois. At the Galvin Library at IIT, Dr. Wastawy directed operations of the main library, a $3.1 million dollar budget, three branch libraries and the University Archives. Dr. Wastawy has additional extensive experience in the U.S. and Cairo, she is a member of several professional committees and has published extensively. Dr. Wastawy possesses a Ph.D. in Library Arts from Simmons College, Boston, MA, a Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science from The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, and from Cairo University an ABD in Comparative Linguistics, a Master of Arts in African Languages and a Bachelor of Arts in Semitic Languages. Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 50 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 Data Collection Instruments Fry Readability Scale Directions 1. Randomly select 3 one hundred word passages from the examined book 2. Plot average number of syllables and average number of words per sentence on graph to determine the grade level of the reading material 3. Choose more passages per book if great variability is observed and concluded that the book has uneven readability. Few books will fall in gray area but when they do grade level scores are invalid Figure 1. Fry Readability Scale Example Syllables Sentences 1st hundred words 124 6.6 2nd hundred words 141 5.5 3rd hundred words 158 6.8 Average 141 6.3 Readability of the book approximate equals 7th grade Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 51 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 Fig.2. US Grade/UK Reading Age Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 52 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 Sample School Visits Descriptive data on students Table: Number of Schools/Students Visited Number of Schools Males 19 27 Females 52 Total Students 79 Grade One 3 Grade Two 6 Grade Three 8 Grade Four 13 Grade Five 19 Grade Six 30 Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 53 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 Data Collection Instruments Motivation to Read Profile (English) (Gambrell, L.B. et al. The Reading Teacher, 1998.International Reading Association) 1 . My friends think I am ____________. 1) 2) 3) 4) A very good reader A good reader An okay reader A poor reader 2. Reading a book is something I like to do__________. (1) (2) (3) (4) Never not very often Sometimes Often 3. I read _______________________. 1) 2) 3) 4) Not as well as my friends About the same as my friends A little better than my friends A lot better than my friends 4. My best friends think reading is __________________. 1) 2) 3) 4) Really fun Fun Okay to do No fun at all 5. When I come to a word I don’t know I can ______________. (1) (2) (3) (4) Almost always figure it out Sometimes figure it out Almost never figure it out Never figure it out 6. I tell my friends about good books I read. (1) (2) (3) (4) I never do this I almost never do this I do this some of the time I do this a lot 7. When I am reading by myself, I understand ___________. Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 54 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 1) 2) 3) 4) 2008 Almost everything I read Some of what I read Almost none of what I read None of what I read 8. People who read a lot are___________________. 1) 2) 3) 4) Very interesting Interesting Not very interesting Boring 9. I am _________________. (1) (2) (3) (4) A poor reader An okay reader A good reader A very good reader 10. I think libraries are ________________. 1) 2) 3) 4) A great place to spend time An interesting place to spend time An okay place to spend time A boring place to spend time 11. Knowing how to read well is_____________. 1) 2) 3) 4) Not very important Sort of important Important Very important 12. When my teacher asks me a question about what I have read I __________. 1) 2) 3) 4) Can never think of an answer Have trouble thinking of an answer Sometimes think of an answer Always think of an answer 13. I think reading is_________________. 1) 2) 3) 4) A boring way to spend time An okay way to spend time An interesting way to spend time A great way to spend time 14. Reading is ____________. 1) Very easy for me 2) Kind of easy for me Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 55 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 3) Kind of hard for me 4) Very hard for me 15. When I grow up I will spend __________. (1) (2) (3) (4) None of my time reading Very little of my time reading Some of my time reading a lot of my time reading 16. When I am in a group talking about stories, I ____________. (1) (2) (3) (4) Almost never talk about my ideas Sometimes talk about my ideas Almost always talk about my ideas Always talk about my ideas 17. I would like for my teacher to read books out loud to the class _______. 1) 2) 3) 4) Every day Almost every day Once in a while Never 18. When I read out loud I am ______________. 1) 2) 3) 4) A poor reader An okay reader A good reader Very good reader 19. When someone gives me a book for a present, I feel ___________. 1) 2) 3) 4) Very happy Sort of happy Sort of unhappy Unhappy Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 56 ‫‪2008‬‬ ‫‪FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT‬‬ ‫‪NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS‬‬ ‫‪Data Collection Instruments‬‬ ‫)‪Motivation to Read Survey (Arabic‬‬ ‫ﺗﻘﻮﻳﻢ اﻟﺪاﻓﻌﻴﺔ ﻟﻠﻘﺮاءة‬ ‫اﻟﺪاﻓﻌﻴﺔ ﻟﻠﻘﺮاءة‬ ‫‪------------------------------------------------------------------------‬‬‫ﻣﺴﺢ ﺧﺎص ﺑﺎﻟﻘﺮاءة‬ ‫اﻻﺳﻢ‪ ---------------------------‬اﻟﺘﺎرﻳﺦ‪----------------------------‬‬ ‫ﻋﻴﻨﺔ ‪: 1‬أﻧﺎ ﻓﻰ ‪-------------------------‬‬ ‫اﻟﺼﻒ اﻟﺜﺎﻧﻰ‬ ‫اﻟﺼﻒ اﻟﺨﺎﻣﺲ‬ ‫اﻟﺼﻒ اﻟﺜﺎﻟﺚ‬ ‫اﻟﺼﻒ اﻟﺴﺎدس‬ ‫اﻟﺼﻒ اﻟﺮاﺑﻊ‬ ‫ﻋﻴﻨﺔ‪:2‬أﻧﺎ أآﻮن‬ ‫وﻟﺪ‬ ‫ﺑﻨﺖ‬ ‫ أﺻﺪﻗﺎﺋﻰ ﻳﻈﻨﻮن أﻧﻨﻰ‪-------------‬‬‫ﻗﺎرىءﺟﻴﺪ ﺟﺪا‬ ‫ﻗﺎرىء ﺟﻴﺪ‬ ‫ﻗﺎرىءﻋﺎدى‬ ‫ﻗﺎرىءردىء‬ ‫‪- 2‬ﻗﺮاءة آﺘﺎب هﻮ أﻣﺮ أﺣﺐ أن أ ﻓﻌﻠﻪ‪----------‬‬ ‫‪Page 57‬‬ ‫‪Juarez and Associates, Inc.‬‬ ‫‪2008‬‬ ‫‪FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT‬‬ ‫‪NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS‬‬ ‫ﻣﻄﻠﻘﺎ‬ ‫ﻟﻴﺲ آﺜﻴﺮا ﺟﺪا‬ ‫ﻓﻰ ﺑﻌﺾ اﻷوﻗﺎت‬ ‫ﻓﻰ أﺣﻴﺎن آﺜﻴﺮة‬ ‫‪- 3‬أﻧﺎ أﻗﺮأ‪----------‬‬ ‫ﻟﻴﺲ ﺑﺼﻮرة ﺟﻴﺪة آﺄﺻﺪﻗﺎﺋﻰ‬ ‫ﺗﻘﺮﻳﺒﺎ ﻣﺜﻞ أﺻﺪﻗﺎﺋﻰ‬ ‫أﻓﻀﻞ ﻗﻠﻴﻼ ﻣﻦ أﺻﺪﻗﺎﺋﻰ‬ ‫أﻓﻀﻞ آﺜﻴﺮا ﻣﻦ أﺻﺪﻗﺎﺋﻰ‬ ‫‪ -4‬أﻓﻀﻞ أﺻﺪﻗﺎﺋﻰ ﻳﻌﺘﻘﺪون أن اﻟﻘﺮاءة هﻰ‪-----------‬‬ ‫ﻣﺘﻌﺔ ﺣﻘﻴﻘﻴﺔ‬ ‫ﻣﺘﻌﺔ‬ ‫ﺷﻰء ﻃﻴﺐ ﻧﻔﻌﻠﻪ‬ ‫ﻟﻴﺲ ﻓﻴﻬﺎ ﻣﺘﻌﺔ ﻋﻠﻰ اﻻﻃﻼق‬ ‫‪ -5‬ﻋﻨﺪﻣﺎ ﺗﺼﺎدﻓﻨﻰ آﻠﻤﺔ ﻻ أﻋﺮﻓﻬﺎ‪,‬ﻓﺎﻧﻨﻰ أﺳﺘﻄﻴﻊ‪----------‬‬ ‫ﻏﺎﻟﺒﺎ وداﺋﻤﺎ أن اﺧﻤﻦ ﻣﻌﻨﺎهﺎ‬ ‫أﺣﻴﺎﻧﺎ أﺧﻤﻦ ﻣﻌﻨﺎهﺎ‬ ‫ﻓﻰ اﻟﻐﺎﻟﺐ ﻻأﺳﺘﻄﻴﻊ اﻃﻼﻗﺎ ﺗﺨﻤﻴﻦ ﻣﻌﻨﺎهﺎ‬ ‫ﻻأﺧﻤﻦ ﻣﻌﻨﺎهﺎ اﻃﻼﻗﺎ‬ ‫‪ -6‬أﺣﻜﻰ ﻷﺻﺪﻗﺎﺋﻰ ﻋﻦ اﻟﻜﺘﺐ اﻟﺠﻴﺪة اﻟﺘﻰ أﻗﺮؤهﺎ‪---------‬‬ ‫ﻻأﻓﻌﻞ ذﻟﻚ ﻣﻄﻠﻘﺎ‬ ‫ﻏﺎﻟﺒﺎ ﻻأﻓﻌﻞ ذﻟﻚ ﻣﻄﻠﻘﺎ‬ ‫‪Page 58‬‬ ‫‪Juarez and Associates, Inc.‬‬ ‫‪2008‬‬ ‫‪FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT‬‬ ‫‪NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS‬‬ ‫أﻓﻌﻞ ذﻟﻚ أﺣﻴﺎﻧﺎ‬ ‫أﻓﻌﻞ ذﻟﻚ آﺜﻴﺮا‬ ‫‪ -7‬ﻋﻨﺪﻣﺎ أﻗﺮأ ﺑﻨﻔﺴﻰ ﻓﺎﻧﻨﻰ أﻓﻬﻢ‪-----------‬‬ ‫ﺗﻘﺮﻳﺒﺎ آﻞ ﻣﺎأﻗﺮؤﻩ‬ ‫ﺑﻌﺾ ﻣﺎأﻗﺮؤﻩ‬ ‫ﺗﻘﺮﻳﺒﺎ ﻻﺷﻰء ﻣﻤﺎ أﻗﺮؤﻩ‬ ‫ﻻﺷﻰء اﻃﻼﻗﺎ ﻣﻤﺎ أﻗﺮؤﻩ‬ ‫‪ - 8‬أﻷﺷﺨﺎص اﻟﺬﻳﻦ ﻳﻘﺮأون آﺜﻴﺮا ﻳﻜﻮﻧﻮن‪---------‬‬ ‫ﻣﻤﺘﻌﻴﻦ ﺟﺪا‬ ‫ﻣﻤﺘﻌﻴﻦ‬ ‫ﻟﻴﺴﻮا ﻣﻤﺘﻌﻴﻦ ﺟﺪا‬ ‫ﻳﺜﻴﺮون اﻟﻤﻠﻞ‬ ‫‪- 9‬أﻧﺎ‪-------------------------‬‬ ‫ﻗﺎرىء ردىء‬ ‫ﻗﺎرىء ﻋﺎدى‬ ‫ﻗﺎرىء ﺟﻴﺪ‬ ‫ﻗﺎرىء ﺟﻴﺪ ﺟﺪا‬ ‫‪-10‬أﻋﺘﻘﺪ أن اﻟﻤﻜﺘﺒﺎت هﻰ‪------------‬‬ ‫ﻣﻜﺎن راﺋﻊ ﻟﻘﻀﺎء اﻟﻮﻗﺖ‬ ‫ﻣﻜﺎن ﻣﻤﺘﻊ ﻟﻘﻀﺎع اﻟﻮﻗﺖ‬ ‫ﻣﻜﺎن ﻋﺎدى ﻟﻘﻀﺎء اﻟﻮﻗﺖ‬ ‫ﻣﻜﺎن ﻣﺜﻴﺮ ﻟﻠﻤﻠﻞ ﻟﻘﻀﺎء اﻟﻮﻗﺖ‬ ‫‪Page 59‬‬ ‫‪Juarez and Associates, Inc.‬‬ ‫‪2008‬‬ ‫‪FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT‬‬ ‫‪NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS‬‬ ‫‪- 11‬أﻧﺎ ﻗﻠﻖ ﺑﺸﺄن ﻣﺎﻳﻔﻜﺮ ﻓﻴﻪ اﻷﻃﻔﺎل اﻵﺧﺮون ﺑﺎﻟﻨﺴﺒﺔ ﻟﻘﺮاءاﺗﻰ‪------‬‬ ‫آﻞ ﻳﻮم‬ ‫ﺗﻘﺮﻳﺒﺎ آﻞ ﻳﻮم‬ ‫ﻣﺮة آﻞ ﻓﺘﺮة ﻣﻦ اﻟﺰﻣﻦ‬ ‫ﻣﻄﻠﻘﺎ‬ ‫‪- 12‬ﻣﻌﺮﻓﺔ آﻴﻒ ﺗﻘﺮأ ﺟﻴﺪا ﺗﻜﻮن‪-------‬‬ ‫ﻏﻴﺮ هﺎﻣﺔ ﺟﺪا‬ ‫ﻧﻮﻋﺎ ﻣﺎ هﺎﻣﺔ‬ ‫هﺎﻣﺔ‬ ‫هﺎﻣﺔ ﺟﺪا‬ ‫‪- 13‬ﻋﻨﺪﻣﺎ ﻳﺴﺄﻟﻨﻰ اﻟﻤﻌﻠﻢ ﺳﺆاﻻ ﺣﻮل ﻣﺎاﻟﺬى ﻗﺮأﺗﻪ ﻓﺎﻧﻨﻰ‪---------‬‬ ‫ﻻﻳﻤﻜﻦ أن أﻓﻜﺮ ﻓﻰ اﺟﺎﺑﺔ‬ ‫أﺷﻌﺮ ﺑﺼﻌﻮﺑﺔ اﻟﺘﻔﻜﻴﺮ ﻓﻰ اﺟﺎﺑﺔ‬ ‫أﺣﻴﺎﻧﺎ أﻓﻜﺮ ﻓﻰ اﺟﺎﺑﺔ‬ ‫داﺋﻤﺎ أﻓﻜﺮ ﻓﻰ اﺟﺎﺑﺔ‬ ‫‪- 14‬أﻋﺘﻘﺪ أن اﻟﻘﺮاءة هﻰ‪-------------‬‬ ‫ﻃﺮﻳﻘﺔ ﻣﻤﻠﺔ ﻟﻘﻀﺎء اﻟﻮﻗﺖ‬ ‫ﻃﺮﻳﻘﺔ ﻋﺎدﻳﺔ ﻟﻘﻀﺎء اﻟﻮﻗﺖ‬ ‫ﻃﺮﻳﻘﺔ ﻣﻤﺘﻌﺔ ﻟﻘﻀﺎء اﻟﻮﻗﺖ‬ ‫ﻃﺮﻳﻘﺔ راﺋﻌﺔ ﻟﻘﻀﺎء اﻟﻮﻗﺖ‬ ‫‪- 15‬اﻟﻘﺮاءة ﺗﻌﺘﺒﺮ‪--------------------‬‬ ‫‪Page 60‬‬ ‫‪Juarez and Associates, Inc.‬‬ ‫‪2008‬‬ ‫‪FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT‬‬ ‫‪NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS‬‬ ‫ﺳﻬﻠﺔ ﺟﺪا ﺑﺎﻟﻨﺴﺒﺔ ﻟﻰ‬ ‫ﺳﻬﻠﺔ ﻧﻮﻋﺎ ﻣﺎ ﺑﺎاﻟﻨﺴﺒﺔ ﻟﻰ‬ ‫ﺗﻜﻮن أﺣﻴﺎﻧﺎ ﺻﻌﺒﺔ ﺑﺎاﻟﻨﺴﺒﺔ ﻟﻰ‬ ‫ﺻﻌﺒﺔ ﺟﺪا ﺑﺎﻟﻨﺴﺒﺔ ﻟﻰ‬ ‫‪- 16‬ﻋﻨﺪﻣﺎ أآﺒﺮ ﺳﻮف أﻗﻀﻰ‪-------------‬‬ ‫ﻻﺷﻰء ﻣﻦ وﻗﺘﻰ ﻓﻰ اﻟﻘﺮاءة‬ ‫ﻗﻠﻴﻼ ﺟﺪا ﻣﻦ وﻗﺘﻰ ﻓﻰ اﻟﻘﺮاءة‬ ‫ﺑﻌﻀﺎ ﻣﻦ وﻗﺘﻰ ﻓﻰ اﻟﻘﺮاءة‬ ‫آﺜﻴﺮا ﻣﻦ وﻗﺘﻰ ﻓﻰ اﻟﻘﺮاءة‬ ‫‪- 17‬ﻋﻨﺪﻣﺎ أآﻮن ﻓﻰ ﻣﺠﻤﻮﻋﺔ ﻧﺘﺤﺪث ﻋﻦ اﻟﻘﺼﺺ ﻓﺎﻧﻨﻰ‪--------‬‬ ‫ﻻأﺗﺤﺪث ﻣﻄﻠﻘﺎ ﻋﻦ أﻓﻜﺎرى‬ ‫أﺗﺤﺪث أﺣﻴﺎﻧﺎ ﻋﻦ أﻓﻜﺎرى‬ ‫ﻏﺎﻟﺒﺎ أﺗﺤﺪث داﺋﻤﺎ ﻋﻦ أﻓﻜﺎرى‬ ‫أﺗﺤﺪث داﺋﻤﺎ ﻋﻦ أﻓﻜﺎرى‬ ‫‪- 18‬أﺣﺐ أن ﻳﻘﺮأاﻟﻤﻌﻠﻢ اﻟﻜﺘﺐ ﺑﺼﻮت ﻣﺮﺗﻔﻊ ﻓﻰ اﻟﻔﺼﻞ‪-----------‬‬ ‫آﻞ ﻳﻮم‬ ‫ﺗﻘﺮﻳﺒﺎ آﻞ ﻳﻮم‬ ‫ﻣﺮة آﻞ ﻓﺘﺮة ﻣﻦ اﻟﺰﻣﻦ‬ ‫ﻣﻄﻠﻘﺎ‬ ‫‪- 19‬ﻋﻨﺪﻣﺎ أﻗﺮأ ﺑﺼﻮت ﻣﺮﺗﻔﻊ ﻓﺎﻧﻨﻰ أآﻮن‪---------------‬‬ ‫ﻗﺎرىء ردىء‬ ‫ﻗﺎرىء ﻋﺎدى‬ ‫‪Page 61‬‬ ‫‪Juarez and Associates, Inc.‬‬ FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 ‫ﻗﺎرىء ﺟﻴﺪ‬ ‫ﻗﺎرىء ﺟﻴﺪ ﺟﺪا‬ -------------- ‫ﻓﺎﻧﻨﻰ أﺷﻌﺮ‬,‫ﻋﻨﺪﻣﺎ ﻳﻌﻄﻴﻨﻰ ﺷﺨﺺ آﺘﺎﺑﺎ آﻬﺪﻳﺔ‬- 20 ‫أﻧﻨﻰ ﺳﻌﻴﺪ ﺟﺪا‬ ‫ﺳﻌﻴﺪ ﻧﻮﻋﺎ ﻣﺎ‬ ‫ﻏﻴﺮ ﺳﻌﻴﺪ ﻧﻮﻋﺎ ﻣﺎ‬ ‫ﻏﻴﺮ ﺳﻌﻴﺪ‬ Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 62 ‫‪2008‬‬ ‫‪FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT‬‬ ‫‪NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS‬‬ ‫‪Data Collection Instruments‬‬ ‫)‪Case Study Protocol—Observation Checklist (Arabic‬‬ ‫أداة اﻟﻤﻼﺣﻈﺔ اﻟﺨﺎﺻﺔ ﺑﺎﻟﻤﻜﺘﺒﺎت اﻟﻤﺪرﺳﻴﺔ‬ ‫ﻣﻼﺣﻈﺎت‬ ‫ﻻ‬ ‫ﻧﻌـــﻢ‬ ‫ﻣﺆﺷﺮات اﻟﻤﻼﺣﻈﺔ‬ ‫وﺟﻮد ﻣﺴﺎﺣﺔ ﻣﻌﻘﻮﻟﻪ ﻟﺤﻔﻆ اﻟﻜﺘﺐ‪ ،‬ﻳﻮﺟﺪ أرﻓﻒ ﻟﻠﻜﺘﺐ‪ ،‬ﺳﻬﻮﻟﺔ‬ ‫اﻟﻮﺻﻮل إﻟﻲ اﻟﻜﺘﺐ وﻏﻴﺮ ذﻟﻚ‬ ‫وﺟﻮد ﺗﻬﻮﻳﺔ ﻣﻨﺎﺳﺒﺔ )ﻣﺮاوح – ﺷﺒﺎﺑﻴﻚ ‪(...‬‬ ‫وﺟﻮد اﺿﺎءة ﻣﻨﺎﺳﺒﺔ‬ ‫وﺟﻮد ﻣﻘﺎﻋﺪ ﻣﻨﺎﺳﺒﺔ ﻟﻼﻃﻔﺎل وﻣﺮﻳﺤﺔ‬ ‫ﻣﺴﺎﺣﺔ اﻟﻤﻜﺘﺒﺔ ﻣﻨﺎﺳﺒﺔ ﺑﺎﻟﻨﺴﺒﺔ ﻟﻌﺪد اﻻﻃﻔﺎل اﻟﻤﺘﻮﻗﻊ ﺣﻀﻮرهﻬﻢ إﻟﻲ‬ ‫ف ﻣﻦ اﻟﻤﻘﺎﻋﺪ‬ ‫اﻟﻤﻜﺘﺒﺔ‪ .‬وﺟﻮد ﻋﺪد آﺎ ٍ‬ ‫آﺘﺐ ﻣﺸﺮوع اﻟﻜﺘﺎب اﻟﻘﻮﻣﻲ ﻣﻌﺮوﺿﺔ ﻓﻲ اﻟﻤﻜﺘﺒﺔ‬ ‫ﻳﻮﺟﺪ ﺗﻘﺴﻴﻢ )ﻓﻬﺮﺳﺔ( ﻟﻠﻜﺘﺐ اﻟﻤﻮﺟﻮدة ﺑﺎﻟﻤﻜﺘﺒﺔ‪...‬‬ ‫ ﻓﻬﺮﺳﺔ ﺗﺒﻌﺎ ﻻﺳﻢ اﻟﻤﺆﻟﻒ‬‫ﻓﻬﺮﺳﺔ ﺗﺒﻌﺎ ﻟﻌﻨﻮان اﻟﻜﺘﺎب‬ ‫وﺟﻮد دوﻻب أو ﻗﺴﻢ ﻟﻌﺮض اﻟﻜﺘﺐ اﻟﻤﻤﻴﺰة )ﻣﺜﻼ‪ :‬آﺘﺎب ﺟﺪﻳﺪ ﻋﻦ‬ ‫اﻟﺤﻀﺎرة اﻟﻤﺼﺮﻳﺔ‪ ،‬آﺘﺎب ﺟﺪﻳﺪ ﻋﻦ اﻟﻔﻀﺎء وﻋﻠﻮم اﻟﻔﻠﻚ ‪(...،‬‬ ‫ﻳﺘﻢ ﻋﺮض ﻗﻮاﺋﻢ اﻟﻜﺘﺐ اﻟﻤﻨﻀﻤﺔ ﺣﺪﻳﺜ ًﺎ إﻟﻲ اﻟﻤﻜﺘﺒﺔ‬ ‫ﻳﺘﻢ اﺳﺘﺨﺪام ﻃﺮﻳﻘﺔ اﻟﺘﻜﻮﻳﺪ اﻟﻠﻮﻧﻲ ﻟﻠﻜﺘﺐ‬ ‫ﻣﻮاﺋﺪ اﻟﻘﺮاءة ﻣﻨﺎﺳﺒﺔ ﻟﻼﻃﻔﺎل‬ ‫اﻟﻤﻜﺘﺒﺔ هﺎدﺋﺔ وﺑﻌﻴﺪة ﻋﻦ ﻣﺼﺎدر اﻟﻀﻮﺿﺎء‬ ‫ﻳﻮﺟﺪ ﻣﺮاﺣﻴﺾ ﺑﺎﻟﻘﺮب ﻣﻦ اﻟﻤﻜﺘﺒﺔ‬ ‫اﻟﻤﻜﺘﺒﺔ ﻣﻮﺟﻮدة ﻓﻲ ﻣﺮآﺰ اﻟﻤﺪرﺳﺔ )ﻣﻜﺎن ﻇﺎهﺮ ﻟﻜﻞ اﻟﻄﻼب(‬ ‫‪Page 63‬‬ ‫‪Juarez and Associates, Inc.‬‬ ‫‪2008‬‬ ‫‪FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT‬‬ ‫‪NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS‬‬ ‫ﻳﻮﺟﺪ ﺑﻮﺳﺘﺮات ﺗﻮﺿﺢ ﻟﻠﻄﻼب ﻣﺤﺘﻮﻳﺎت اﻟﻜﺘﺐ وﺗﺴﺎﻋﺪهﻢ ﻋﻠﻲ‬ ‫اﺧﺘﻴﺎر اﻟﻜﺘﺎب اﻟﻤﻨﺎﺳﺐ‬ ‫ﺳﺠﻼت اﻟﻜﺘﺐ اﻟﻤﻮﺟﻮدة ﺑﺎﻟﻤﻜﺘﺒﺔ ﺣﺪﻳﺜﺔ‬ ‫ﻳﻮﺟﺪ ﺳﺠﻼت ﻻﻋﺪاد زوار اﻟﻤﻜﺘﺒﺔ‬ ‫ﻳﻮﺟﺪ ﺳﺠﻼت ﻟﻠﻜﺘﺐ اﻟﻤﺴﺘﺨﺪﻣﺔ ﺧﻼل ﻣﻬﺮﺟﺎن اﻟﻘﺮاءة ﻟﻠﺠﻤﻴﻊ‬ ‫وﺟﻮد ﻟﻮﺣﺎت وﻣﻮاد دﻋﺎﺋﻴﺔ ﻟﺠﺬب اﻟﻄﻼب وﺗﺤﻔﻴﺰهﻢ ﻋﻠﻲ اﻟﻘﺮاءة‬ ‫ﺗﻮﺟﺪ ﺧﻄﺔ ﺗﺒﻴﻦ آﻴﻔﻴﺔ اﺳﺘﻐﻼل ﺑﻴﺌﺔ اﻟﻤﻜﺘﺒﺔ ﻟﻨﺸﺮ آﺘﺐ ﻟﺒﺮﻧﺎﻣﺞ‬ ‫اﻟﻘﻮﻣﻲ ﻟﻠﻜﺘﺎب‬ ‫ﻳﺘﻢ ﻋﺮض آﺘﺐ ﻣﺸﺮوع اﻟﻘﺮاءة ﻟﻠﺠﻤﻴﻊ ﻓﻲ اﻟﻤﻜﺘﺒﺔ‬ ‫‪Page 64‬‬ ‫‪Juarez and Associates, Inc.‬‬ FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 Data Collection Instruments Observation Checklist & Interview Protocols (English) Impact on literacy and extracurricular reading Evaluation Questions What impact has the National Book Program had on children's attitudes about reading? Evaluation team members distributed the translated survey Assessing Motivation to Read to a sample of students Discussion with students, parents, and community members regarding the impact of NBP book collection on reading attitude and habits. What impact has the professional development program had on librarians? Evaluation team members visit the library, interview the librarian (apply the observables indictors and ask evaluation questions) Table: Observation Sheet Obse r va ble I n dica t or s Ye s No Com m e n t Adequat e space t o house t he collect ions—bookshelves are present , easy access t o books, et c Adequat e Vent ilat ion—room w/ window, fan, et c Adequat e Light ing Child- Appropriat e Seat ing Adequat e Room Space—room capacit y? Num ber of chairs? NBP books displayed in t he library Classificat ion by t opic? By aut hor? By t it le? Cabinet highlight ing special NBP books List of new books post ed Use of color coding schem e Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 65 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS Observable I ndicat or Yes No 2008 Com m ent s Tables appropriat e for st udent s Quiet reading area Library locat ed near t oilet Library cent rally locat ed Post ers t o guide t he children’s book select ion Record of books used up t o dat e Records kept of num ber of library visit ors Records of books used during t he Fest ival of Reading for All ( 20052008) Evidence of publicit y boards, walls and ot hers facilit ies t o m ot ivat e children t o read Writ t en plan dem onst rat ing ways t o use t he library environm ent t o propagat e NBP book collect ions Reading for All books displayed Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 66 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 Part II. Interview Questions (Librarian) What methods do you use for increasing extracurricular readers in school libraries? Please list two or three methods you have used in the past. How many symposia were held with authors of collection books? How many students participated in cultural competitions at the level of Modeira (2005-2008)? Did your children get any awards in any area of cultural competition in the festival of Reading for All? If yes, what kind? Number of books circulated: By students approx____________ by parents approx.__________ By teachers approx.____________ by others approx. __________ By supervisors approx.____________ How much impact did the NBP book collection have on attracting children to the library? 1 2 3 4 None at all A Little Somewhat Very Much For Librarians who participated in the NBP librarian training program (yes) ask questions 7-11: How helpful was the training program for acquainting you with your roles and responsibilities according to the regulations of the Ministry of Education? 1 2 3 4 Not at all A Little Somewhat Very Much How much impact did the NBP librarian training have on your cooperation with senior teachers and other teachers in determining books that are related to curricular textbooks? 1 2 3 4 Not at all A Little Somewhat Very Much How much impact did the NBP librarian training program have on your ability to encourage students’ positive attitudes about reading? Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 67 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 1 2 3 4 Not at all A Little Somewhat Very Much 2008 What has been the effect of the NBP librarian training program on your knowledge of library classification? How have you changed the way you do library classification? 1 2 3 4 Not at all A Little Somewhat Very Much What were the most useful strategies you got from the Librarian Training Program? Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 68 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 Part III. Interview Questions (Teachers) 1. How do you incorporate supplementary reading in school libraries and your classroom? 2. Do you require your students to use the NBP collection for extra curricula activities? 3. What problems or constraints have you had with using the books in the National Book Program collection? 4. What are the major challenges you have encountered in using the books in the National Book Program collection? 5. How easy was it for you to apply knowledge you acquired from the training program? 6. What helped/hindered the application of new knowledge/skills? 1 2 3 4 Impossible Very Difficult Somewhat Difficult Easy 7. How much time (per week) do you and your students use the NBP collection? 1 2 3 4 Less than 1 hour 1-3 hours 4-6 hours 7 or more hours 8. How helpful was the National Book Project Training Program in giving you suggestions about how to integrate the NBP collection to your subject/grade level? 1 2 3 4 Not at all A Little Somewhat Very Much 9. How helpful was the National Book Project Training Program in providing specific ways the book collections enrich the contents of your teaching materials and instructional program? 1 2 3 4 Not at all A Little Somewhat Very Much 10. To what extent are supplemental reading materials important to your instructional program? 1 2 3 4 Not at all A Little Somewhat Very Much 11. What impact has the introduction of the book collection had on schools and school management? Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 69 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 Part IV. Focus Group Discussion Evaluation team members met head masters, supervisors, librarians, subject teachers, and school management staff and asked the following: 1) What new school policies were developed to manage the book collection and students’ use of the library? 2) Do you have any examples of how the NBP book collection has influenced the community in any way? 3) What kinds of constraints does the school face regarding the use of the primary school library? 4) What do you think about the primary school library? 5) What has been your experience with the use of school library? 6) How do the school management procedures encourage teachers to use NBP collection? 7) How do the school management procedures encourage librarians to use NBP collection? 8) How do the school management procedures encourage children to use NBP collection? 9) How do the school management procedures encourage parents to use NBP collection? 10) In your opinion, what has helped making the school library a resource for the whole community? Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 70 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 Library Observation Data Table: Library Observation Form Results of Observable Indicators for 13 Libraries Visited Observable Indicators Observed not Observed number percentage number percentage 1. Adequate space to house the collections—bookshelves are present, easy access to books, etc 13 100 0 0 2. Adequate Ventilation—room w/ window, fan, etc 12 92.4 1 7.6 3. Adequate Lighting 13 100 0 0 4. Child‐Appropriate Seating 13 100 0 0 5. Adequate Room Space—room capacity? Number of chairs? 9 69.2 4 30.8 6. NBP books displayed in the library 13 100 0 0 7. Classification by Author 12 92.4 1 7.6 8. Cabinet highlighting special NBP books 6 46.2 7 53.8 9. List of new books posted 9 69.2 4 30.8 10. Use of color coding scheme 11 84.6 2 15.4 11. Tables appropriate for students 13 100 0 0 12. Quiet reading area 10 76.9 3 23.1 13. Library located near toilet 8 61.5 5 38.5 14. Library centrally located 13 100 0 0 15. Posters to guide the children’s book selection 9 69.2 4 30.8 16. Record of books used up to date 13 100 0 0 17. Records kept of number of library visitors 13 100 0 0 18. Records of books used during the Festival of Reading for All (2005‐2008) 8 61.5 5 38.5 19. Evidence of publicity boards, walls and others facilities to motivate children to read 13 100 0 0 20. Written plan demonstrating ways to use the library environment to propagate NBP book collections 9 69.2 4 30.8 21. Reading for All books displayed 9 69.2 4 30.8 Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 71 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 Reading Survey Results (Reading Assessment Motivation) Reading Survey Results (Reading Assessment Motivation) 1 2 3 4 Total 1) My Friends think I am (1‐A very good Reader)(2‐A good reader) ( 3‐An o.k. reader) ( 4‐A poor reader) 30 28 18 3 79 2) Reading a book is something I like to do (1‐Never) (2‐Not very often) (3‐ sometimes) (4‐Often) 9 36 34 0 79 3) I Read….(1‐Not as well as my friends) (2‐about the same as my friends) (3‐A little better than my friends) (4‐A lot better than my friends) 14 39 8 18 79 4)My best friends think reading is….(1‐Really fun) (2‐Fun) (3‐OK to do) (4‐Never figure it out) 26 26 23 4 79 5)When I come to a word I don't know, I can…. (1‐Almost always figure it out) (2‐ sometimes figure it out) (3‐Almost never Figure it out) (Never figure it out) 27 33 11 8 79 6)I tell my friends about good books I read (1‐I never do this) (2‐I almost never do this) (3‐I do this some of the time) (4‐I do this a lot) 6 19 16 38 79 7)When I'm reading by myself, I understand…. (1‐Almost everything I read) (2‐Some of what I read) (3‐Almost none of what I read) (4‐none of what I read) 33 43 3 0 79 8)People who read a lot are…. (1‐Very interesting) (2‐Interesting) (3‐Not very interesting) (4‐Boring) 34 45 0 0 79 9) I am…. (1‐A poor reader) (2‐An OK reader) (3‐A good reader) (4‐A very good reader) 1 28 26 24 79 10) I think libraries are…. (1‐A great place to spend time) (2‐an interesting place to spend time) (3‐an OK place to spend time) (4‐a boring place to spend time) 36 31 11 1 79 11) Knowing how to read well is …. (1‐ not very important) (2‐sort of important) (3‐ Important) (4‐Very important) 1 10 26 42 79 12) When my teacher asks me a question about what I have read, I…. (1‐can never think of an answer) (2‐have trouble thinking of an answer) (3‐sometimes think of an answer) (4‐always think of an answer) 3 3 28 45 79 13) I think reading is….(1‐A boring way to spend time) (2‐an OK way to spend time) (3‐an Interesting way to spend time) (4‐a great way to spend time) 1 10 45 23 79 14)Reading is…. (1‐very easy for me) (2‐Kind of easy for me) (3‐Kind of hard for me) (4‐Very hard for me) 44 21 14 0 79 15)When I grow up I will spend…. (1‐ none of my time reading) (2‐very little of my time reading) (3‐some of my time reading) (4‐a lot of my time reading) 0 1 45 33 79 16)When I'm in a group talking about stories, I…. (1‐almost never talk about my ideas) (2‐sometimes talk about my ideas) (3‐almost always talk about my ideas) (4‐ always talk about my ideas) 5 20 29 25 79 17) I would like for my teacher to read books out loud to the class…. (1‐ every day) (2‐almost every day) (3‐once in a while) (4‐never) 35 18 14 12 79 18)When I read out loud I am a …. (1‐poor reader) (2‐OK reader) (3‐good reader) (4‐ very good reader) 22 27 14 16 79 19) When someone gives me a book for a present, I feel…. (1‐very happy) (2‐sort of happy) (3‐sort of unhappy) (4‐Unhappy) 44 33 2 0 79 Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 72 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 Interviewees USAID & Staff of other USAID Programs Elizabeth Warfield (Director of Health & Education Programming) Adel Gohar (Senior Education Advisor) Robert Burch (Senior Education Specialist) Atef Mahmoud (Education Specialist) Jane Benbow (COP, Education Reform Program) Daniel Coster (COP, Girls’ Improved Learning Outcomes) Joanne Capper (Senior Education Spec, Girls’ Improved Learning Outcomes Monia Schaffner (COP, School Team Excellence Awards Program) AED Nancy Parks (COP of the National Book Program, National Office-Cairo) Mariam Moussa (BPSS Coordinator, National Office-Cairo) Paula Gubbins (Senior Education Specialist—Home Office Washington, DC) Steering Committee Maurice Mikhail (Advisor to Mubarak Libraries) Mustafa Abdel Semei (Director, NCERD) Philip Eskaroas (Researcher, NCERD) Nadia Ell Kholy (English Language Professor, Cairo University) Ministry of Education Reda Abou Serie (First Undersecretary for General Education) Sayeda Abdel Rahman (General Manager, School Libraries) Akram Ibrahim El Sayed (Researcher) Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 73 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 Publishers & Booksellers Khaled El-Amry (General Manager, Dar al-Farouk) Ahmed Bedeir (Director of Business Development, Dar El Shorouk) Dalia Ibrahim (Vice President, Nahdet Misr) Laura Kfoury (Managing Director, Elias Modern Publishing House) Amal Mahmoud (Store Manager, Diwan Bookstore Zamalek) Hala Hussein Omar (President, Hala Publishing & Distribution) Ahmed Rashad (Sales Manager, Al-Dar Al-Masriah Al-Lubnaniah Publishing) Mohamed Rashad (Chairman, Al-Dar Al-Masriah Al-Lubnaniah Publishing) Nourhan Rashad (Publishing Manager, Al-Dar Al-Masriah Al-Lubnaniah Publishing) Dina El Ghamry (GM-BARDI Publishing Co.) Dr. Mostfa Abed E l Sameea (NBP Technical Advisor) Hamdy Kobaisy (Chief Executive, printing industries development association, IDA) Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 74 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 School Visits Because the preparatory and secondary book collections (BPSS) were delivered in July/August 2008 the evaluation team agreed that it would be premature to make site visits to preparatory and secondary schools. The Evaluation team developed a list of criteria and submitted this list to USAID and the MoE for clearance. The criteria included such factors as diverse economic status, rural and urban, librarian trained by the NBP in-service, and schools with integrated boys/girls classes. The final list of school visits was further constrained by the schedule of this evaluation (summer vacation and Ramadan). This limited the availability of key informants. The list below was organized by the MoE and USAID. School Name El Nahda Governorate Cairo Idara El Sahel Kawakeb Experimental Cairo Heliopolis Sara Taki El Din Cairo El Waili Sakkara Giza Badrasheen Omar ibn Khattab Giza Hawamdaya El Nasr Giza Abu Nomros Obour Giza Abu Nomros Hamidat Qena Qena Abu Bakr Qena Qena Qeft Primary Qena Qeft Zaheraya Qena Qeft Abnaa El Thawra Menia Menia Susan Mubarak Menia Menia Abu Bakr Menia Malawi Amr Ibn El As Menia Malawi Manshaya Fayoum Fayoum West Baghous Fayoum Fayoum West Fatma Fathi Fayoum Fayoum West El Salaam Fayoum Fayoum East Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 75 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 Bibliography of Documents Reviewed Initiating Documents • • • Relevant sections of the Fourth and Fifth Amendments of the 0286 Approval Documents (AADs) RFPs for soliciting the services of a US contractor to implement programs for primary and for Preparatory/Secondary Schools Scope of Work for AED Contextual Documents • • NBP Web site Ministry of Education Strategic Plan SLEP I Documents • • • • • • • SLEP I Book Collection (Samples Arabic & English) RFP SLEP I SLEP I Consortium SLEP I Title List SLEP Steering Committee List SLEP I Work plan Delivery Verification SLEP II Documents • • • • SLEP II Book Collection (Samples Arabic & English) SLEP II RFP SLEP II Evaluation Guide SLEP II Workplan SEMP Documents • • • • SEMP Book and Materials Collection SEMP RFP SEMP Evaluation Criteria SEMP List of Consortia BPSS Documents • • • • BPSS Book Collection (Sample Arabic & English) BPSS Quarterly Reports BPSS Procurement Reports BPSS Training Program Manuals Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 76 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 NBP Stakeholders Meeting Agenda Evening Program 5:30-6:00 Reception 6:00-7:00 Iftar & Praying 7:00-7:05 Welcome & Introduction by Tarek Sheta 7:05-7:10 USAID Word by Robert Burch 7:10-7:20 MOE Word by Wagdi Afifi 7:20-7:30 Overview of the NBP Evaluation by Dr. Jim Wile 7:30-7:50 NBP Evaluation: Key Findings Presentation by the Juarez and Associates Evaluation Team 7:50-8:10 Presentation about Reading by Dr. Sohair F. Wastawy 8:10-8:30 Group Discussions 8:30 Thanks and Closing Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 77 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 NBP Stakeholders Meeting (List of Participants) 1 2 3 4 5 Name Ahmed Ibrahim Sabry Mohamed Mona Moheb Ashraf Michel Ariette Tadros 6 Zohair El Qady 7 8 9 10 Hala Hussien Ahmed Bedair Dina El Ghamry Maurice Mikhail Organization Nahdet Misr Publications Nahdet Misr Publications Elias Publishing House Elias Publishing House El Dar El Masriya El Lobnanya Publishing House El Dar El Masriya El Lobnanya Publishing House Hala Publishing Dar El Shorok Publishing BARDI Publishing Mubarak Public Library 11 Wagdi Afifi Ministry of Education 12 Mohamed Saleh Ministry of Education 13 14 15 Magdi Ibrahim Ahmed Kamel Nagwa Hussain Ministry of Education Ministry of Education Ministry of Education 16 17 18 19 Robert Burch Atef Mahmoud Somaya Zakarya Fatma Ahmed USAID-Cairo USAID-Cairo USAID-Cairo USAID-Cairo Education Education 20 21 22 23 24 25 Jim Wile Tarek Sheta Soad Abdel Rassoul Hassan Esmat Kamel Mohamed Bondok Sohair Wastawy NBP Evaluation Team NBP Evaluation Team NBP Evaluation Team NBP Evaluation Team NBP Evaluation Team NBP Evaluation Team Team Leader Project Manager Member Member Member Member Juarez and Associates, Inc. Title Position Project Manager Project Manager Editor Publishing Consultant Publishing Manager General Manager Department Manager General Manager General Manager Undersecretary- Secondary Education General Manager-Basic Education Curriculum Expert Curriculum Expert Secondary Education Page 78 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS 2008 Final Recommendations from Stakeholders’ Workshop USAID hosted a stakeholders’ workshop as one of the culminating activities of the National Book Program. The purpose of this event was to stimulate widespread discussion regarding strategies for activating and maximizing the books from the National Book Program. Below are the suggestions that arose from discussion groups. Stakeholders' Workshop, September 25, 2008. Cairo, Egypt. Juarez and Associates, Inc. Perhaps the most important “next step” to come out of this workshop was the agreement that additional discussions need to be scheduled both at the level of the Ministry of Education and at the individual school levels. USAID may play a role in organizing another meeting with the Ministry of Education, Director of General Directorate of Libraries, and Curriculum Development to present the finding of NBP evaluation report in order to create new systems to activate the use of the NBP book collections. See additional notes below: • • • • • • The Ministry of Education should begin train teachers and librarians and provide them a set of activities on different ways to use the NBO collection in classrooms and projects. Include library quality control into school accreditation Make available the NBP training materials Establish library programs in relation to class activities Train librarians and students to use the library Create reward system for students who read Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 79 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS • • • • • • 2008 Continue efforts for education reform Use competition as a way to encourage library use MOE should coordinate between donors at the school level to activate the use of the books in the USAID programs and that coordination should be monitor by USAID Prepare training for teachers and librarians focus on the books topics (prepare matrix of the books topics to facilitate the use of books by the teachers) School improvement annual plans should have an activity which focuses on measuring the impact of the books on the students at the long run Digital materials are needed on-line to enrich the school libraries collections and encourage the use of internet in the schools. Recommendations • • • • • Supervisors can ask teachers to supplement the curricular textbooks with other reading materials from the library, and be able to guide their students to find these materials by themselves. Supervisors will measure teachers' skills in the light of their achievements in this concern and will include this in their assessment reports about teachers. • To maximize the use of NBP collection, the school management can follow a new policy that permits each teacher to spend a full school day per week in the library to focus on using the collection books and the library internet in designing extracurricular activities. • In the context of the policy of the Comprehensive Accumulative Assessment, adopted by MoE, and to encourage the concept of active learning, each exam has to contain a question related to free reading from the library. This will link the MoE policy with the aim of activating the use of the school library books, especially the NBP collection. The MoE has to inform publishers about the most important topics that can enrich the school library and extracurricular activities. A competition has to be conducted among school libraries to select the best one, and the best librarian according to specific criteria. This will encourage competitiveness among schools. The students will be the ultimate beneficiaries. Training courses for librarians should focus on how to prepare librarians to help teachers making the class work more interesting and fruitful for the children. The course of instruction at the teachers' training colleges should include sessions devoted to books, on how to use them in the educational process, how to give help and advice to the children and stimulate their reading interests and tastes. Juarez and Associates, Inc. Page 80 FINAL REPORT OF THE EVALUATION OF THE USAID/EGYPT NATIONAL BOOK PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS Invitation to Stakeholders’ Workshop 2008 I NV I TA TI ON Date: 21 Sept. 2008 Prof. Dr. Reda Abu Seria Deputy Minister Ministry of Education Egypt Sir, National Book Program On Behalf of the US Agency for International Development, you are cordially invited to participate in a special Iftar discussion of the findings and recommendations of the recently completed evaluation of the National Book Program. As a result of the successful completion of the program millions of new books have been distributed to primary, preparatory, and secondary schools in Egypt. The evening's discussion will focus on what remains to be done to activate, sustain, and expand these school libraries and to further promote a culture of reading in Egypt. Please join our panel of featured speakers in an opportunity to share your thoughts. JUAREZ AND ASSOCIATES, INC. Date: Thursday 25 September 2008 Time: 5:30-8:00 p.m. Place: Pyramisa Hotel, Dokki L ook i n g f or w a r d t o m eet i n g w i t h y ou , Project Manager __________________ Tarek A. Sheta Juarez and Associates, Inc. Team Leader _________________ James Wile Page 81