School textbooks: Stakeholders begin placing orders

Stakeholders say they want to avoid last-minute rush by getting approved books on time for school reopening.

Preparations for the 2016/2017 academic year in Cameroon have already begun in earnest, following the publication lists of approved textbooks about three weeks ago by the Ministries of Basic and Secondary Education.

The books are for pre-nursery, primary, secondary and high schools. As a result, publishers and bookshop owners are busy placing orders for printing and supply respectively.

Talking to Cameroon Tribune in Yaounde on June 4, 2016, Atem Emmanuel Ndeisieh, of Cosmos Educational Press, said they had about 40 per cent of books from leftover stocks to supply. He explained that this concerns Cosmos books that were already on accredited lists, since accreditation lasts at least three academic years.

“On the other hand, we have already placed orders for 40 per cent of our books to be printed in India, while printing of the remaining 20 per cent is going on in the country,” he noted.

Meanwhile, Cosmos Educational Press is to meet book distributors in the country early next month. A similar meeting has already been held with Limbe-based book sellers. Still as part of efforts to ensure that approved textbooks are available on time for the next school reopening, members of the Cameroon Book Publishers’ Syndicate, CAMBUPUSYN and National Association of Cameroon Book Publishers, ANELCAM, are planning to meet next month to synergize their efforts.

Still concerning textbook supply, Nkwelle Primus of ANUCAM Educational Books said they had already placed orders for printing in India, while half of the job is being done locally.

“The books printed in India are expected to arrive in the country in July 2016, two months before school reopening,” he assured. The ANUCAM representative expressed hope that there will be no congestion in the Douala Seaport this year to ease the clearance of the ordered books. ANUCAM has enough old stocks of textbooks to start the season while waiting for new supplies, Nkwelle assured.

Miranda Njenku of Presbook, EMIA Junction, Melen, Yaounde, said her bookshop has already placed orders with publishers. “Majority of Cameroonian publishers will only start printing from early July to prevent their works from being pirated,” Njenku explained. In the nearby Cosmopen Bookshop, a source said they were yet to place orders for school textbooks, saying it was still early in the day.