The iceberg of textbooks

Publication: Revista Qué Pasa

Date: March 6, 2014

Language: Spanish

Link: http://www.quepasa.cl/articulo/opinion---posteos/2014/03/20-13933-9-el-iceberg-de-los-textos-escolares.shtml

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The Chilean State spent $ 40 million dollars in 2012 for textbooks serve three million students. Each text with a final value of about $ 3. In the private sector, which represents 10% of the total market, texts are 10 to 20 times more expensive. What to do?

The first step to reconfigure these markets to competition and guide for the quality of the texts is, in the case of private institutions require banning books "of the year", expanding the range to the last 5 years. This diversifies the options and avoid the bad practice of reprinting the same contents as if they were different editions: publishers will have to convince parents to choose the text "of the year" improving quality. In the case of the national market, it is necessary, as pointed out by Eugenio Severin, separate the bidding of the contents of the bidding for the printing, allowing for increased competition and new players join it.

Presentation in Educa Digital 2013, Bogotá, Colombia

Title: Innovación para la Educación: Nuevos paradigmas

Event: Educa Digital 2013

Hosted by: Ministerios de Educación y de TICs de Colombia

Date: Agosto 2013

Language: Spanish

Reshaping Education in Latin America through Innovation

Publication: Brookings: Education + Development 

Date: 27 Sept 2013 

Language: Inglés 

Original link: http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/education-plus-development/posts/2013/09/27-reshaping-edu-innovation-latin-america-zinny 

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Leveraging this sort of private-public partnership can reap huge benefits. As a recent Brookings paper argues: “Where a business case can be made to investors, it is perfectly possible to channel significant private sector resources to help solve public problems…The future prosperity of our global economy depends on our ability to recognize our shared responsibility in providing quality education and act with new energy to invest in its provision in emerging market economies and the developing world.”