Unapproved textbooks brouhaha: Badu Nkansah, other publishers prioritized money over quality- NaCCA

The acting Director-General of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA), John Mensah Anang, has expressed that publishers such as Badu Nkansah saw an opportunity to make money when schools reopened.

Hence, they did not consider the need for quality and their actions, he says could have defeated the objective of the new curriculum.

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Speaking to Samuel Eshun on the Happy Morning Show, he disclosed: “Badu Nkansah’s history book and many other publishers introduced their books into the market at the blind side of NaCCA and the Ministry just to make some market.

As soon as they heard the President announcing that schools should reopen, within some weeks, people started preparing. Those who had not even finished their books quickly started doing something to meet the market and that is a very bad practice”.

Sharing the effects their actions could pose, John Mensah Anang stated: “It did not help all of us because if you have a very good curriculum but worse textbooks, definitely you will never achieve the intended objectives of the curriculum and that is what we witnessed about some two months ago”.

In March 2021, a textbook titled ‘History of Ghana Textbook 3’ published by Badu Nkansah generated an uproar amongst Ghanaians after its ‘offensive description’ of Ewes.

The textbook found its way onto the market although it was yet to be approved by the National Council for Curriculum Assessment (NaCCA).

The said publication featured a song that shows the Ewes identity by making inappropriate references which are deemed unfortunate and in contradiction with NaCCA’s Book Submission Guidelines and Approval Methodology which guide the work of publishers and authors.

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Subsequently, the textbook Publisher, Badu Nkansah Limited apologized for the offensive tone used in the book and called up all copies in circulation with immediate effect.

By: Alberta Dorcas N D Armah