|
The World Bank is expected to respond over the next
two weeks to the tender evaluation of the Ministry
of Education (MoE) for the publication of Civics and
Ethics textbooks and teachers’ guides for grades
nine through 12.
The ministry, which submitted its evaluation a week
ago, is expected to submit more evaluations for the
tender of English, Geography and Technical Drawing
text books and guides.
MoE has secured a 50 million dollar fund from the
Fast Track Initiative Catalytic Fund of the
International Development Association of the WB, the
Bank’s fund under its Education for All programme.
It also has grants from Dutch, Swedish and Italian
development cooperation agencies, as well as the
Finnish Government.
This is part of the multimillion dollar
international tender the Ministry floated in January
2009, for the adaptation, printing and distribution
of textbooks and teacher guides for grades nine to
12.
High Tech, St. Justice, Ruie, Star Educational
Books, Laxmi Publications, Al Ghurair Printing and
Publishing House and Capital Business Systems, are
the seven international companies who showed
interest in publishing Civics and Ethics text books
and teachers’ guides. Four of these companies, Star,
Laxmi, Al Ghurair and Capital, have bid for
Chemistry, Physics, Biology and Mathematics books.
“In the case of Civics, the bidders are expected to
only print the books,” Abera Abate, External
Communication and Public Relations officer of the
Ministry told Fortune. “It is expected to
cost 2.6 million dollars.”
In the other packages, distribution to 628
destinations throughout the country is involved.
Pearson Education Ltd of the UK was awarded the
publication of Biology and Physics textbooks for
seven million dollars on November 26, 2009.
Star Educational Books of India also singned a
contract with the Ministry to supply Mathematics and
Chemistry textbooks and teachers’ guides for a total
of 8.2 million dollars. They will deliver the books
at all the delivery points in the country.
The Oromia, Amhara and Southern regional states have
266, 129 and 121 delivery points, respectively.
Harari, Gambella, Afar, Addis Abeba, Benishangul
Gumuz, Somali and Tigray regional states have two,
six, seven, 10, 20, 22 and 44 destinations,
respectively.
In Star’s case, competing firms told Fortune
that the tender was awarded to it even though the
company demanded a larger sum than the rest. It is
to be paid 8.2 million dollars, while Marshall
Cavendish and Pearson had offered seven million
dollars and 6.8 million dollars, respectively.
However, Abera of MoE explains that star was the
only company that passed through the technical
evaluation; Laxmi ranked second.
“The amount of money is larger because Mathematics
is given to both social and natural science streams
in the preparatory level,” Abera said. “The other
science subjects are only needed for natural
sciences.” |
