Even as African countries work toward achieving better learning outcomes for children through systemic reform, the affordability and availability of textbooks remains a persistent challenge across the continent. Although development partners, including the World Bank Group, have provided extensive technical support and funding for textbooks, shortages continue to hamper learning. While textbooks are not the only factor influencing student learning outcomes, their unavailability deprives students of an additional learning resource and of the opportunity to develop good reading habits. The lack of textbooks also deprives teachers of much-needed teaching support. The scale of the problem is worsened because of rapid student population growth. The supply of textbooks is simply unable to keep up with demand, and costs can be prohibitive for low-income families. This study aims to generate discussion among policy makers, development partners, and other stakeholders in Africa on the policy options that can help reduce textbook costs and increase their supply. It explores, in depth, the cost and financial barriers that restrict textbook availability in schools across much of the region. It also examines policies adopted in India, the Philippines, and Vietnam that have helped these countries make textbooks affordable and available for all children. Finally, the study provides a thorough assessment of the pros and cons of digital teaching and learning materials and cautions against the assumption that they can immediately replace printed textbooks. On a personal basis, as secretary of education of Rio de Janeiro, I found it helpful to have both: textbooks and digital classes, including online reading materials, such as e-books. The breadth of information and analysis in the study is both practical and relevant, because there is no quick fix to the mounting problem of textbook scarcity. To achieve the goal of each child having access to textbooks, countries need to make well-informed policy choices within the prevailing country context. These choices then need to be supported by a time-bound action plan for methodical capacity building within national education systems as well as by strategic partnerships with the private sector to ensure that the teaching and learning materials are designed to support student learning and can be produced at costs that make them widely available. While good policies can ensure sustained funding and improved efficiency and reverse the damage done by decades x

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