Global Text's Focus

As noted in a previous post, we occasionally get questions on why we're focused on the developing world, and why we're focused on universities instead of K-12. It's not because we think there's not a problem with the cost of textbooks in the US and other developed countries, or with K-12. There is. Our focus is on developing countries because that's where the need is greatest, and on universities because that's where we can most readily engage the community.

There was a couple of recent items in the New York Times that reinforce our focus:

The first is a May 20 article entitled "Africa's Storied Colleges: Jammed and Crumbling". It's a long article, and worth reading. Here's a quote from it:

"Africa's best universities, the grand institutions that educated a revolutionary generation of nation builders and statesmen, doctors and engineers, writers and intellectuals, are collapsing. It is partly a self-inflicted crisis of mismanagement and neglect, but it is also a result of international development policies that for decades have favored basic education over higher learning even as a population explosion propels more young people than ever toward the already strained institutions.

The decrepitude is forcing the best and brightest from countries across Africa to seek their education and fortunes abroad and depriving dozens of nations of the homegrown expertise that could lift millions out of poverty".

And here's a letter to the editor, published on May 27, commenting on the story:

"To the Editor:

The rapidly deteriorating -- even chaotic -- conditions illustrated in ''Africa's Storied Colleges, Jammed and Crumbling'' (front page, May 20) are one legacy of an international development agenda that continues to relegate higher education in Africa to second-class status.

To be certain, most African societies are badly in need of increased literacy and training in basic skills. But donors must not fall prey to false choices between investing in grade schools and supporting higher education. To do so would be like building a ladder only halfway to its destination.

Africans themselves are determined to break out of the cycle of poverty and instability. For them, developing better universities is an important route toward deepening democratization, reforming public policy and building civil society.

Only when Africa has entrepreneurs, scholars, scientists, educators and public officials who can grapple with its problems will the continent be securely on the road to lasting progress.

Vibrant universities engaged in innovative and often daring reform, like those supported by a partnership comprising Carnegie Corporation, the Ford, Hewlett, Kresge, MacArthur, Mellon and Rockefeller foundations, are helping to produce this new generation of leaders.

Vartan Gregorian
President
Carnegie Corporation of New York
New York, May 21, 2007"

What Global Text is trying do do is help build that ladder all the way to its destination.

-Don