Gabon's new primary English textbooks face counterfeiting threat

New textbooks from the "Super Efficace" collection, designed by Gabonese authors, were presented on August 20 in Libreville by the Minister of State for National Education, Camélia Ntoutoume Leclercq. These manuals are specifically tailored to the Gabonese context, incorporating local names, streets, and schools, as part of a broader policy to contextualize educational materials. The Ministry emphasizes the national expertise involved in their creation, with contributions from teachers and specialists trained abroad and now working in Gabon.

However, these new textbooks are already facing a significant threat from counterfeiting. The Ministry of National Education has reported the interception of several containers at Owendo port containing illicit copies of Gabonese textbooks. This issue has previously affected other educational materials published by the Ministry.

Minister Ntoutoume Leclercq stated that the government plans to collaborate with the Ministry of Economy to burn the seized counterfeit shipments. Ahead of the school year, the Ministry is urging parents to be vigilant and to only purchase validated books published by the Ministry of National Education to ensure they acquire authentic materials. This initiative aims to both introduce early English learning and strengthen national production of educational resources, but its success is now challenged