Mobilising citizens for transparency and accountability in education through Textbook Count

Abstract

Civil society monitoring and advocacy that is vertically integrated across different levels of action is one strategy for seeking government accountability. This case study summary is one of a set of seven from the Philippines. Each discusses a civil society campaign in a different sector, and draws out lessons for vertical integration. This summary discusses Textbook Count, a joint initiative of civil society and the Department of Education, which involved a multi-level civil society coalition in ensuring that the right quantity of textbooks, with the right quality, reached public school students at the right time, following the right processes. This was accomplished by building a broad coalition to mobilise volunteers on the ground, who covered nearly 80% of textbook delivery points in high schools and district offices across the country.