So too is the book, especially when many communities do not have reliable electricity supplies, let alone the resources to acquire new technology. When education systems are severely overstretched, funding for teachers' salaries takes priority over learning materials. Yet the latter are critical, since many teachers, particularly in primary schools, are themselves untrained. In these circumstances, the book becomes the principal teaching and learning resource. Local publishing companies face many problems.
Basic materials are in short supply.
So is skilled labour. Most serious of all, there is no real purchasing power in the marketplace. So it is very hard for indigenous publishers to begin to meet the huge and growing demand. Yet if a long term solution is to be found, their efforts are vital. Hence the importance of publishing support programmes in developing countries.