School books are in transit

MBOMBELA – The Mpumalanga Department of Education denied allegations that pupils of Mpumalanga could be without learning material in 2015 due to a delay in ordering the learner and teacher support material (LTSM).

The DA sent out a press release on Monday expressing concern that learners and teachers could be without material as the education MEC, Ms Reginah Mhaule, announced that there was a delay in the ordering of LTSM for 2015 due to the appointment of new service providers.

Upon arrival to the distribution warehouse, Lowvelder found Mr Jasper Zwane, education spokesman in Mpumalanga and Mr Michael Makwaka, operations manager of the project management unit at the warehouse, where the last batch of material was being loaded onto a truck for delivery.

“There were some administrative delays, but there is absolutely no need to panic,” Makwaka said. Zwane added that the department would have delivered all the LTSM to schools within the province by the end of Monday.

“The department allocated R173 million for delivery of the core LTSM for 2015, which is stationery and grade 12 folklore.”

The learning and teaching support material will be used in the 2015 school year and is according to Zwane, delivered based on the number of learners per school per grade which each school submitted to the department via EMIS and SA-SAMS.

He says the LTSM deliveries were from November 7 to 26 to ensure that schools were able to prepare and plan properly and on time, so that teaching and learning could start without hassles on the first day of reopening, January 14.

Schools are expected to give feedback on the deliveries and to indicate instances where there are shortages before the schools close on December 10. “All learners must receive this material on time and at no stage should anyone be deprived of stationery even if parents have not met some of their school obligations,” Zwane concluded.