Textbooks found dumped in wake of a shortage
Over 3 000 textbooks were found dumped in an old classroom at Phatlaphadima Special School in Ga-Mashashane last week, making the fact that many Limpopo learners are still awaiting textbooks even more shocking.
POLOKWANE – Over 3 000 textbooks were found dumped in an old classroom at Phatlaphadima Special School in Ga-Mashashane last week, making the fact that many Limpopo learners are still awaiting textbooks even more shocking.
The textbooks found included subjects such as geography, business studies, mathematics literacy, life orientation, English, Afrikaans and Sepedi.
According to Democratic Alliance Limpopo leader, Jacques Smalle, usable desks, tables and chairs were also found.
He said this finding raised even more issues considering that there had been an alarming shortage of textbooks and lack of infrastructure reported over the past two years. “Taking into consideration that there are so many schools who have to make do without these resources, it is unacceptable that the department is allowed to dump such valuable resources,” Smalle said.
The DA called upon education MEC Dikeledi Magadzi to tighten her grip on the department and urgently arrange the collection and distribution of needed textbooks to schools in Limpopo.
Earlier investigations into the availability of textbooks at Polokwane schools revealed that there was just one school in the city which had all the required textbooks.
Investigations by the DA showed schools in Aganang also did not have all the textbooks needed. These schools included: Bakwena Secondary School, Chika High School, Nkhumishe Primary School, Dibeng Primary School and Ngakana High School.
Education spokesperson, Pitsi Mabola said the department would look into the matter, but confirmed that the only shortages would be those that had been overestimated at some schools and needed to be relocated to other schools.
Public interest litigation centre, Section 27 will represent several schools in an application against education minister Angie Motshekga. Section 27 executive director, Mark Heywood said three months into the school year, 39 schools in Limpopo said they still had not received their textbooks.
He further said the department had been threatening to fire teachers if they released any information about the shortages.
“What we are hoping to achieve is to see that the court (the high court judge) makes sure the department of education complies with learners’ basic rights to education,” Heywood said.
