Education Dept fails to deliver textbooks

In the light of the Department of Education’s failure to deliver textbooks to an estimated 530 schools, Democratic Alliance Provincial Leader Jacques Smalle said it was clear that both MEC Ishmael Kgetjepe and Premier Stan Mathabatha have lied to and misled the people of Limpopo when presenting the 2017 schools readiness report by indicating that textbooks will be delivered to all schools by the end of March.
Reportedly the initial deadline was the end of March which date was extended to 19 May but still the department could not fulfil its promise, Smalle said.
The crisis was reportedly revealed during a presentation by the department to the Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Education on Friday.
The report confirmed that 531 schools are still without Siyavula textbooks for Mathematics and Physical Sciences for Grades 10 and 11 while seven schools are still waiting for the Tsonga literature textbook, Ku Dyela Nyama Ematlukeni for Grade 12 to be delivered.
Departmental Spokesperson Naledzani Rasila confirmed that the department had missed the deadline but also emphasised that they were going to have a meeting with the two publishers today (Thursday) to come up with a solution to the matter.
He further said the two publishers are the sole sources of the books in question, hence the department depended on them to deliver the aforementioned textbooks.
According to the statement issued by the DA, schools were forced to use their norms and standards budget to fund the non-delivery of textbooks and LTSM which will place more pressure on the schools’ planned expenditure. Smalle was quoted to have said this was yet another year in Limpopo that learners were being denied their textbooks by an uncaring African National Congress led government since 2012.
“The failure by the department to have a memorandum of understanding in place with all publishers to hold them accountable for the delivery of textbooks indicates a lack of oversight over a critical indicator. The delay proves a lack of planning that continues to hamper the learners’ chances of having a successful academic year,” Smalle said.
He added that the DA had urged the department to reimburse schools that incurred the unforeseen expenditure of having to buy textbooks using their norms and standards budget.
On the matter of using the norms and standards budget for that purpose Rasila explained: “There is a portion that schools can use to buy LTMS and there is another portion of the money that can be used for minor repairs at the school. We don’t have to reimburse schools that used their norms and standards budget to buy textbooks.” He further said teachers cannot fold their arms and blame everything on late delivery of textbooks.

Story & photo: ENDY SENYATSI
>>endy@observer.co.za