The Portfolio Committee on Basic Education today received a status update from the Department of Basic Education on the delivery of textbooks in South Africa, particularly in Limpopo.
Ms Hope Malgas, Chairperson of the Committee, said the concurrent functions of education by the national Department of Basic Education and the provincial Education Department were a challenge.
“The national department is responsible for policy creation but not the implementation of such policies. They, however, need to ensure that the policies are implemented. Provincial departments must ensure that those policies are implemented and that textbooks are delivered.”
The department informed the Committee that it could not with certainty say that all learners in every school had every textbook, although they strived towards achieving that. Their target is that by 2014 that every learner should have all their required textbooks.
Ms Malgas further noted that the migration of learners in the country played a critical role in the provision of textbooks. “The migration and relocation of people from rural to urban areas and then relocation within urban areas have an effect on the number of textbooks required. The amount of textbooks requisitioned last year by schools will differ because of new registrations at the beginning of this year.”
The Committee was assured that all textbooks should be delivered by the end of this week as the books were available and it was not a question of them still having to be ordered. About 42 000 textbooks must still be delivered in Limpopo.
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Rajaa Azzakani (Ms)
Parliamentary Communication Services
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E-mail: razzakani@parliament.gov.za
