Question No. 1638
Dr JC Kloppers-Lourens (Democratic Alliance) to ask the Minister of Basic Education:
(1) Whether, with reference to her department's decision to retain the provision of work packs to grade six pupils as an in-house function, she has formulated any plan for the spending of the R254 million allocated for this purpose; if not, why not; if so, (a) what are the relevant details of the plan, (b) how will the plan be (i) managed and (ii) controlled, (c) what mechanisms will be put in place to ensure transparency, (d) what savings will accrue to her department and (e) how will her department spend the surplus of funds;
(2) Whether her department will manage the project in accordance with the original specifications as contained in the original cancelled tender; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
1. Yes the Department of Basic Education has developed a plan for the development of workbooks for grades one to six. The development of the workbooks will be internal. The department will utilise capacity within the system in the development of the workbooks. This will include the Department of Basic Education and provincial Education departments.
(a) Relevant details of the plan
The key deliverables of the plan is a workbook package that includes:
* Two learners' workbooks for literacy and numeracy, respectively, per grade one to six learner in all official languages
* Foundations for learning lesson plan files for grades one to six in all official languages.
It is planned that the workbooks will be piloted in schools in 2010 and will be available for use in all schools in 2011. The development of workbooks will be done internally by a team of writers identified through higher education institutions (HEIs), non-governmental organisations (NGOs), provinces and districts.
The work in the different languages will be done through a process of having individuals with curriculum expertise in each language work together until all versions for each grade are completed.
The workbooks will be piloted in 90 schools during the development phase. Schools from both urban and rural areas have been identified for this purpose. They include schools across all quintiles and language of teaching and learning. Feedback will be used to strengthen the workbooks before printing.
(b) How will the plan be (i) managed and (ii) controlled?
The curriculum branch and other sections of the Department of Basic Education will manage the development process and the distribution of the workbooks.
The provincial Education Departments will support the Department of Basic Education in this process. All aspects of the plan will be monitored b the Department of Basic Education and the provincial Education Departments.
(c) Mechanisms to ensure transparency
The development of the workbooks will be internal. The printing and distribution will follow relevant supply chain management policies and other policies regulating government procurement.
The pilot of the work books during the development process further suggests transparency.
(d) What savings will accrue to her department and (e) how her department will spend the surplus of funds?
The department does not envisage that there will be any savings from this project.
2. The plan for the development of workbooks has been re-designed taking into account the original specifications. The department has identified the writers for the workbooks and other logistical processes are being finalised.
The writing teams will comprise literacy and numeracy subject experts and cover the different official languages.
Source: Department of Education (http://www.education.gov.za/)
