Joburg textbook scandal

Undelivered text books fill a stoage room at the Soweto campus of UJ. 010216. Picture: Chris Collingridge 731

Undelivered text books fill a stoage room at the Soweto campus of UJ. 010216. Picture: Chris Collingridge 731

Published Feb 2, 2016

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Johannesburg - Thousands of schoolchildren in the south of Joburg have been left without textbooks - four weeks into the 2016 academic year.

This is all because the boxes of books remain sealed and uncollected in a classroom at Funda-UJabule Primary School, situated within the University of Johannesburg’s Soweto campus.

Among the uncollected textbooks are the maths, technology and science books for grades 7, 8 and 9. The books are meant for schools in Lenasia, Eldorado Park, Soweto and Rosettenville, according to a district official.

They remain in storage because teachers and principals, who are expected to collect them using their own vehicles during their spare time, have not done so.

If they cannot find the time or don’t have transport to get there, the books will not be collected.

The textbooks have allegedly been gathering dust in the storeroom since December.

The Gauteng Department of Education’s Johannesburg Central district, which is just next to UJ, had asked to store the textbooks there because its building doesn't have enough space.

When The Star went to the storage room on Monday, hundreds of sealed boxes filled with books were stacked in the dusty room. A few boxes were open, but the books were still wrapped in plastic.

The DA’s Gauteng spokesman on education, Khume Ramulifho, said he was alerted that the books had not been distributed despite the fact that schools had long been open.

On Monday, he and the DA’s Joburg mayoral candidate, Herman Mashaba went to the storeroom to see for themselves, and found the books there.

Ramulifho said the failure to deliver the books was an indication that districts were dysfunctional.

He added that the districts were supposed to be offering support to schools, but that was not happening.

“They expect the schools to come and pick up the books. Why should they do that when they have support in the form of districts? Poor management is the reason why the books are here,” he said.

Ramulifho added that he would put questions to Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi regarding the matter.

Speaking to The Star, a district official confirmed that the schools were the ones with the responsibility of collecting the books, but that they had been slow in responding.So far 30 schools had collected their books, and a further 36 were still outstanding, he said.

“We have a challenge of teachers not fetching the books. Schools are aware that they should come and collect them. We’ve been telling them that they need to come between 8am and 3pm but they are doing it in dribs and drabs,” the official said.

“Principals and teachers need to use their cars when they get free time to come and collect the books,” he added.

Asked why the district was not delivering the books and rather putting the burden on the teachers and principals, the official said the district office had only one delivery van. The van had to be booked long in advance if anyone wanted to use it because it was constantly busy, as it was the only vehicle used for collecting and dropping off resources at the office, he said.

“But if the schools do not come and pick up the textbooks by Wednesday, I will book the van and go and deliver the books myself,” he said.

The Star sent a list of questions to the provincial Education Department asking why the textbooks had not been distributed.

Departmental spokesman Oupa Bodibe said: “The distribution of textbooks to schools is progressing well. District is monitoring all the deliveries daily, and the process is to be completed by next week.”

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The Star

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