Johannesburg - Plans for the delivery of textbooks and learning materials for Gauteng schools next year were on track, Education MEC Barbara Creecy said in the provincial legislature on Tuesday.
“I would like to assure the members in the house that we have put in place clear processes to ensure that all textbooks are delivered... before the start of the new academic year,” she said.
Learner teacher support materials (LTSM) for Gauteng's 190 Section 20 schools - those shools that are not self-managing - had been ordered by the department. These schools received R73
million for LTSM over the 2012/2013 financial year.
In these schools, orders for Grades Four to Six and Grade 11 books were placed before the deadline of August 15.
Creecy said the books were expected in November.
“There are no expected delays in deliveries, however, it should be noted that publishers take between eight to 12 weeks to print and deliver the orders placed.”
Self-managing Section 21 schools are responsible for procuring their own learning materials.
For next year, the department had allocated R588m for LTSM for the 1855 Section 21 schools in the province.
“(These schools) are required to follow a three-quotation system to find the cheapest supplier and place orders,” Creecy said.
Subsidies were also in place to replace lost or damaged textbooks.
The department also monitored districts to ensure that shortages or erroneous deliveries could be rectified in time to prevent teaching disruptions. - Sapa