Education worries in Limpopo - Sadtu
2012-01-11 21:45
Pretoria - The SA Democratic Teachers' Union (Sadtu) and the Democratic Alliance expressed concern on Wednesday about the Limpopo education department's ability to supply textbooks before schools open next week.
Sadtu was concerned that textbooks for the grades affected by the basic education department's implementation of its curriculum and assessment policy statements (Caps) would not be delivered on time, said Limpopo regional chairperson Ronald Moroatshehla.
"We don't have a crisis with text books for the subjects not affected by Caps, but we are worried about the grades affected by Caps," he said.
Grades 1, 2, 3 and 10 are required to have new textbooks.
Moroatshehla said Sadtu would discuss the matter with education officials on Thursday.
He said Sadtu was also concerned that funds had not yet reached schools for their day to day operations and for the providers of school nutrition programmes.
The Mail&Guardian reported last year that Limpopo has more than 1.7 million pupils in about 4 000 public schools.
Limpopo education department spokesperson Pat Kgomo reportedly said the delay in ordering books was a result of the department being placed under administration in early December.
In a statement on Wednesday, Democratic Alliance provincial leader Desiree van der Walt said there was still no clear indication of whether pupils would get textbooks on time "because of the financial woes faced by the department of education".
National education spokesperson Panyaza Lesufi said the department expected a "minimum of disruptions" in supplying Caps materials.
He said Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga visited the province on Tuesday to address the issues faced by the provincial department.
These included learning and teaching support material.
"The problem is cashflow. Publishers need assurances that they will be paid," he said, adding that the department was working with the National Treasury to reach a solution.
- SAPA
