Saturday 02 November

LIMPOPO SCHOOLS STILL EXPERIENCING TEXTBOOK SHORTAGES

SECTION27 has sent a letter of demand to the Department of Basic Education (DBE) in relation to substantial textbook shortages for the 2013 academic year.

During the week of 8 April 2013, SECTION27 visited 19 schools throughout Limpopo. Of these 19 schools, 9 schools reported significant shortages of CAPS textbooks for Grades 1 – 6 and 10 – 11. Most of these schools also reported that they did not receive their full complement of textbooks for 2012.

This is in breach of the court order handed down by Kollapen J on 4 October 2012, requiring textbook delivery for 2012 to be completed by 12 October 2012 and textbook delivery for 2013 to be completed by 15 December 2012. It is also inconsistent with two sworn affidavits filed by the DBE in the North Gauteng High Court confirming that all outstanding textbooks had been delivered.

SECTION27 has therefore demanded the following in its letter to the DBE:

  • Full delivery of CAPS textbooks for Grades 1 – 6 and 10 – 11 to those schools identified by SECTION27 by no later than 26 April 2013;
  • That the DBE appoint an independent person or group of persons to conduct a verification exercise to verify the state of textbook delivery throughout Limpopo by 19 April 2013, which verification should be completed by 30 April 2013; and
  • That all outstanding textbooks identified in the verification be delivered to schools by no later than 7 May 2013.

Should the DBE fail to ensure the complete delivery of all CAPS textbooks to all schools in Limpopo, SECTION27 may approach the North Gauteng High Court on an urgent basis for an order compelling it to do so.

Here is a copy of our letter of demand Letter of demand to DBE 16 April 2013 FINAL

ENDS#

For further information contact:

Solanga Milambo on 072 865 7771

Nthabi Pooe on 076 612 7188

Nikki Stein on 082 528 7232