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KwaZulu-Natal ready for the start of the 2009 school year
7 January 2008
"Delivery of books and stationery on track"
Teaching and learning is set to start instantaneously on the first day of school in KwaZulu-Natal as 99% of non-Section 21 schools will have their textbooks and stationery on or before the first day of the 2009 school calendar year.
When schools open on 21 January 2009, 3 122 non-Section 21 schools will have their textbooks and stationery. This figure represents 99% of non-Sections in the province. "We have already reached a 98,5% delivery of books for this year," said the MEC for Education Mrs Ina Cronjé.
The outstanding 1,5% in respect of the delivery is due to publishers not being able to deliver on orders that were placed with them. Some of these orders were placed as early as 24 July 2008.
"The strides in the delivery of textbooks has moved from 40% in 2006; 80% in 2007; 95% in 2008 and 98,5% delivery for the 2009 academic year. The department has indeed sustained the momentum in the delivery of LTSM and has surpassed its own targets set," reiterated the MEC.
The provision of Learning and Teaching Support Materials (LTSM) is one of a number of critical prerequisites in the provision of quality education to all. The department's commitment to providing quality education is clearly visible in its efforts and the strides made over the past four years to ensure that all learners in non-Section 21 schools have their textbooks and stationery before or on the first day of school.
There has also been a steady increase in LTSM budget allocation over the last four years and additional funds have been allocated to selected grades in an attempt to ensure that each learner will eventually have a textbook for each Subject or Learning Area.
Schools with Section 21 status procure LTSM on their own, "A system is however being developed that will assist the department to monitor and ensure that all Section 21 schools have used the LTSM budget allocation appropriately and have procured textbooks and stationery for all learners," said Cronjé.
Issued by: Department of Education, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
7 January 2008