Afrikaans school receives delivery of Sepedi books

Schools in Limpopo are still receiving frantic textbook and stationery deliveries, while some schools that have already received textbooks, received them in the incorrect language.

A high school in the city confirmed this during a snap survey by Review in this regard. Not all textbooks had been received, the principal confirmed, but while the school’s language of instruction was Afrikaans, some textbooks were printed in Sepedi.

Other school principals said they were still awaiting the bulk of their deliveries.

Several school principals said they would make photocopies of textbooks needed so that learners could continue their learning and not fall behind.

This, in spite of the education department’s claims that 99% of school books had already been delivered to schools.

Publishers Association of South Africa (Pasa) CEO, Mandla Balisa, whose member publishers are responsible for supplying 90% of all learners’ and teachers’ support material, said they had delivered all textbooks ordered to the department’s warehouses, from where the textbooks would be delivered to schools.

Textbooks were centrally procured this year, after schools selected books from standardised brochures

However, education spokesperson, Phuti Seloba said they received 99% of orders and the department expected the final delivery next week.

Textbook deliveries to schools were ongoing on Tuesday, and some principals said they were sure textbook deliveries would be finalised by the end of next week.

Seloba said all schools were supplied with fax- and contact numbers in case of non-delivery and other problems, and they should have informed the department earlier about problems experienced with incorrect deliveries.