Question NW247 to the Minister of Basic Education to ask the Minister of Basic Education
10 March 2022 - NW247
Tafeni, Ms N to ask the Minister of Basic Education to ask the Minister of Basic Education
What assistance is provided to families of learners in public schools who cannot afford to buy books and stationery?
Reply:
The procurement of textbooks and stationery are managed by Provincial Education Departments (PEDs) through their allocated budgets for Learning and Teaching Support Materials(LTSM). The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has developed catalogues for Grades R-12 from which Provinces have to procure textbooks for all their learners in different grades. The DBE delivers only workbooks for Grades R to 9 to about 24 000 public schools. In addition, DBE has developed state owned resources for Reading ( Grades 1-3 Readers and Big books in 11 Languages) Physical Sciences, Natural Science and Technology and Mathematics in selected Grades and provinces have been provided with DVDs with these materials for printing. For stationery, provinces have been provided with allocations on LTSM to procure for all learners. These state owned resources were also made available on DVDs and are accessible through the DBE website.