Pupils still waiting for textbooks

Lusanda Bill
25 January 2011

The 2011 schooling has started and millions of pupils in primary school still have not received their basic literacy and numeracy workbooks.

Many schools especially in the rural areas have lost teaching time because of the essential teaching books that are needed.

Andries Makalela, principal of Agonkitse Primary, a rural school about 75km from Rustenburg, in North West, said his teachers were being forced to improvise because the school had not received its workbooks.

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga stated that the literacy and numeracy workbooks are the most effective tool for teaching.

Granville Whittle, the basic education spokesman, said that about 37% of the 11.8million workbooks had not been delivered to 19000 schools by Friday, almost two weeks into the school term for inland schools.