Equal Education not convince about MEC’s response to textbook crisis

By Nomava Nobumba
23 June 2010

Equal Education is not convinced with MEC Donald Grant’s response about the text book crisis among matric learners at two Khayelitsha schools.

It describes Grant’s response as unsatisfactory and evasive.

“The thrust of the MEC's response is because the Western Cape is the leading province in education. It is unjustified for Equal Education and Khayelitsha matric learners to raise concerns about not having textbooks for the entire year,” said the organisations Yoliswa Dwane.

She argues that the WCED’s relative success in many areas should not be used to defend specific failures.

EE says Chris Hani Senior Secondary Schools, matrics have not been provided with a Physical Science textbook, nor Music textbooks despite the school being an Arts and Culture focus school.

Matrics at the school are also sharing isiXhosa, Mathematics and Life Sciences textbooks.

At Kwamfundo, there are significant numbers of matrics without isiXhosa and Business Studies textbooks, and others forced to share English, Life Sciences, Geography and Life Orientation textbooks.

“These learners are being denied the opportunity to prepare properly for their end-of-year exams,” said Dwane.