The Basic Education Department will ask the national treasury for additional funds to address the ongoing Limpopo textbook saga.
Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga spent time in Limpopo briefing principals on the catch up plan that will now be implemented in schools in the province.
This is a plan that teachers will be central to. It includes military style camps to be set up for the worst performing schools. But, the province does not have money.
“We are negotiating with national treasury to give us money. I think the administrator has identified some resources that will be used for the catch up plan,” says Motshekga.
Teacher union Sadtu has said its members will be part of the catch up plan, if they are paid.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance leadership was also in the province yesterday challenging the ruling party to make good on its promises for quality education.
The party’s Lindiwe Mazibuko says, “Here in Limpopo, our estimates from school monitoring show that around half of school children are without textbooks with less than half the school year to go. In Mpumalanga, even the Premier concedes that there are massive book shortages, while in the Eastern Cape teachers are forced to make do with photo-copied material.”
Motshekga will meet education MECs today. They will give her their progress reports on procurements for next year.
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