/ 21 November 2016

Delivery of Grade 12 literature setbooks for 2017 looks mostly on track

Schools should have their Grade 12 prescribed literature on time.
Schools should have their Grade 12 prescribed literature on time.

While several provinces have already delivered grade 12 literature setbooks in the different languages to schools, the Eastern Cape was hoping they would be done by January.

Eastern Cape education department spokesperson Mali Mtima said the department was awaiting the delivery of matric literature materials worth R36-million that were ordered.

The Eastern Cape together with four other provinces spent R259-million on literary works.

“ECDoe [Eastern Cape department of education] has a huge order on textbooks of about R530-million placed with publishers for 2017 and it is the wish of the department to ensure that learners in grade 12 get their setworks ahead of the 2017 academic year.”

He said there were “observed gaps” in the new catalogue where some titles were unavailable. “Hedcom [heads of education department’s committee] advised provinces to choose setwork titles that were missing from the old catalogue.”

Naledzani Rasila, spokesperson for the Limpopo education department, said they were planning to complete the delivery of matric literature setworks to schools in quintiles 1 to 3 by the end of this month.

His department spent about R101-million on “topping-up” existing books and on new setworks.

Gauteng education spokesperson Oupa Bodibe confirmed that all high schools in the province had been supplied with the relevant books.

Jasper Zwane, spokesperson for the Mpumalanga education department, also confirmed that matric setworks worth R32-million had been delivered to schools.

“In all the African languages, as well as Afrikaans, there were very few books available at the second additional language level (SAL). However, the province has very few learners taking these subjects at the SAL level.”

Western Cape education department spokesperson Paddy Attwell said schools had had to order books for next year by October. “Suppliers will finalise deliveries by November 30. They will meet orders placed by schools for literature texts identified in the DBE’s national FET literature catalogue.”

KwaZulu-Natal department spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi said the department procured setworks on behalf of no fee paying schools. “Principals of schools were guided by language offerings, learner enrolments and other priorities in purchasing the new setworks.”

He said no school should be without new grade 12 prescribed literature setworks in 2017.