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Schools in the Modjajieskloof area and elsewhere in Limpopo have not received a single textbook for core subjects 2 months into the school year.

This situation was revealed by a letter to parents and learners by a despondent school principal of Duiwleskloof Primary School. In the letter, the principal apologizes to parents and the learners of his school for the fact that there are still no textbooks. (see the letter dated 29 January 2013.

The Education Department has lied to the public on several occasions that all books have been delivered.

The DA in the Legislature will write to the legislature’s Education Committee Chair, Ms. Maluleke asking her to convene an urgent committee meeting where the Department will be made to account.

Duiwelskloof Primary has so far only received textbooks for Science, English home language & Life Skills. The Life Skills books are only in English even though the school is dual medium.

To compound the problem for the educators, they still have not received workbooks to enable them to implement the new curriculum.

The letter to parents makes it clear that neighbouring schools have not received textbooks either and that the problem is occurring elsewhere in the province as well.

As a result of this, the school has had to postpone the first tests in this semester to February because the learners will not be adequately prepared.

The principal goes on to assure parents that they are “doing their utmost best under difficult circumstances to keep academic standards high”.

This is entirely the fault of the Education Department. The principal and his educators are working under extremely difficult conditions because of the failure to deliver textbooks.

Attempts by my colleague, Ms. Desiree van der Walt to have an urgent meeting with MEC Dickson Masemola to deal with this problem have been ignored.

The DA trusts that the MEC will account to the Education Committee before children at Limpopo schools experience further disruptions.  0