Department of Basic Education rejects false claims in weekend City Press Article "Still no Textbooks delivery in sight''
The Department of Basic Education is disappointed and deeply concerned with the City Press and its reporter Sipho Masondo regarding an article on the delivery of textbooks in Limpopo (see here).
The report ignored proof provided by the department to the journalist and for this, the department has now approached the Press Council for relief.
Comments attributed to the department were false, economical with the truth and grossly misrepresented, with specific reference to claims that the department said there's nothing the department can do about the situation and that learners will just have to share textbooks until 2014.
The department is on record as saying that schools in Limpopo unlike last year, had indeed received their textbooks for this academic year. The shortages that were reported earlier this year have been attended to through the departments' district offices.
We thus call on City Press to retract their story as it contains false information and thus the story is misleading.
In addition the department wishes to set the record straight with regard to claims made by principals in the Limpopo Province
It has become a common misconception that Principals of several schools refuse to give their names because the department "comes down hard on anyone who speaks to the media about non delivery of textbooks: The department refutes the claim and finds such claims extremely disturbing considering that it was the LDoE (Limpopo Department of Education) who issued a circular requesting schools to report any shortages so that the matter could be addressed. To date only a few schools have responded. The department will continue to address any shortages reported by schools and welcomes all information to adequately deal with the matter.
The DBE provided Grade 4-6 Natural science and Technology workbooks for all learners due to non availability of quality CAPS approved textbooks for the subject from publishers. These were approved through a screening process which recommended that the books were suitable for use by learners.
Statement issued by Panyaza Lesufi, Department of Basic Education, May 13 2013
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