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By Alicia Mmashakana
Following a site visit, KwaZulu-Natal education MEC Sipho Hlomuka is satisfied that the department will meet its target of delivering learning and teacher support materials (LTSM) to government schools.
“As a department we are very pleased and satisfied that the service provider is going to meet the October 30 deadline of the delivery of textbooks and stationery to schools throughout the province of KwaZulu-Natal,” Hlomuka said in a statement.
He visited the LTSM warehouse in Amanzimtoti on Friday to monitor and evaluate the state of readiness for the delivery of the materials.
“The MEC expressed his appreciation at the state of readiness and was satisfied that all learners are going to receive their LTSM come the first day of the 2025 academic year,” the statement read.
According to the Stats SA’s 2021 General Household Survey, 21.2% of learners dropped out of school because of poor academic performance.
There are many reasons for the dropouts including a lack of LTSM, not enough quality educators and a failure to provide adequate and safe infrastructure.
LTSM is one element of the right to basic education. Getting books and stationery in the hands of learners remains a struggle in some provinces.
According to the Government Technical Advisory Centre, provincial governments spent about R18.9 billion on textbooks, stationery and other forms of LTSM between 2016/17 and 2020/21.
KwaZulu-Natal spent the most on materials, followed by Gauteng, the Eastern Cape and Limpopo.
LTSM include textbooks, workbooks for learners and manuals for teachers.
INSIDE EDUCATION