Delivery of books in Limpopo on track

"As we speak, text books are being delivered to the central warehouse in Polokwane," the minister said in Pretoria on Thursday, after meeting with the provincial MECs.

She said her department remained committed to ensuring that the basic rights of learners to education were not infringed.

The minister further refuted claims that there had been no teaching and learning in the province due to lack of text books. "The teachers were using the old text books," she said.

In a bid to ensure the smooth running of schools in Limpopo, Motshekga said R500 million had been set aside to assist learners with educational needs and that scholar transport for needy learners had been reactivated.

The department was also looking at attending to the issue of infrastructure of schools in the province. The matter is receiving attention, she said.

The Basic Education Department took over the administration of Limpopo and Eastern Cape Departments of Education after experiencing financial difficulties last year.

With regard to the Eastern Cape, Motshekga said all the remaining matters concerning education would be resolved soon.

The provincial department was among other things facing a shortage of teachers after contracts of temporary teachers were terminated last year. "We remain hopeful that all matters related to the post provisioning will be resolved," she said.

Some of the temporary teachers have been employed on a permanent basis.

Regarding the upcoming National Annual Assessments (ANAs), Motshekga said preparations for the 2012 exams were going well.

"More importantly with ANAs is to ensure proper teaching and learning take place to help learners acquire the necessary skills and knowledge that we want to assess as indicators of our goal of quality basic education," she said.

More than seven million learners in Grades 1 to 6 and Grade 9 are to write this year's ANAs, scheduled to be written from 18 to 21 September.

The assessments are aimed at establishing an objective national benchmark by which to measure literacy and numeracy achievement levels.