A stack of textbooks left over from the previous year stands in the corner of a classroom at Gcinokuhle High School at which only about half of its pupils arrived on Wednesday. Like many other schools in the area, it had not received stationery or new textbooks from the Department of Education Picture: KHAYA NGWENYA
Cape Town - The Makhanda High Court has ordered the Eastern Cape Education Department to deliver textbooks and stationery to all public schools in the province by March 31.
The matter, headed by the Legal Resource Centre (LRC) representing Khula Development Forum, pupils and parents, was before the court on Tuesday morning on an “urgent basis”.
The department had previously indicated that they would only deliver textbooks by the end of April 2022, due to “unprecedented budgeting shortfalls”.
LSR Senior Council Advocate Ngcukaitobi argued that this was not good enough; learners need textbooks immediately.
“The major point of contention was the date. The department said that it would deliver by the end of April. Our clients felt that this was unacceptable, so the major issue was around the date. Judge Louw was sympathetic to our case and ordered that it needs to take place by the end of this month,” said LRC’s Cameroon McConnachie.
McConnachie says that they were told that there are large amounts, up to 80%, of textbooks that had arrived in the warehouses and were now being sent out to schools.
Part of the order requires the department to provide a report to the court in seven days, setting out its compliance with the order and outlining which schools have not received learning materials and when they would receive them.
The judge further ordered the department to report to the court at the end of September on the progress of procurement and delivery of stationery and textbooks for 2023.
Meanwhile, the department’s head, Dr Naledi Mbude, expressed to pupils, parents and schools that have not received learning materials that she was “sincerely and unreservedly” sorry for the delays.
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