Details of the Norms and Standards (N&S) allocation for your school for the financial year extending from 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010 are published on CEMIS. Schools can access this under the following settings:

Log on to CEMIS. There is a message on one of the opening display screens that recommends the procedure. Click "Proceed". Point to the "Administration" menu item on CEMIS and click on "Norms and Standards Allocation". Please print the page.

Your attention is drawn to the following:

It is suggested that schools divide their available allocation as follows among the various expenditure categories:

• 50% for learning and teaching support material (LTSM) orders for 2010. Each learner must have a textbook for each learning area/subject. See Annexure A for the list of items included under LTSM.
• 24% for municipal services. Schools may budget for a larger percentage if expenditure tendencies necessitate this.
• 6% for maintenance.
• 20% for local purchases.

(a)

Subject to the following conditions, schools may assign less money to LTSM if each learner in the school has a textbook for each learning area or subject and access to other LTSM resources, such as library and reference materials, AND if the governing body has taken a formal decision regarding this deviation. if this decision of the governing body regarding the budget, which must be submitted at a parents' meeting, is explained and the amount spent per learner on LTSM is provided. This decision must be put before the parents' meeting, whether the IMG adviser supports it or not.

(b)

All schools must adhere to the Preferential Procurement Policy of the province in the spending of their N&S allocations for LTSM. For this purpose, there are two lists of suppliers. The first list (the preferential list) represents those suppliers who must be given preference. They are the so-called historically disadvantaged individuals (HDIs) and small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs). Schools must buy textbooks and other books to the value of at least 70% of their N&S allocation from the suppliers on this first list. LTSM for the balance (30% of the allocation for LTSM) may be bought from suppliers on the second list. The latest lists have been provided to schools under cover of separate circulars.

(c)	Schools are reminded that it is their responsibility to make concerted attempts to negotiate bigger discounts with their suppliers.

(d)

How to obtain LTSM Non Section 21 schools must follow the prescribed procedures in Annexure A. Section 21 schools must adhere to the Preferential Procurement Policy in placing their LTSM orders with suppliers registered on the B/WCED 60 contract. Schools must select all FET textbooks from the nationally approved FET catalogue (refer to DCF Circular Minute 018/2008). When selecting LTSM for GET or prescribed literature works, schools must follow the guidelines and selection of the WCED Curriculum Directorates. District offices may be contacted should schools require assistance with the choice of LTSM and the negotiation of best prices.

(a)

The N&S allocation to schools is intended for the payment of, amongst others, their monthly municipal services' accounts, e.g. electricity, water, sewerage and refuse removal, but excludes the payment of property tax. As in the past, the State will pay the property tax on property registered in the name of the RSA.

(b)

A few schools have indicated that they do not wish to manage their own municipal services and their accounts will still be paid by the relevant district offices. The district offices will provide each school with copies of its accounts each month for examination and for confirmation that the accounts are correct.

(c)	Non-Section 21 schools must calculate, using their past expenditure on these services, the amount they reserve for municipal services and indicate it on the WCED 032 form. This amount and the funds for maintenance will be paid simultaneously to those schools that accepted the function.

(d)	Schools must still implement, amongst others, the savings measures indicated in Annexure B.

(e)	ESKOM and most municipalities have indicated they can make meters for prepaid electricity available to schools. This will enable schools to control their electricity consumption better.

(a)

Day-to-day maintenance includes the maintenance of grounds, as well as the maintenance, cleaning, renovation, repair and/or replacement of specific parts of school buildings. If regular maintenance is not carried out, the condition of the buildings will deteriorate to such an extent that expensive emergency repairs will be required.

(b)	Schools must budget for their day-to-day maintenance repairs in accordance with the condition of the school building and grounds. The N&S allocation for day-to-day maintenance may be insufficient. In such cases, schools should supplement the allocation from school funds, where applicable.

(c)	N&S allocations may not be used for day-to-day repairs to hostels. Such repairs should be funded from the learners' boarding fees/bursaries.

(a)	Schools should set aside an amount of their annual day-to-day maintenance allocation for the maintenance of equipment used to beautify the school grounds e.g. servicing the lawnmower, purchasing paint for benches on the school grounds, and purchasing lime and fertiliser.

(b)	Rentals should not be confused with maintenance. Schools are responsible for the payment of rental agreements or leases and for the repairs and servicing of equipment such as photocopiers and computers. Repairs to these do not form part of the day-to-day maintenance to school buildings and grounds.

In terms of Section 36(1) of the South African Schools Act (Act no 84 of 1996) (SASA) as amended, school governing bodies (SGBs) must take all reasonable steps to supplement the resources supplied by the State in order to improve the quality of education provided by the school. No-fee schools may not charge compulsory school fees. They are, however, encouraged to collect voluntary contributions and to raise funds by way of donations, fund-raising functions, etc.

In terms of paragraph 97 of the NNSSF, the WCED accepts responsibility for major emergency repairs to buildings, but the Department is limited to the funds available for this purpose. The following repairs will be considered according to the procedures in Circular 175/2000:

CATEGORY A Serious damage as a result of natural disasters, structural problems and fires The WCED will accept responsibility for such emergency repairs only if the cost exceeds R5 000 and provided that sufficient funds are available. The WCED will, at its own discretion, consider making a transfer payment for the materials in relatively less serious cases.

CATEGORY B The WCED will accept responsibility for only the following categories of EMERGENCY REPAIRS, provided that staff and learner health and/or safety is/are threatened and that sufficient funds are available: Replacement or repair of underground water and sewer pipes Repair of underground electric cables Repair of electric geysers (hostels only) Repair of major hostel equipment Repair of source of supply of drinking water (Assistance may take the form of providing funds for the purchase of materials only.) Schools must submit 3 quotations. Repairs may commence only after approval has been obtained from Head Office.

Applications to change from non-Section 21 status to Section 21 status must be submitted before 20 February 2009 on the attached application form. Successful schools will receive Section 21 status only from the following financial year, i.e. with effect from 1 April 2009.

Should the learner enrolment, based on the 2009 10th day survey, increase by more than 7% in the beginning of the new (2009) school year when compared to the 2008 ASS enrolment, the N&S allocations will be adjusted with the growth in excess of the 7%. Revised allocation letters will be sent to schools by March 2009.

The WCED received numerous written and telephonic requests for the revision of the National Quintiles (NQs) of schools based on the unemployment of parents, learners attending schools from poorer areas, non-payment of school fees, etc. In this regard the NNSSF is quite clear that schools (beneficiaries of the allocation) may not be the source of this information, but that StatsSA or similar objective data must be used.

To date no adjustments could be made due to the reasons submitted by schools. Only in cases where the WCED instructs schools to enrol learners from areas other than the surrounding community due to a) inadequate spaces or b) problems with the quality of teaching may consideration be given to adjusting a school's NQ ranking. Learners that attend a school from outside the community by own choice may not be considered for revision of poverty placement.

Subject	Name	Telephone
WCED 043 quarterly reports and audited annual financial statements	District office - Deputy Director: Administration	Applicable district office
Submission of WCED 032 (Classification of N&S allocation)	Ms M Ntlabati	021 467 2140
Purchase of LTSM (WCED 034) and local purchases (WCED 026). All non-Section 21 schools	Mr M Josias Ms Phillips	021 903 8453 021 900 7010
Transfer payments to schools (N&S allocations)	Ms L Shasha Mr M Draai	021 467 2770 021 467 2005
Emergency repairs	Mr B Bougaard Ms V Balfour	021 467 2132 021 467 9262
General enquiries	Mr L van Wyk Mr J Kitshoff Mr R Eyssen	021 467 2658 021 467 2665 021 467 2662