1. A large proportion of norms and standards funding is used annually to provide learners with textbooks in all grades.

2. It is incumbent on principals, teachers, learners and parents to care for these books and to retrieve these books so that they can be re-used over a 3 to 4 year lifespan.

3. The Western Cape Education Department is required to submit an annual report on textbook retention and retrieval to the Department of Basic Education and to keep records for audit purposes.

4. A very basic report has been created on CEMIS for schools to indicate how many textbook were issued to learners and how many were retrieved per grade.

5. Schools are requested to complete and sign off the report on CEMIS between 01 and 15 December 2015.

6. To access the capture screen on CEMIS go to:

  • "Administration" tab; and
  • Select "Textbook Retrievals" in the drop down menu and complete.
7. Kindly bring the content of this circular to the attention of all concerned.


SIGNED: PA VINJEVOLD
HEAD: EDUCATION
DATE: 2015:11:06