1. Textbooks worth millions of rands have been supplied to schools to support the implementation of the new curricula. The WCED is under obligation to ensure the effective use state funds and state property. Therefore all principals are requested to ensure that sound management processes are in place to manage the use of textbooks by learners, both at school and at home as required by the curriculum.
2. A textbook management plan should include the following elements:
2.1 Receiving textbooks

When textbooks are delivered to the school, the school checks and the signs the invoice and files a copy of the delivery note. Textbook titles and quantities are entered onto the school's inventory. The books are stamped and given a unique number.
2.2 Issuing textbooks

On the first day of the school year, learners sign for each book issued to them on a list against each book's number. Signed booklists are kept by the principal or the book committee. In some schools each learner has a booklist that must be signed by the learner and parent. The books should be covered to extend their life.
2.3 Checking textbooks

In the first week of the third term learners must bring all their textbooks to school to be checked by class teachers. In some schools a textbook check day is held once per term to check for missing books against the list. In the case of missing books, parents are informed and asked to replace them or pay their replacement value. Learners are given book accounts and they are reminded regularly. The school purchases the book(s) from the supplier and issues the new book(s) to the learner.
2.4 Retrieving textbooks

At the end of the school year, books are handed in to the subject teacher on the day the exam is written. The teacher checks each book against the book's number and the learner's name. Alternatively, the textbook committee collects textbooks that learners return to the bookroom, using the booklists.
2.5 Textbook report

A record is kept of books that are lost, paid for and replaced. At the end of the year, the textbook committee reports to the principal on the number of books issued and the number returned for each title. The overall percentage of books returned is calculated. The report concludes with recommendations to raise this percentage of books returned in the following year.
3. A textbook should have a lifespan of at least five years.
4. Books and other learning and teaching resource materials (e.g. kits) issued by the WCED will be checked periodically to ensure their effective use and safekeeping.
5. Thank you for your co-operation in ensuring that the best use is made of the resources available for our learners.


SIGNED: J.P. RAULT-SMITH
HEAD: EDUCATION
DATE: 2006:11:27