1. Circular 49/2006 of 6 October 2006 stipulates that schools must spend 60% of their norms and standards allocations on textbooks and 16% on local purchases.
2. All schools are reminded that each learner must have a textbook for each subject or learning area.
3. Section 21 schools receive their norms and standards allocations for the 2007/08 financial year in two payments, 60% in April and 40% in November. On receiving the first payment in April 2007, learning and teaching support material (LTSM) should have been purchased so that it could be available before the end of September 2007.
4. According to the school budgets (WCED 032), the total amounts allocated to textbooks and local purchases for all non Section 21 schools amount to R63,64 million and R32,18 million respectively. In auditing it was discovered that, up until 12 November 2007, only R48,94 million was spent on textbooks and R26,09 million on local purchases.
5. The Western Cape Education Department must report regularly to the national Department of Education on the use of the total amount budgeted for LTSM. It is, therefore, imperative that non Section 21 schools spend the amounts budgeted for LTSM, according to WCED 032, by no later than 30 November 2007. These schools can ascertain their current balances for the textbooks and local purchases from the Kuils River requisitions office. The requisitions (WCED 034 and 026) must be submitted to the Kuils River requisition office by no later than 30 November 2007.
6. Your co-operation in the above regard will be appreciated.


SIGNED: A. LEWIS
HEAD: EDUCATION
DATE: 2007:11:20