Media Release
Minister of Education Debbie Schäfer
Western Cape

16 June, 2015

WCED opens online ordering system for textbook procurement for 2016.

Statement by Minister Debbie Schäfer, Minister of Education

At the start of every school year, various schools report textbook shortages due to learner growth, subject changes and/or non-retrieval of textbooks from the previous year.

Unexpected shortages such as this are sometimes unavoidable. We can predict learner growth, where possible. However sudden population relocations and subject changes cannot always be predicted. It is our intention, however, to ensure that we can plan ahead as far as possible, and at least ensure that the bulk of our textbooks are ordered timeously so that any changes or additions by schools can still be made ahead of the new school year.

Tomorrow, 17^th of June 2015, the Western Cape Education Department will be opening up their online ordering system for textbook procurement for the 2016 school year.

This may seem early to some, given we have not even completed the second school term, however, the WCED wants to ensure that schools have ample opportunity to assess their needs and order textbook top-ups well in advance so as to ensure that all learners, to their knowledge, will have textbooks for each subject in 2016.

A circular has been sent to schools requesting principals to:

1. establish their anticipated grade-by-grade learner enrolment for 2016; and

2. the expected retention of current textbooks at the end of 2015.

They will then be encouraged to start capturing their top-up textbook needs from 17 June 2015. The system will be open until the 24th of June so as to ensure that orders are processed timeously.

The Western Cape is the only Province in the country with such an online ordering facility.

The facility was introduced as a pilot in 2011 and launched in all schools in 2012.

The electronic system was implemented to increase the efficiency of the textbook procurement process, allowing the WCED to monitor textbook orders, deliveries and shortages.

The system also offers schools a choice of textbooks from the national catalogues of CAPS-approved textbooks while also making it as easy as possible to place orders online.

Schools have received a notice on how the procurement process for 2015 will be administered, with the relevant dates, deadlines and processes and financing options.

If schools do not have sufficient norms and standards funding available to purchase top-up and growth textbooks, schools can apply to the WCED for financial assistance.

Once the orders have been completed, this will allow the WCED to check if any schools have not completed their orders and to check if there could be any imbalances with regards to orders and expected growth at some schools.

Understandably, we will have some shortages at the beginning of next year.

The WCED will order additional textbooks to counter, where possible, unexpected growth, however, we encourage schools to report these shortages as soon as possible so that either additional orders can be made, or the WCED can deliver on demand using the established stockpile for unexpected growth.

I would like to remind schools to take care of the books that they currently do have. It is unfortunate that many learners do not return their textbooks at the end of the year, which means that more money must be spent on replacing books. This is irresponsible and inconsiderate.

Schools need to implement adequate systems to retrieve textbooks at the end of each year. Schools have to target to retrieve 95% of textbooks and cover the costs of the remaining 5% from norms and standards funding.

Retrieval is therefore crucially important.

It is advisable that schools put plans in place now to retrieve the textbooks that are in use during the 2015 academic year. They should aim to retrieve as many as possible, if not all books, so as to minimise the top-ups that need to be ordered at the end of the year.

I therefore appeal to schools to take the process of textbook retrieval seriously and learners and their parents to take responsibility for keeping their books safe and in good condition, and to adhere to the deadlines for ordering set by the WCED. We would like to ensure that the textbooks ordered are delivered to schools by October 2015 which will give schools enough time to report any incorrect deliveries, shortages or errors before the end of the school year, as well as complete their arrangements for book distribution within their school.

It is vital that we succeed in this process to ensure that all our learners are properly equipped for the new school year.

Media enquiries:
Jessica Shelver
Spokesperson for the Minister of Education, Debbie Schäfer
Western Cape Education Department
Tel: 076 175 0663