By Lungile Ntimba
All schools in the Eastern Cape will have received their learning materials by the start of the 2025 academic year, according to provincial education MEC Fundile Gade.
He said the department was nearing the completion of delivering learning and teaching support materials to the 4596 schools that placed orders.
According to the MEC’s 100 days in office report, R310.7 million had been spent on procuring stationery and R261.6 on textbooks.
A total of 1252 units of teacher furniture had been procured for 1014 schools to the tune of R40 million. The furniture delivery would be completed by the end of the month.
And a total of 9592 units of furniture totalling R10 million for learners had been delivered to 38 schools.
The report also said that in the next five years, the department would implement mother tongue-based bilingual education programme (MTBBE) for African languages “extending its use as language of learning and instruction beyond Grade 3” in 1800 schools.
And the implementation of the incremental introduction of African languages (IIAL) would take place in 100 schools.
The schooling system was being prepared for the roll-out of IIAL in Grade 4 and MTBEE in Grade 8.
The department has been ahead of the pack in implementing MTBBE in South Africa.
It aims to revolutionise the way maths, natural sciences and technology are taught from Grade 4 onwards.
With the support of the national Department of Basic Education, the province is currently piloting a project for MTBEE in Cofimvaba, which has shown promising results.
The MEC said other mother-tongue teaching activities included the procurement of workbooks and textbooks for maths and science, teaching trainers to roll-out educator support, and developing resources for marginalised indigenous languages.
Gade said the department had also made strides in providing meals to learners through the National School Nutrition Programme.
He highlighted that food safety training had been conducted for 24 school nutrition programme monitors across the province, ensuring that proper food handling practices were adhered to.
“Despite notable progress, it is important to acknowledge the department’s insistent challenges, such as Infrastructure backlogs, teacher shortages as well as learner performance gaps,” he said in a statement.
The MEC’s 100 days in office has also seen six educators securing top spots in the National Teaching Awards.
They included the deputy principal for the Mandela School of Science and Technology in Mvezo, Ntombozuko Mkizwana, who the best teacher award.
INSIDE EDUCATION
