The most impoverished school learners in the province will have to wait until the end of January to receive their stationery from the Department of Education following the cancellation of the stationery supply tender last week.
The most impoverished school learners in the province will have to wait until the end of January to receive their stationery from the Department of Education following the cancellation of the stationery supply tender last week.
These learners attend so-called Section 20 schools which are completely dependent on the Department for textbooks and stationery. The department also pays the electricity and water accounts of these schools. According to department spokesperson, Loyiso Pulumani the tender issued for the supply of stationery to schools was cancelled after the department's Superintendent General, Modidima Mannya "discovered some irregularities".
"We have another alternative to this problem, but I cannot go into detail at this point. All I can say is that there will be stationery at schools by the end of January," said Pulumani. This delay will force the parents and guardians of the learners in these schools to dig deep into their pockets in order to purchase stationery to be used by their children from 19 January until deliveries are made by the department.
At the time of going to print, Pulumani had not supplied Grocott's Mail with the number of schools that will be affected by the delay.
