17 Feb 2015

The Ministry of Education and Skills Development  is aware that Junior Secondary School (JSS) students need books for all the three levels up to the end of their course.

Assistant Minister Moiseraela Goya said in cases where a separate textbook was prescribed for each level in the programme and collected at the end of each year, learners might use class sets of books or supplementary titles for revision purposes as required.

He indicated that the process of assessment was spiral in nature and learners are assessed repeatedly on material including material which was completed earlier in their courses. Mr Goya, who was responding to a question in Parliament said this mirrors the teaching where the teacher repeats elements from previous years and will refer to supplementary texts to enrich the content delivery.

“As such we do not believe it is necessary to issue Form 3s with text books designed for Form 1s,” he said. He however said as and when the need arises the text books are made available to students for reference purposes. 

Mr Goya said the ministry is currently conducting a national exercise where it is distributing text books in such a way as to ensure more learners have more access to available resources. He said it is a contingency measure to ensure equitable distribution of learning support materials in schools.

Francistown South MP, Mr Wynter Mmolotsi had asked the minister if he is aware that Junior Secondary school students need books for the three levels up to the end of their course, taking books from learners at the end of each level deprives them of core material for revision, examinations for end of each term of final are not restricted to any level hence the need to have books for each level.  

He also asked whether taking books from learners will not exacerbate the situation of poor results. ENDS