30 Nov 2015

The current teacher-student ratio of 1:25 does not warrant a reduction in class size in the Southern District as an ideal ratio set by the Revised National Policy Education is 1:40 for short term and 1:30 in the long term.

The Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Ms Botlogile Tshireletso, said stationery was supplied to council warehouses which subsequently deliver to schools.

“Supply of stationery to schools is currently ongoing and the intention is to have materials in all schools by end of December 2015,” she said.

She said all materials would be available in all schools by first term of 2016 except for some of the Science and Creative Performing Arts (CAPA) materials owing to budgetary constraints and lack of science laboratories in primary schools.

The assistant minister said their desire is to have photocopiers and chalkboards in all schools which they would do in phases.

She said 12 out of 16 schools in Kanye South constituency have photocopying machines.

Ms Tshireletso was responding to a question from Kanye South MP Abram Kesupile.

He asked the minister if she was aware that primary schools in the Southern District had problems of overcrowding, acute shortages of stationery, textbooks and the teaching materials and lack of photocopying machines.

MP Kesupile asked the minister to state the current teachers-pupils ratio in the district, plans to reduce the size of classes, steps to deliver adequate quantities of supplies on time and to recommend ratio of Revised National Policy on Education of 1994.

He further asked the minister to state the steps to supply adequate material for the teaching of CAPA and his plans to provide schools with photocopying machines and chalk boards. Ends