The Council of Education Ministers has supported the Department of Education’s decision to withdraw a workbook tender.

The tender was advertised on 13 November 2009, where the department advertised for a service provider to develop workbook packages for Learners in Grades 1-6 in literacy and numeracy.

The department said the withdrawal of the tender followed rigorous evaluation of the bids received and it became clear to the department that the primary objective of delivering quality materials to schools to assist learning and teaching would not be achieved if it were to proceed with the tender.

The ministry noted that it remains committed to ensuring that grades 1-6 receive high quality workbooks in 2010.

“The department is continuing to distribute Grade R learning and teaching support packs to be in all schools by the start of the new school year.”

The council said the workbooks were additional resources that would have been provided by the national department to specifically target the improvement of literacy and numeracy.

“Provinces have the budgets to provide textbooks and stationery to learners and council has received reports from provinces indicating that the delivery of support materials to schools was at an advanced stage in all provinces,” the council said.

The council agreed that Continuous Tasks of Assessment for Grade 9 be discontinued in 2010 and be replaced with national assessment tests in Mathematics and the Language of Learning and Teaching.

School based assessment processes will be strengthened in 2010.

The council also expressed its satisfaction at the successful completion of the 2009 exams on 4 December 09. It said the Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, will announce the results at the Union Buildings on 7 January 2010.

- BuaNews