FRANTIC SCRAMBLE FOR TEXTBOOKS: WEEKEND POST

TEACHERS in the Eastern Cape are frantically making photocopies of textbooks in a last-ditch attempt to give their pupils at least some chance of passing the exams that are currently under way.

In addition, teachers are having to make their own copies of exam papers as the provincial Education Department has not allocated enough for this year’s finals.

The alarming circumstances have meant that not only have teachers been unable to do their jobs throughout the school year but they are now left with the financial burden of buying photocopy paper, which they cannot afford.

DA MPL Edmund van Vuuren said he was informed six months ago that a third of all Eastern Cape pupils did not pal of Gxulu Junior Secondary in Libode, told Weekend Post his teachers had to photocopy the Grade 9 Social Science exam paper because the department had not sent enough.

“They had to make photocopies while the children were already starting to write because that is when we realised there were not enough papers.”

Van Vuuren said teachers were now being forced to keep those textbooks that were available locked up in the classrooms at the end of the day, leaving children with limited information to take home to do their homework.

At Booysens Park High School, another problem has been the shortage of classrooms.

Eastern Cape Department of Education spokesman Loyiso Pulumani did not respond to queries.