Textbook Distribution has Started 

The distribution of textbooks to the country's junior secondary school started on May 24 and will continue throughout the winter holiday, the Minister of Education and Training, Mr. Lesao Lehohla, has announced.

In a statement read in the National Assembly on June 2, the Minister announced that despite the problems  the Ministry had encountered in processing and delivery of text books, the process was now on line.is
proud to announce that the books are now available.

The distribution started on May 24 with the delivery of books from the Morija Sesotho Book Depot, and on June 1st other two printers, Longman Lesotho and Heinemann Book Publishers delivered their books to the Mazenod, Morija and Ntlaloe and sons Book Centres to be distributed to the respective secondary schools.

Among factors that contributed to the late distribution is the delay by the various schools to submit their  textbook lists in time. The ministry had sent list forms to all secondary schools in time but due to lack of communications, some school head teachers had not been able to fill the forms correctly despite the training the Ministry had provided, Mr. Lehohla said.

The Ministry has also realized that due to the large quantities that had to be printed, it had taken longer  than expected and therefore contributed to the delay. Tenders were already being put out for the provision of textbooks for the first two classes of secondary school, for the next year and expectation were that by October all work will have been completed, the Minister said.

The 'textbooks scheme' had aimed at providing books to all junior secondary schools by April this year.

24 May 2004