How many schools? No idea

Most provincial education departments do not know how many schools are in their province, how many pupils attend them and what languages the schools teach in.

This is one of the findings of the SA Human Rights Commission, which investigated the problems surrounding textbook delivery in all provinces in 2012.

The commission found that most provinces did not manage textbook budgets correctly, with money earmarked for books being used to pay teachers' salaries.

Because of inadequate records, "departments claimed higher rates of delivery than was the case", according to the report.

The Department of Basic Education did not know what was happening in the provinces because its computer systems were not synchronised with those of the provincial departments and therefore could not track deliveries of books.

Other problems included:

• There are no plans to produce Braille textbooks;
• Schools failed to pay publishers;
• New books incorporating changes to the national curriculum in 2012 and 2013 were not ready in time;
• Schools were unable to estimate how many pupils they would have the following year and therefore did not know how many books to order;
• Rural schools lacked telephone lines and internet connections over which to communicate orders;
• Many schools did not order on time or did not order at all; and
• Principals frequently signed for books without checking that the delivery was correct.

The commission has recommended improving rural schools' infrastructure and holding principals accountable for textbook ordering.

The commission wants the national department to investigate improving its communications with provincial computer systems.

"The national department needs to know at a click of the button what is happening in the provinces," said commissioner Lindiwe Mokate.

The commission will report its findings to parliament, which will have to hold the national department to account, said Mokate.