The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has defended the integrity of its textbook catalogue development process, rejecting claims of impropriety and maintaining that its system is designed to ensure fairness, quality and cost-effectiveness.
This follows criticism from some sections of society questioning the transparency of the processes underpinning the catalogue.
"The department firmly rejects any insinuation of impropriety and reiterates that its catalogue development framework is founded on a rigorously controlled, anonymised screening process designed to ensure objectivity, fairness, and accountability at every stage," it said on Tuesday.
The DBE explained that its catalogue development framework is anchored in a blind screening methodology, which removes all non-curricular identifiers such as publisher and author details during the evaluation process.
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"This blind screening methodology not only safeguards the integrity of decision making but also plays a critical role in fostering competitive pricing, thereby directly advancing the department's strategic objective of achieving more cost-effective and equitable procurement of learning and teaching support materials," it said.
According to the department, all submitted materials undergo a multi-stage quality assurance process, where they are assessed solely on curriculum alignment and pedagogical merit.
"Only materials that meet this stringent quality standards are considered for inclusion in the catalogue," the DBE said.
Once materials meet the required standards, pricing is then taken into account, with the most cost-effective options selected.
"Thereafter, pricing considerations are applied, with the three most cost-effective compliant titles selected. In instances where fewer than three submissions meet the required standards, the qualifying one or two titles are automatically included," the department explained.
Addressing concerns around the Tshivenda Home Language materials for Grades 1 to 3, the DBE said only two submissions met the required standards, making price comparison at the selection stage unnecessary.
"In the specific case of Tshivenda Home Language materials for Grades 1-3, only two submissions met the required quality and curriculum standards. As a result, price comparison at the point of selection was not applicable and a moot exercise."
The department also responded to concerns regarding pricing by Fulu Publishers, noting that while the issue has been flagged, it did not influence inclusion in the catalogue.
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"While concerns regarding the pricing of materials submitted by Fulu Publishers have been noted, it is important to clarify that such pricing was not determinative for catalogue inclusion and is being addressed through established catalogue processes," the department said.
However, the DBE acknowledged that the pricing in question does not align with the intended objectives of the framework.
"The department considers the pricing in question to be excessive and inconsistent with the intent of the catalogue framework, which is to ensure cost-effective access to quality learning materials."
