REPORT TO Parliament’s Select Committee on Education and Recreation 27 JUNE 2018

1. REPORT TO Parliament’s Select Committee on Education and Recreation27 JUNE 2018

2. PRESENTATION LAYOUT • Centralised LTMS Procurement System • National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP)

3. CENTRALISED LTSM PROCUREMENT SYSTEM

4. CONTENTS • Advantages of central procurement system of LTSM • What happens to the change (money) that would be due to schools if their orders cost less than their allocation? • What is the correct time of ordering books? • What are the key challenges related to the central procurement system? • Why do schools end-up getting books that they did not order in this central procurement system? (e.g. schools getting seSotho books although policy/plan of textbooks? (National, Provincial, School Policy) • Role of Provinces in the monitoring of implementation of retrieval system of LTSM • Role of District Offices on the monitoring of implementation of retrieval system of LTSM.

5. Advantages of LTSM Central Procurement System • Critical elements through the centralised procurement are managed centrally which takes a huge responsibility from provinces. i.e. quality, price, modalities, etc. • Attempts to bring about uniformity in the system. • Biggest advantage is the savings realised by bulk procurement.

6. What happens to the change (money) that would be due to schools if their orders cost less than their allocation? • For stationery – schools who procured from the centralised contract had the procured expenditure deducted from their allocation. • The balance of the allocation was paid over to schools. • For textbooks – the NCDOE withheld all allocations to procure for ALL schools irrespective of the allocation, since CAPS implementation. • This was done to ensure universal coverage which has still not been achieved. • CAPS 2 implementation further motivated the need to continue with this approach.

7. What is the correct time of ordering books? • The DBE Sector Plan clearly guides the process. • The NCDOE develops a provincial management plan aligned to the sector plan. • The NCDOE starts its processes as early as March the previous academic year. • Schools therefore start placing orders in May and June. • The processes of ordering, verification consolidation, supply chain processes, delivery, picking and packing , delivery to schools are all time consuming and therefore stretches to November/December of the previous year. • Orders with publishers will be placed by the NCDOE in July 2018.

8. What are the key challenges related to the central procurement system? • The challenge of empowering/supporting local suppliers. • In terms of stationery, a big challenge was the issues with the quality of the procured material. • With textbooks, minimum challenges were experienced with especially emerging or smaller publishers. • Challenges were also experienced in the first two years with the South African Post Office as the delivery agent. This consequently has been resolved.

9. Why do schools end up getting books that they did not order in this central procurement system? • A number of factors could contribute to this error. • Firstly the schools order is critical, as they input data. A number of schools from the onset order incorrectly. • The NCDOE attempts to address wrong deliveries by both District and Provincial verification processes which quality assures data even before orders are placed with publishers. • Errors could also be made during the picking and packing processes by the delivery agent. Monitoring and checking processes by the NCDOE attempts to mitigate these errors. • The NCDOE records very little errors in this regard, but any error reported is corrected by the PED, by returning and crediting titles with publisher in order to get the correct titles. • Schools are therefore reminded annually not accept wrong material. • The NCDOE’s policy is that no school should accept any wrong delivery. The wrong material should be returned with the delivery agent.

10. Role of Provinces in the monitoring of implementation of retrieval system of LTSM • The NCDOE manages retrieval as per the sector plan to ensure effective retention and retrieval of LTSM by schools. • The focus and retrieval activities are heightened in the third and fourth quarter and for this monitoring and support systems are put in place to ensure optimal retrieval throughout the system. • A retrieval campaign is implemented annually to ensure 100% retrieval of TSM. • Annually issues a Circular to direct schools on effective retrieval systems and reporting. • Schools are also directed to initiate innovative interventions and retrieval strategies. • The PED is also responsible for data validation and consolidation. • An annual retrieval report is also submitted to DBE.

11. Role of Districts in the monitoring of implementation of retrieval system of LTSM • Receives and verifies school retrieval reports annually. • Identifies flashpoint schools with critical shortages. • Supports schools to complete reports correctly.

12. NATIONAL SCHOOL NUTRITION PROGRAMME (NSNP)

13. CONTENTS • Background • Objectives • Beneficiaries • Menu • Who buys and cooks the food? • When are learners fed? • How many cookers can a school have? • Storage of food • Equipment and utensils used • Who check and receive food? • Challenges

14. BACKGROUND • NSNP is a government programme that seeks to address short time hunger in schools. • Initiated by the late President Mandela in 1994. • Started in DoH and later transferred to DoE. • A grant funded programme.

15. OBJECTIVES • The objectives of the Programme are: • To contribute to enhanced learning capacity through school feeding. • To promote food production and other food production initiatives in schools. • To strengthen nutrition education for the school community.

16. BENEFICIARIES Primary Beneficiaries: • Quintile 1-3 Primary and Secondary learners in all public schools and special schools, however Primary and Secondary learners in targeted quintile 4-5 also benefit. Secondary Beneficiaries • Unemployed parents ( Voluntary Food Handlers) especially mothers are contracted to prepare meals for learners and are receiving a monthly stipend. • Local SMME’s also benefit by selling groceries to schools.

17. MENU • There are essentially 5 menu options (one for each day of the week). • Each daily option offers a variety of protein, starch and veg/fruit combinations with each daily option.

18. MENU (Cont.) • The following criteria stipulated by the National DBE must be adhered to when preparing menu options: • All 3 food groups (starch, protein and veg/fruit) must be served every day • No single product may be served more than twice in a week • Tinned fish must be served at least once a week • Alternate the serving of fresh vegetables during the week (red, yellow, green) • All menus are decided upon by the school taking into consideration what is socially acceptable in that community.

19. WHO BUYS AND COOKS THE FOOD • Each school has a subcommittee of the SGB responsible for NSNP administration. • The committee buys monthly or weekly groceries based on the menu. • The Voluntary Food Handlers prepares and serves the food.

20. WHEN ARE LEARNERS FED • All learners should be fed by 10h00, however learners who are served breakfast are fed 11Hh00.

21. HOW MANY COOKERS CAN A SCHOOL HAVE • Food Handlers are allocated to schools using the ratio of 1 food handlers for every 200 learners (1:200). • For schools with less than 200 a ratio of 1:120 is applied.

22. STORAGE OF FOOD • Food is stored in an area designated for storing food. • The storage area should be adequately secured at all times. • The food storage area should be kept hygienic and safe. • Food should not be stored directly on the floor but rather in cupboards, on racks/shelves or on pallets.

23. STORAGE OF FOOD (Cont.) • The educator responsible for the Programme and the School Nutrition Committee should ensure that the following are adhered to:  • The stock control sheet should be updated on a daily basis; • Regular checks should be made to compare the stock on hand to the stock control sheet;

24. STORAGE OF FOOD (Cont.) • The storage area should be adequately secured at all times; • The food storage area should be kept hygienic and safe; • Food should not be stored directly on the floor but rather in cupboards, on racks/shelves or on pallets; • Hazardous chemicals and cleaning materials should be stored in a separately.

25. EQUIPMENTS AND UTENSILS USED • Schools are allocated a small percentage from the grant for utensils annually. • DBE issued a booklet as guide to schools and provinces i.t.o. what type of cooking and eating utensils to buy.

26. WHO CHECK AND RECEIVE FOOD • Designated officials – usually an educator and the clerk receives groceries from the supplier. • Expiring dates and quality of items are checked, and district officials also do regular inspections in this regard.

27. CHALLENGES • The programme needs kitchen, storage area and dining areas that are compliant to R926. • HR at all levels remains a challenge. • Feeding rate is inadequate because of high food prizes. • Food handlers are receiving a small stipend.

28. The End Thank you; Kea leboga; Dankie; Ndiyabulela