Chairperson, the ANC supports the introduction of a sustainable early childhood education system, which spans both the public and private sector, and gives children a head start on numeracy and literacy. As such, the ANC-led government aims to spend R524 million to fund the roll-out of textbooks for pupils in the general education and training band, in the poorest 60% of schools, for the 2010 school year and beyond to boost literacy and numeracy in the early grades.
These textbooks will guide teachers on the sequence and pace required to complete the curriculum more effectively and will benefit the learners who do not have access to textbooks. There are over 3,5 million of these learners. The books will include daily exercises and will be available in all 11 official languages. This initiative is in line with the ANC government's aims to ensure progressive realisation of universal schooling, improve quality of education and eliminate disparities. I thank you. [Applause.]