Education in tablet form

Gauteng schools that obtained a 100% matric pass rate in 2014 will be rewarded with a complete digital makeover, education MEC Panyaza Lesufi pledged yesterday.

Township, rural and best-performing schools in the province will be prioritised to have the state-of-the-art technology installed, he said, without specifying time frames.

Two primary and five high schools were selected as part of the Big Switch On project officially unveiled by the education department yesterday.

Grade 9 pupils at Boitumelong Secondary School in Tembisa, Ekurhuleni, Zusiphe Phikelela, 14, and Faith Mondi, 15, said the tablets would help them with their schoolwork.

Said Phikelela: "Many of us have never come across a tablet. We feel special to be in a school that was chosen to let pupils use tablets to learn."

Added Mondi: "Now everyone wants to come to our school because we are on the same level as schools in the suburbs, if not better than them."

Teachers and pupils started training on January 6 to be able to use the tablets, laptops and interactive boards given to them.

Each school has been provided with broadband and Wi-Fi technology, as well as 4G for the pupils to work from home.

About 17000 parents met Lesufi last week to sign indemnity forms to ensure their children take care of the tablets. Each tablet is loaded with lesson plans for pupils, educational apps, and a portal where they can interact with teachers, other pupils, and even pupils from other schools in Gauteng.

The tablets are restricted from connecting to social networks and other prohibited websites.

Each device is installed with a tracking device, so the police or a security company can track the tablets should they be stolen.