Education MEC Mandla Makupula launched a multimillion-rand digital programme yesterday which will see more than 23000 Eastern Cape teachers and senior district officials each receive a cellphone, laptop and tablet.
The package includes two gigabytes of data each month.
The first phase of the digital programme will be rolled out to 16000 foundation phase teachers and support staff members at district level.
The department has set aside R250-million to finance phase one, Makupula said. The rollout will cover the intermediate phase, and later the senior phase of primary schools.
“We will then roll it out to high schools once everyone at primary school level receives the supporting material, funding permitting,” said Makupula.
The programme was launched to much fanfare at Trinset Education Institute in Mthatha yesterday, where 574 foundation phase teachers, school principals, inspectors and administrators received their packages.
School inspectors received traceable laptops, a cellphone, and 2GB monthly data, while teachers and principals also each receive a tablet.
The laptops are preloaded with software.
Teachers will be able to access teaching material while principals will be equipped with the SA School Administration Management System (Sasams) program, which enables them to upload information related to attendance registers of both teachers and pupils, as well as a database to place orders for the feeding scheme, stationery and school infrastructure needs.
Makupula said that with all school principals having Sasams the department would be able to track every movement of learners and teachers.
“The principals’ software will also enable them to monitor whether teachers are teaching during their periods and monitor attendance of classes by both learners and teachers,” said Makupula.
The launch received mixed reaction from Equal Education, a movement working for quality and equality in South Africa.
The NGO’s deputy provincial head, Masixole Booi, said while the intentions of the department in launching the campaign were good for ensuring effective communication between officials, the department should have addressed more burning issues first – such as the schools’ infrastructure backlog.
Booi was referring to their recent report which found that some Eastern Cape schools still lacked basic infrastructure such as sanitation services, safe structures, water and electricity, as required by the state’s own norms and standards.
“What good are these devices when they are given to teachers and principals of schools that are on the brink of collapsing,” asked Booi.
But Makupula said it was a step in the right direction.
The department has already adopted a policy for all schools to only register pupils with valid identity documents or birth certificates.
The system managed to identify 536000 pupils with invalid ID documents by April 2016.
Makupula said the latest records revealed that the figure had dropped to 72000, and indications were that “some of these learners were those with multiple IDs appearing as registered pupils in several areas or provinces.
“We have saved R109-million as a result of this for our school nutrition programme alone.
“This will make sure that we are able to budget properly for learners who are in class,” said Makupula.
23 000 E Cape teachers given computers
Education MEC Mandla Makupula launched a multimillion-rand digital programme yesterday which will see more than 23000 Eastern Cape teachers and senior district officials each receive a cellphone, laptop and tablet.
The package includes two gigabytes of data each month.
The first phase of the digital programme will be rolled out to 16000 foundation phase teachers and support staff members at district level.
The department has set aside R250-million to finance phase one, Makupula said. The rollout will cover the intermediate phase, and later the senior phase of primary schools.
“We will then roll it out to high schools once everyone at primary school level receives the supporting material, funding permitting,” said Makupula.
The programme was launched to much fanfare at Trinset Education Institute in Mthatha yesterday, where 574 foundation phase teachers, school principals, inspectors and administrators received their packages.
School inspectors received traceable laptops, a cellphone, and 2GB monthly data, while teachers and principals also each receive a tablet.
The laptops are preloaded with software.
Teachers will be able to access teaching material while principals will be equipped with the SA School Administration Management System (Sasams) program, which enables them to upload information related to attendance registers of both teachers and pupils, as well as a database to place orders for the feeding scheme, stationery and school infrastructure needs.
Makupula said that with all school principals having Sasams the department would be able to track every movement of learners and teachers.
“The principals’ software will also enable them to monitor whether teachers are teaching during their periods and monitor attendance of classes by both learners and teachers,” said Makupula.
The launch received mixed reaction from Equal Education, a movement working for quality and equality in South Africa.
The NGO’s deputy provincial head, Masixole Booi, said while the intentions of the department in launching the campaign were good for ensuring effective communication between officials, the department should have addressed more burning issues first – such as the schools’ infrastructure backlog.
Booi was referring to their recent report which found that some Eastern Cape schools still lacked basic infrastructure such as sanitation services, safe structures, water and electricity, as required by the state’s own norms and standards.
“What good are these devices when they are given to teachers and principals of schools that are on the brink of collapsing,” asked Booi.
But Makupula said it was a step in the right direction.
The department has already adopted a policy for all schools to only register pupils with valid identity documents or birth certificates.
The system managed to identify 536000 pupils with invalid ID documents by April 2016.
Makupula said the latest records revealed that the figure had dropped to 72000, and indications were that “some of these learners were those with multiple IDs appearing as registered pupils in several areas or provinces.
“We have saved R109-million as a result of this for our school nutrition programme alone.
“This will make sure that we are able to budget properly for learners who are in class,” said Makupula.
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