Department of Education to provide tablets to matrics
Majuba said the tablets will be installed with study material, including electronic textbooks for high-enrolment subjects.
The matric learners of quintile schools in Mpumalanga will each receive a tablet to improve their schoolwork.
MEC Bonakele Majuba confirmed this during the tabling of the 2021/22 R22,3 billion policy and budget speech on June 9 at the provincial legislature. He said the department had set aside R206 million to roll out this project.
“We are pressing ahead to equip our pupils with multiple pathways to develop their full potential. This is crystalised in our priorities and it includes providing our grade 12s with tablets to enhance their learning experience,” he said.
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Majuba believes they will help to complement teacher-learner classroom activities by providing virtual learning solutions. “The tablets will enable teachers to have some contact with learners virtually, to continue with content coverage outside the allocated teaching time and to allow formative assessments and support. More importantly, the tablets will allow pupils to work on tasks together in virtual study groups,” he said.
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This project is part of the department’s e-learning strategy unveiled at the Youth Day celebration at Mkhondo Local Municipality. The municipality has a high enrolment of grade 12 learners.
The department has set aside R1,164 billion to improve schools’ physical infrastructure and environments to ultimately inspire learners to learn and teachers to teach. “The department will ensure there are adequate, acceptable and hygienic ablution facilities in schools as we work towards making pit latrines a thing of the past. To this end, the department has allocated R350 million to address 426 remaining projects,” said Majuba.
