Thieves make cash from paperless classrooms

The Gauteng Department of Education’s Paperless Classroom project has been hijacked by criminals for quick cash across the province.

Thugs allegedly break into the classes and steal the smartboards that were recently initiated by government.

The department is now appealing to community members to help protect these valuable education resources and report any suspicious activities taking place around their schools.

The Gauteng Department of Education spokesperson Phumla Sekhonyane said they have learned with great disappointment reports of breaking-in and theft of ICT equipment in several schools across the province.

She said the ICT equipment stolen at these schools are part of the roll-out of the Paperless Classroom project.

“The Department is extremely concerned that valuable resources in schools which are meant to enhance the delivery of quality education to learners are seen by some as an opportunity to feed their criminal deeds and rob our pupils of their right to quality basic education,” she said.

Sekhonyane said the Department views these criminal acts as brutal and barbarous, carried out by thugs who seek to reverse the gains the government has made in elevating the standard of the delivery of quality education to pupils.

Announcing the initiative earlier this year, the Gauteng MEC for Education Panyaza Lesufi told thousands of Gauteng pupils and teachers that a new era of quality education would begin in the province. He said department began the implementation of its “paperless classroom” programme, which entails a move towards digital learning through the useof tablets and also aims to have chalkboards replaced with LED screens.

“The Department would like to categorically state that it remains committed and determined to realise its vision which aspires to build a world-class education system by modernising public education and improve the standard of performance of the entire system,” she said.

Sekhonyane is adamant that no amount of thuggery will deter the efforts in attaining this vision.

She said people with information that could lead to the arrest of these criminals to come forward and present this information to law enforcement agencies and ensure that these criminals face the full might of the law.

According to the DOE website, the department hopes to roll the project out to all Gauteng township and rural schools by the end of the 2017/2018 financial year at an estimated cost of R17 billion.

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