However, a government website stated that the department’s MEC Panyaza Lesufi had announced that the department would “regrettably be withdrawing a total of 88 000 tablets from schools across the province following the recent spate of burglaries”.
According to the site, Lesufi said there had been a series of burglaries at schools in the province where these tablets were stolen. It said the MEC had written letters to school principals to hand back all the tablets with immediate effect so that the department could enhance the security of the devices.
Read about the recent burglary at Drake Koka school in Midrand
In a statement released on 15 May by the department it was stated that it had noted with concern media reports suggesting that the department would completely withdraw the 88 000 tablets. “This is incorrect,” said Lesufi who added that the department would retrieve these tables from schools to install them with additional security features such as tracking devices and they would be returned back to schools.
The department’s spokesperson, Phumla Sekhonyane revealed that since the distribution of the 88 000 tablets more than 3 000 had been stolen. Sikhonyane said this prompted the MEC to temporarily retrieve the devices for the installation of additional security features.
“Of the approximately 6 200 tablets with tracking devices deployed to the seven schools this year, so far 11 tablets have been stolen/ lost and five were subsequently recovered,” she said. “Six tablets have not been switched on since they went missing and as a result have not been recovered.”
Sekhonyane added that her department was committed to implementing the paperless classroom project that is the e-Learning Solution Programme. “Nothing will stop our quest or derail our efforts of giving the learners of Gauteng the best possible education in our lifetime,” she said.
