Question NW422 to the Minister of Basic Education

Reply:

a) The Department of Basic Education is in the process of conducting an audit to determine the number of schools in the country that have existing computer laboratories for teaching and learning. The aim is to determine the state of these computer laboratories and what support should be provided to these schools. It should be noted that while provinces like Gauteng and the Western Cape have made strides in equipping schools with computer labs, others such as Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, North West, Mpumalanga, and Limpopo are still struggling to roll out these facilities effectively. This is caused by the limited availability of ICT budgets and other competing priorities in these provinces.

b) The provincial governments have outlined plans to provide schools with classroom technologies in rural schools in 2024. However, the scale and speed of these plans vary significantly across the country. Some provinces aim to expand their current programs, while others may focus on upgrading and securing existing facilities. Despite these efforts, the theft of the ICT devices remains a significant issue, disrupting the educational progress and posing a challenge to the sustainability of these digital initiatives.

c) To address these security concerns and ensure that learners can still access digital education tools, provinces are exploring alternative solutions, such as providing mobile devices like laptops and tablets to students and educators. These devices are easier to secure and can be used both in and out of school, ensuring continuous access to educational content. Coupled with data bundles, this approach aims to bridge the digital divide more effectively, allowing rural learners to be at the same level with their urban peers despite the ongoing challenges in equipping schools with traditional computer laboratories.

d) Table below indicates the number of ICT devices provided to learner, teachers, and schools during 2022 and 2023 financial years.

PEDs	2022			2023
	Learners	Teachers	Schools	Learners	Teachers	Schools
Eastern Cape	9 896	-	487	3 360	1 380	86
Free State	1 689	300	544	1 775	14	7
Gauteng	71 494	215	286	62 500	4 000	1 000
KwaZulu Natal	440	235	27	660	360	492
Limpopo	44 777	158	-	35 740	-	-
Mpumalanga	66 701	7 130	-	61 691	7 074	-
Northern Cape	13 000	204	331	12 000	505	-
North West	2 793	2 397	-	270	181	140
Western Cape	600	1 766	1 677	21 546	1 735	1 737
DBE	1 855	-	32	840	112	28
Total	213 245	10 669	3 384	200 382	15 361	3 490