TO ensure a smarter and more efficient teaching and learning experience, the Eastern Cape Department of Education (ECDoE) launched a digital learning initiative to revolutionise education in the province.
A budget of R200 million has been allocated for this project, which is expected to run for several years. A total of 54,000 tablets were distributed to Grade 12 students, and 286 schools will receive state-of-the-art e-library solutions. Each learner will receive a 50GB monthly data allowance from MTN.
The MEC for Education in the province, Fundile Gade, officially handed over tablets to two schools: uLwazi High School on 5th February 2025 and St Thomas Special School on 6th February 2025.
This initiative aims to bridge the digital divide, enhance teaching and learning, and empower students to succeed in a digital world.
Present at the handover, former Sport, Arts, and Culture Minister Zizi Kodwa said that students in the Eastern Cape will now be better equipped to thrive in a technology-driven world.
“This initiative closes the gap between public and private schools. Many students from public schools struggle in their first year of university when they have to deal with ICT, digital education, and so on, because some of them have never come face to face with a computer,” he said.
Last year, the department launched a cutting-edge, state-of-the-art podcast studio at the Mandla Makupula Leadership Institute in East London. It was designed to enhance e-learning, departmental communication, and channel broadcasting to position the country in a better digital space as part of a broader strategy of ensuring meaningful, structured, and organised content of learning.
The department believes that access to these devices will enhance learner performance across Grade 12 subjects.
