South Africa: Teachers will have to buy laptops

15 May, 2009 in South Africa

source: IOL
May 14 2009 at 10:40AM
By Sinegugu Ndlovu

Teachers around the country will become eligible for laptops from July after a scheme which would make purchases of the computers a condition of their service was gazetted on Monday.

The initiative would be phased in over two years. Teachers would be given allowances of R11 750 each over five years. The hardware would cost R4 000, software R300, insurance R1 200 and Internet connectivity R6 000. About R550 million a year would be given to provincial education departments over the five-year period to fund the plan.

Teachers’ training manuals and guidelines, learning programmes and subject assessment guidelines would be included in the content loaded on the computers. Senior teachers would be first in line to benefit.

National Teachers’ Union’s (Natu) spokesperson Allen Thompson said the union would negotiate with [continue reading]