Thandi has passed matric with flying colours. She has been accepted at the University of Cape Town, but has no laptop. At least she is tech-savvy.
In 2018, the Gauteng education department claimed the number one spot in matric results. Celebrations abounded. Were the results worth celebrating? One particular issue was dominant among critics: inequality. First, it was to change the infrastructure through construction of the new generation schools across Gauteng. In 2014, the concept of the smart classroom — equipped with a smartboard, connectivity and learner and teacher devices — was introduced. The first smart classrooms were launched in Tembisa, Alexandra and Boksburg, targeting grade 12 learners in all secondary schools. The vision of the department is to use technology to give learners in South Africa a competitive edge.
One of the key initiatives was aimed at learner support. The secondary schools improvement programme won a UN award in 2015 as the best secondary school intervention strategy in the world. It is an ongoing intervention in township schools.