Eastern Cape matric tablet programme faces implementation failures

The Eastern Cape Department of Education’s R686-million initiative to provide educational tablets and 50GB of monthly data to 54,000 matriculants has faced significant implementation failures. Investigations into 12 schools across the province revealed that none are currently running the programme.

At Mary Waters High School in Makhanda, tablets intended for students are being kept in cupboards due to shortages and malfunctioning devices. Teachers reported that the department has failed to monitor the project over the last 18 months. Furthermore, data provisions were interrupted for several months in 2025, including during critical exam periods.

Issues with the programme include damaged hardware, devices not being returned at the end of the year, and a lack of ICT infrastructure at participating schools. Some educators suggested that investing in monitored computer labs would have been a more effective use of resources for developing student skills.