Still no laptops for teachers

The roll-out of the Teacher Laptop Initiative (TLI) has been delayed yet again, this time due to stop order codes.

President of the National Professional Teachers' Organisation of SA (Naptosa) Nkwai Ramasehla previously noted there were “formalities”, which would only be finalised by the end of February, but this deadline was not met.

Heins Worst, chief knowledge officer at the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC), says there are still a few “crucial matters” that must be finalised.

The immediate matters that require finalisation deal with stop order codes. “The legal entity representing each consortium must be registered with National Treasury and allocated a stop order code. Stop orders from payroll can only be processed with a National Treasury issued stop order code,” says Worst.

In addition, the ELRC has submitted a proposal to the National Treasury for the automation of the stop order process and for using a single collection agency for allowance activation, notes Worst.

“This will not only speed up the process involved in collecting and distributing funds, but will centralise the entire process with a National Treasury approved service provider and minimise the opportunity for fraudulent activities.”

“The MOUs [memoranda of understanding] between the 10 provisionally-accredited suppliers and the ELRC, on behalf of the unions, need to be finalised,” adds Worst. They are in the process of finalisation, but the legal consortia representing the suppliers must to be registered with the treasury and issued with the stop order codes.

Worst says roll-out can only occur when these matters are finalised, but there are no set expectations in terms of a date yet.

Despite this, the ELRC is still optimistic about meeting the deadline of 2011 when all teachers, about 400 000, should have laptops.

“We are positive that the deadline can still be made. The Department of Basic Education informed the ELRC that the roll-out will be done in cohorts, specific to the size and funds available to the individual provincial education departments.”

Worst explains that laptops will not be handed out to teachers, but it will be up to the teacher to purchase a laptop that meets the requirements of Government Gazette 32207. It is important to meet these requirements, because teachers will only qualify for subsidies if they do so.

Naptosa has warned its members not to purchase laptops until they know they will qualify for subsidies.

“All teachers will qualify for the initiative - the Government Gazette 32207 makes it a condition of service. The implementation will, however, be done on a preference list of educators, based on their seniority,” says Worst.

Here seniority refers to rank and so principals will be the first group eligible to purchase laptops.

Permanently employed teachers are eligible for allowances to purchase laptops. They will be provided with a stipend of R130 per month for a laptop package, worth a total of R3 120. Computer training programmes for teachers will also be implemented.

The TLI, managed by the ELRC, aims to equip about 400 000 teachers with laptops in an effort to improve the overall quality of education in public schools.

The laptops must have a 160GB hard drive, wireless LAN, Ethernet LAN, voice-fax modem Internet connectivity and a Windows XP, or higher, operating system.

The laptop must be loaded with Microsoft Office software, which will be available under a Department of Basic Education-Microsoft agreement to the teachers at a discounted price. The department will also provide content, such as a school administration package and national curriculum materials, which will be installed on the laptop.