By Lilitha Mdakana

Inkqubo yee-tablet exabisa i-R686 yezigidi eyasungulwa liSebe leMfundo leMpuma Koloni ukuxhasa abafundi beBanga le-12 ijongene novavanyo olukhulu emva kokuba iingxelo ziveze ukuba iwaka-waka lezixhobo zilahlekile, zonakele okanye azisetyenziswa ezikolweni.

Eli phulo lalijolise ekwandiseni ukufikelela kwizixhobo zokufunda zedijithali, kumaphepha eemviwo adlulileyo nakumxholo wemfundo kwi-intanethi kubafundi abamalunga nama-54,000. Nangona kunjalo, uphando olwenziwe yi GroundUp kunye ne Daily Maverick Education Desk lufumanise ukuba le nkqubo ayiphumelelanga ukufikelela ngokupheleleyo kwiinjongo zayo.

Ngokophando, iintatheli zaqhagamshelana nezikolo ezili-12 kwiindawo ezahlukeneyo zeMpuma Koloni, kuquka eMakhanda, eGqeberha, eButterworth, eIdutywa, eQueenstown, eMount Ayliff, eLibode, eNgcobo, eKing William’s Town, eDespatch naseMaclear. Akukho nanye kwezi zikolo yafunyanwa iqhuba le nkqubo ngendlela eyayicwangciswe ngayo ngo-2026.

Iirekhodi zesebe zibonisa ukuba ngaphezu kwama-53,000 ee-tablet zanikezelwa ngoMeyi ka-2025. Ezi zixhobo zaziza nezixhobo zokufunda kwaye abafundi babenikwa i-50GB yedatha yeselula ngenyanga.

Nangona kunjalo, iSebe leMfundo liqinisekisile ukuba ngama-64% kuphela ee-tablet ezabuyiswayo ekupheleni konyaka wemfundo ka-2025. Oku kuthetha ukuba malunga nama-19,200 ee-tablet, ezixabisa malunga ne-R159 yezigidi, azizange zibuyiswe okanye azaziwa ukuba ziphi.

Izikolo zixele imingeni emininzi, kuquka izixhobo ezonakeleyo, iitshaja neeSIM khadi ezingekhoyo, ii-tablet ezitshixiweyo, kunye nokunqongophala kwenkxaso yobugcisa. Kwezinye iimeko, ii-tablet ezibuyisiweyo zagcinwa kwiindawo zokugcina kwaye azizange ziphinde zinikwe abafundi ngenxa yokuxhalaba ngokulahleka kwazo, ukusebenza kwazo kunye nokungabikho kwezikhokelo ezicacileyo.

Uphando lukwafumanise ukuba abanye abafundi bakwazi ukudlula kulawulo lokhuseleko baza basebenzisa ii-tablet ukufikelela kumaqonga afana noFacebook, WhatsApp neTikTok. Kwezinye iimeko, izixhobo zatshixwa yisoftware yolawulo, nto leyo eyenza ukuba zingasetyenziswa.

Kuphinde kwaphakanyiswa imibuzo malunga nolawulo noxanduva lwale projekthi. Ngaphandle kobukhulu bayo, izikolo zithi bekukho ukubekw’esweni okuncinci ngamagosa emfundo. I-MTN, ebonelele ngee-tablet kunye neenkonzo zonxibelelwano, ithe akukho zilungiso zinkulu, zibuyiswayo okanye amabango e-inshorensi afakwe ngokusemthethweni ngeendlela ezivunyiweyo.

ISebe lichitha malunga ne-R9.6 yezigidi ngenyanga kwiinkonzo zedatha ezinxulumene nale nkqubo. Nangona kunjalo, ootitshala kwezinye izikolo bathi kuye kwakho amaxesha apho abafundi bengakwazi ukufikelela kwidatha, nto leyo eye yanciphisa ukusetyenziswa kwezi zixhobo.

Iingcali zomgaqo-nkqubo wemfundo nazo ziveze inkxalabo malunga nokungabikho kobungqina obaneleyo bokuba bekukho ucwangciso olufanelekileyo, ulawulo lomngcipheko, izicwangciso zokugcina kunye nezifundo ezifundwe kwiiprojekthi ezifanayo.

ISebe leMfundo leMpuma Koloni lithi liphuhlise isicwangciso sokubuyisa ii-tablet ezingekhoyo. Nangona kunjalo, uphando lubonisa umfanekiso wenkqubo ebiza kakhulu ejongene nemingeni yokusetyenziswa, ukubekw’esweni okungonelanga kunye nelahleko enkulu yezixhobo.

Le meko iphinde yavuselela ingxoxo malunga nokusebenza kweeprojekthi ezinkulu zobuchwepheshe ezikolweni. Abanye ootitshala bathi utyalo-mali kwi ilabhoratri zekhompyutha, iziseko ze-intanethi kunye nenkxaso yobugcisabelunokubonelela ngezibonelelo ezizinzileyo nezisebenzayo kubafundi.