Johannesburg - Gone are the days when school principals had to drive long distances to reach district offices to submit paper-based reports and requests - principals of schools in Gauteng merely have to send a message on their new Blackberry cell phones.
The Gauteng Department of Education on Tuesday handed over Blackberry cell phones to 2 200 school principals, which will allow cheaper and more reliable two-way communication between head office and district offices and public schools on key matters.
Donated by Vodacom, the cell phones have email, internet, instant messaging and other software.
MEC for Education Barbara Creecy said the cell phones will allow teachers and Institutional Development and Support Officers (IDSOs) to log incidents at schools such as violence against learners, non-payment of educators as well as urgent infrastructure needs.
"Through the use of technology, educators will improve their knowledge base and be more resourceful in the way they teach learners in schools.They will be able to keep abreast with the latest innovative thinking as well as resources to improve learner attainment," Creecy said.
She added that the province needed a 21st century way of communicating with principals that was direct and immediate.
The principals, who will have to get used to the hi-tech devices, were urged not to worry too much about their "sophistication".
"For now, learn how to send messages and be able to respond. I will send you messages such as when the matric results go up," Creecy told principals.
She added that they should also send through good news.
Representing school principals, Makhosazane Mahlangu thanked the department for thinking of them and providing them with such a useful way of communicating.
"If there's a crisis, we will just press the button instead of sending a report and waiting for months for our problem to be solved. The communication between teachers and districts offices will now be smooth due to the technology given to us," said Mahlangu.
Independent Trade Union representative, Anthea Soresto, commended the department's modern initiative. "The Blackberry will allow us to network as principals and teachers while sitting in our own schools, put information on the 'Let's Meet Group' we set up and also consult easily with the world," said Soresto.
SA Democratic Teachers' Union representative, Tseliso Ledima, welcomed the move, saying it would empower educators. "This instrument reduces a lot of paperwork in their schools. They will archive all the curriculum memos," said Ledimo, who added that the cell phones must be used as a tool to assist principals, not police them.
Vodacom Executive Director Chris Lazarus said the cell phones were the start of addressing the challenges facing the education system.
