A grade 12 pupil who wrote matric exams last year has still not received his results as his school says he must first pay for a broken e-tablet.
Luthando Joba, 21, has been idle the whole year, trying to raise the R1,200 he is liable for.
The tablets were given to pupils as part of the department’s e-learning initiative.
On Monday, the Dispatch visited his home in Duncan Village and did not find Luthando, who was out looking for odd jobs, a daily routine according to his stepmother Portia Mthetho.
She is concerned about her son’s future after he failed to receive his matric certificate, after passing grade 12 at Kusile Comprehensive School in 2020.
“We are a family of six, and we depend solely on children’s social grants for a living.
“Joba’s father does regular piece jobs, but it does not cover the money we need to replace the tablet.”
She said Luthando was willing to further his education but remained in limbo as they required his certificate. The device fell and its screen was cracked, but it still functioned.
“I am concerned about his well-being because I can see how it is affecting him, as he has turned to binge drinking.
“I hope the matter won't escalate to where he uses illegal substances or gets involved in criminal activities.”
She described Joba as a well-mannered young man.
“We have been getting financial assistance from neighbours, as they see our situation.
He has been trying to find ways of generating an income by getting odd jobs, but it has been difficult, because some of them require a matric certificate
“He has been trying to find ways of generating an income by getting odd jobs, but it has been difficult because some of them require a matric certificate.”
She confirmed that Luthando had been given consent forms to sign, agreeing to the policy of ownership of the devices.
“We hope that he will be able to get his certificate.
“I do not understand why they are expected to return the tablets, as I believe some university students were given laptop devices for free for them to complete their studies.
“It will cost us R1,200 to fix the cracked screen, which we cannot afford.”
Education spokesperson Malibongwe Mtima said the department would investigate as all pupils were supposed to be given results even if a device is cracked.
“It will be recorded under dysfunctional tablets or faulty. Schools should treat them as they deal with retrieval of textbooks, and no pupil should be deprived of results due to lost textbooks.”
The Dispatch reported last year that 55,000 tablets and related equipment were given to matriculants, and 72,000 sim cards to matriculants and educators.
The devices were pre-installed with an app called 2Enable that provided online content which includes an array of subjects, video lessons — which can be streamed — and past question papers.
An app called Snapplify gives pupils access to free e-textbooks and an e-library.
DispatchLIVE
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.