Durban — The KZN Department of Education has handed over 90 digital library devices to 45 schools in areas including King Cetshwayo, Umkhanyakude and Zululand Districts. The handover event was held at Mtubatuba Primary in the Umkhanyakude District.
Provincial Education spokesperson Sihle Mlotshwa said this was part of the plan to provide digital libraries to all schools in the province by 2025.
“This programme is part of the department’s plans to provide a digital library at no cost and to be accessible in all KZN schools. Hopefully, in the next two years, the digital library will be accessed freely at zero cost by all learners in KwaZulu-Natal,” he said.
Mlotshwa said the project started in 2019 when the department provided devices to 650 schools as a pilot project. He said 880 schools now had access to libraries.
“These digital library devices allow schools to access more than 261 000 free books using any device that will support curriculum delivery, reading with comprehension, and research. Almost 1 300 devices have been distributed to schools in the province to speed up access to the Digital Library,” he said.
Mlotshwa said some schools received projectors and worked with district library officials in partnership with circuit and district management to identify schools. He said that last year the department delivered 1 080 laptops and this year was adding 300 more. He said the department would continue to build libraries and buy books for schools, regardless of this initiative.
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