It really irks me when yet another tech company spews out yet another press release about how its latest effort to connect rural schools – hand out tablet devices or donate laptops to teachers or pupils at some school or other – will help to shape our next generation of geniuses.

Not that equipping our students and educators with a bit of tech and tech knowledge is a bad thing, per se. However, some recent studies into the state of our education makes me think that iPads, smart classrooms and whatever other gizmos we like to kit out our schools with are nothing but a colossal waste of time (and money). And they will remain just that until we get back to basics and start rebuilding this country’s education system.

I’m sure that many forward-thinking, tech-savvy readers will consider my statements a throwback to the Dark Ages, but before you write me off as a complete idiot, consider the following.

Last year, an assessment done by basic education department researchers – looking at three grades, at 133 urban schools – revealed some truly shocking facts.

According to eNCA, the evaluation of how learners in grades 1, 2 and 3 are taught revealed that teaching was poor, students’ ability to read was weak, and they were likely to struggle for the rest of their lives.

The evaluation also concluded that learners are not taught to think, to solve problems or to read independently, because most of their teachers did not know how to teach these skills. While some 90% of teachers were considered qualified, their interventions just don’t seem to be helping the majority of children.

Still think we should be worried about handing out iPads to our future leaders, who just aren’t all that hot at reading and writing?

What’s even more shocking is that the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) says it’s not all that shocked by the fi ndings, with education expert Graeme Bloch telling eNCA that the results of the research are nothing new to those in the profession.

Let’s not forget that this is the same union that recently mobilised thousands of their workers to strike against a proposed biometric system, meant to monitor whether teachers were arriving at school on time and to ensure that they spent the day in class teaching.

I think it’s fair to say that not only are our teachers not qualified to be in the classroom, they have little intention of really being in the classroom.

Perhaps it’s time to admit that we are not ready for hi-tech interventions, but should be looking at going back to basics. Rather than sponsoring computer labs, perhaps big corporates should instead seek publicity by sponsoring a qualified and dedicated teacher or two.

Happy reading!

Martin Czernowalow