The South African Institute for Distance Education (SAIDE) would like to thank the various schools and principals who participated in interviews about the provision and maintenance of hardware in schools. The research would not have been possible without their valuable input.

The research has put into context the realities of the schooling system in South Africa, particularly previously disadvantaged schools, which are still under-resourced despite the new dispensation. The report documents interviews with 32 schools and notes issues which underpin the success (and failure) of provision and maintenance of hardware in schools. It is hoped that this will inform the SABC’s decision making regarding the intended introduction of a schools educational broadcasting service.

Eugene Cedras
Terry-Ann Selikow

Preamble
This report documents interviews with thirty-two (32) schools to explore factors underpinning the success (and failure) of provision and maintenance of hardware in schools. It is part of a far broader project which aims to develop an implementation plan for a school educational broadcasting service.

Although limited due to budgetary constraints, this study is important given the dearth of literature on the provision and maintenance of hardware in schools in the South African context. The primary objective of this report is to contextualise the conditions in the schools and the realities faced by the majority of South African schools in as far as the use, maintenance and purchase of hardware is concerned.

It is hoped that the information in this report will be one of the bricks that will ultimately provide a platform for the decision making and implementation of the SABC schools service.

Structure of report
The report is structured in the following way:
•    research process
•    overview of facilities
•    ownership of technologies
•    current use and perceived educational value of technologies
•    problems and limitations
•    future plans
•    concerns and recommendations.

General points will be made in relation to the above categories and, where appropriate mention will be made of the specific technologies (radios, tape recorders, televisions, video recorders [VCRS]). Care was taken to include both rural and urban schools as well as primary and secondary schools, but for the purpose of this report, reference will only be made to rural / urban and secondary / primary differences, and provincial differences where pertinent.

Research Process
There is a dearth of literature on the purchase and maintenance of hardware in the South African context and, as such the report is largely based on empirical work. The information was collected through a structured interview which was administered by an experienced researcher. A total of 32 schools participated in the research. A copy of the interview and the letter sent to schools is attached.

As with any research, the population at which it is aimed must be clearly defined. In this research the population was schools in South Africa. Sampling is when the population is too large to research and the researcher therefore selects a subset of the population. This research is a "snapshot" of the reality of schools and, as it is primarily qualitative in nature, it does not purport to be generalisable.

It would have been ideal to sample schools from all provinces but the budget did not allow for this. Schools were selected from three provinces, Gauteng, Northern Province and Kwa Zulu Natal. Schools were not selected according to any specified sampling framework but rather because they were accessible within budgetary and time constraints. Out of the total of schools interviewed, 15 schools were in Gauteng (total of 24214 pupils), 7 in the Northern Province (number), Pietersburg (total of 7315 pupils) and 8 in KwaZulu Natal, Durban (total of 6100 pupils). Although limited due to the low number in the sample, statistical analysis revealed that there is no correlation between provinces and ownership of technologies.

Schools were classified as model C or former / ex Department of Education and Training (DET) / House of Delegates (HOD) / House of representatives (HOR) or rural (although rural schools were all ex - DET schools). Model C schools are state-aided schools of the former House of Assembly. They are the best resourced in the system, have the highest concentration of qualified teachers and are based on low pupil- teacher ratios. The per student public cost of Model C schools is about three times the national average despite the fact that the school governing bodies are responsible for covering non-personnel costs. The governing bodies receive a state subsidy to cover teacher costs at a favourable staff provision scale based on small class sizes. Ex DET/ HOD/ HOR schools provide education for Africans in the township and in rural areas. The schools are to a large extent underresourced and overcrowded.

There were 21 urban schools with a total of 28760 pupils, 8 rural schools with a total of 625 pupils, and 4 model C schools with a total of 2617 pupils. Names of the schools are included in the table below but are not linked to the data in the report as requested by schools for security reasons and issues of confidentiality.

As indicated in the table below, most of the schools had pupil enrolments of 500 - 1499.

TABLE INDICATING FREQUENCY OF PUPIL ENROLMENTS.

No correlation was found between numbers of pupils and availability of equipment. This suggests that other factors (such as governing body) which were not examined in this research influence the availability of equipment in schools.

Principals were interviewed because they are key informants on the running of schools. In a few instances teachers sat in on the interviews to contribute information. A limitation of the research is that principals, while having an overview of issues, are often not aware of all details (for example which subject videos are watched) but it was impossible to speak to each teacher. Further detailed research could target teachers who are using specific technologies to investigate issues in more depth.

TABLE INDICATING NAMES OF SCHOOLS, THE PROVINCE THEY ARE IN AND WHETHER THEY ARE URBAN OR RURAL

* Three of the urban schools in Gauteng where in informal settlements

Surprisingly, there was no statistical correlation between school type and availability of equipment.

TABLE INDICATING PROVINCE OF SCHOOL, WHETHER IT IS A PRIMARY OR SECONDARY SCHOOL AND WHETHER IT IS URBAN OR RURAL

TABLE INDICATING SCHOOLS AND FACILITIES AND TECHNOLOGIES

* Besides three schools (one urban and two rural) all schools had electricity. Obviously schools without electricity cannot make use of televisions, VCRS, radios and tape recorders. One school had improvised by making use of a generator however, generators are not ideal as they are noisy and costly and also often cannot be stored at the school because of the likelihood of theft so they must be fetched

Those schools that do not have equipment attributed the lack of equipment to lack of funds. Schools do not see the purchasing of hardware as a priority. Although they see a need for these items they recognise the necessity of first improving basic conditions in the schools and purchasing basic items. For example many township schools and rural schools lack windows, doors, ceilings and security. In light of this, hardware are deemed to be "luxurious", like "having a Mercedes Benz in a kraal." Although principals said there were no funds, there were no plans to budget for technologies or initiatives planned to solicit funds in former DET schools. In model C schools, there were clear plans and budgets for hardware and software. Money would be solicited from donors, cake sales and raffles. An advantage in many model C schools is that some parents have connections with people involved in hardware and could use these connections to secure discounts and donations. This was generally not the case in former DET schools.

It is important to note that even if schools do own technology, the picture is bleak in terms of access to technology as generally schools have one or two televisions, radios, tape recorders, vcrs (with some exceptions) and so the ratio of pupils to technology is unfavourable.

Photocopiers
Although in urban areas schools have photo copiers, there is a great lack of this resource in rural areas, only four schools had photocopiers. There is an expressed need for photocopiers but the purchase of equipment is curtailed by the lack of funds from the provincial education department and school funds. The photo copier is used for: copying certificates, letters of appointments, general notices, textbook chapters, newspaper articles and reports.

The copier is used by both teachers and pupils as there is a shortage of text books. Cost of paper and maintenance is very high. The heavy use of the photo copier means that it breaks down regularly and is costly to repair. In some schools strict measures have been imposed to control its use and some schools only allow the admin staff to do the copying and charge a fee for the service. The copier is stored in a strong room; secure office or library or in the admin block where there is adequate security.

Radios
69% of schools do not own radios. Therefore students at these schools will not be able to benefit from radio broadcasts scheduled for use during the school day as their school has no means of accessing the broadcast.

Interestingly, while 57% of schools in the Northern Province, and 67% of schools in KZN do not own radios, 75% of schools in Gauteng reported not having radios. However this may be because the preferred technology in Gauteng is televisions. 81% of schools in Gauteng owned televisions, while only 44% and 57% did in KZN and the Northern Province respectively.

A tension that was expressed was that principals realised that radios were affordable, or at least cheaper than some of the other technologies, as pupils could listen to the programmes for free, but at the same time there were priority needs at schools and therefore no money was allocated to the purchase of radios.

Tape recorders
Very few schools (34% ) have tape recorders (there were no provincial variations). The preferred tape recorder is the combination radio and tape recorder. It is cheaper as you buy one apparatus which can be used to record radio programmes. As with radios, tape recorders are being under utilised however they seem to be used more than the radio. Most schools have purchased cassettes rather than taped them from the radio however for television it is common to tape. There is no formal arrangements about recording programmes. It is an ad hoc process and up to individual teachers to take the initiative. None of the schools interviewed had proper cataloguing for the tapes. Although schools are recording programmes, they are unsure about copyright and require more information about this.

Television
66% of schools have televisions. Gauteng is well equipped with 81% of schools owning televisions. 56% of schools in KZN, and 43% of schools in the Northern province owned televisions. Unlike with other technologies, in many cases televisions had been donated by private organisations and the Gauteng Department of Education and the Northern Province Department of Education. No school funds had been used to buy televisions. It is unclear how the provincial departments select which schools to supply televisions to as some schools still do not have televisions.

VCRS
59% of schools have video recorders[vhs model]. There is a marked difference between the provinces. In the Northern Province, 71% of schools do not own vcrs, while in Gauteng and KZN respectively 31% and 33% of schools do not own televisions. Pre - recorded programmes are more popular than live broadcasts. The cassettes are either donated, bought with school funds or are loaned from educational institutions or learning centres. Generally programmes are recorded and not bought. See the above discussion on tape recorders.

Computers
66% of schools have computers. These computers have mainly been donated by business enterprises and the national education department. There is a shortage of computers in rural areas despite the expressed need.

Only four schools have e-mail or internet (three of these are urban schools). Three schools have CD Rom Facilities. Only three schools had pentiums. Other schools had older models. Most principals did not know what packages their computers contained or their make and simply gave the researcher the name of a computer where available, stating that the computer [s ] is / are very old. To fully utilise the educational value of the computer it is necessary to have CD ROM and Internet, email etc. Many schools that do have computers do not have the capacity for this.

The computer is mainly used by admin staff and is seen as having administrative rather than educational value. The computer is used specifically for recording pupils records and other personal details as well as typing exam scripts. None of the schools had educational packages that could be utilized.

CURRENT USE AND PERCEIVED EDUCATIONAL VALUE
As it was outside the brief of this research, pedagogical issues were not explored in depth however the following issues were raised during the course of interviews. There is a lack of nuanced and sophisticated exploration of the educational use of technologies, rather it was common for principals to make blanket statements about the pedagogical use of technologies and focus on the structural limitations of using them. The following quote is indicative of the types of comments made about technology: "Wonderful educational aid, varied, effective .. provides skills, opens the world to all".

Radio
In all categories of schools, radios are the most under-utilised technology. Even in those schools that did have radios, the radios are not used optimally mainly for reasons discussed below under problems and limitations.

In some instances, radio was perceived not as an educational tool but was rather primarily seen as being for entertainment and for this reason its use was not encouraged at school during school time. Some principals who interpreted "education" in a broader way realised the value of talk shows and news programmes and saw this as an important part of the educational process.

A common reason cited for not using the radio is that educational programmes are broadcast in first language English. Principals question whether it would be more appropriate to broadcast in all eleven languages, and also raised issues about the speed of the programmes and the accent of producers. In fact all radio broadcasts are offered "in the language of your choice" so it seems as if "misinformation" is filtering down to schools and clearly principals are not in touch with radio programmes. Some principals also felt that radio was limited as an educational tool because it does not allow for exchange or feedback.

The radio is seen as useful for the "provision of knowledge and information" and as a useful "teaching aid". The educational value of the radio was also acknowledged in terms of substituting, complementing or re-inforcing the views of a teacher in the classroom or in his / her absence.

The following quote is indicative of the types of comments made about the educational value of radio:

It supplements formal teaching, it is rich in literature analysis, adds knowledge … a person on the radio is another teacher, not a monotonous voice … saying the same thing as the teacher but with a different person saying it again, the child is not likely to forget it.

There did not seem to be much thought to the fact that radio can offer alternative views, rather the stress was on how radio could complement and reinforce what the teacher said. This limited perception on the use of radio reinforces the importance of professional development for teachers in the use of media.

A few principals recognised that radio was important to expose pupils to outside issues and let pupils hear "other voices".

Tape recorders
As with radios, tape recorders are seen as teaching aids to compliment teaching and learning in the presence or absence of a teacher. They can also be used by individuals and groups for study purposes. Unlike the radio they are seen as having an added benefit, as information recorded on tapes can be stored and used over and over again. Furthermore, the teacher can control when pupils will listen to a programme and so the timetabling problems experienced with radio are not an issue. A further pedagogcial advantage reported is that tapes can be stopped, forwarded and rewound when necessary.

The tape recorder is seen as having a variety of educational uses:

It could be reinterpreted (sic) and could be used for prior reading, revision, and study purposes. Capturing information can enable the child to summarise the book.

Although it was not possible to get more specific data, the most popular cassettes are for maths, science and drama. Generally tapes are bought but no principals could give details of programmes that can be purchased and from where they can be purchased.

Television
It is not common for televisions to be used to watch live broadcasts but rather subject teachers use the VCR to show pre-recorded material (see VCRS), sometimes on a fairly regular basis.

Television is seen as a useful audio visual aid as it livens the lessons, and provides for demonstrations in the absence of laboratories. Given the reality of many South African schools which do not have laboratories, this is an important function. It is debatable to what extent the television can replace the laboratory but in the context of scarce resources it may be preferable, for example, to show students what a laboratory is (although it is not an ideal substitute for a laboratory).

It supplements, complements information with teacher and the text book, bridges the gap between unqualified and qualified teachers … It is able to reach many people at one given time.

With the exception of one school, all schools only used the television for school related purposes. In Bokamoso the use of the television has not been limited to the school but the facility has been extended to the community. Bokamoso, used the television for interactive -teaching for students registered at the University of Pretoria, for maths, science, biology and English, accounting, physical science. It was reported that the pupils and teacher watch a programme and after the programme they phone in and can seek clarification on issues covered in the programme.

Video recorder
VCRS are the most commonly used technology in schools. Video recorders, like televisions, are seen as complementing or substituting teaching and enhancing learning. The data suggests that pre-recorded cassettes are watched more often than live broadcasts because of the flexibility that this allows in terms of times. The video is perceived as having potential for being more interactive, as it can be controlled, however, unlike live broadcasts which are free, cassettes are expensive.

The most commonly used pre-recorded cassettes are the Teleschool / Safritel for maths (learning channel), biology and science (national geographic) (the areas where teachers lack skills and qualifications) and those that present life skills, for example on HIV and drug abuse. Some schools also used the VCR for entertainment purposes and fundraising, i.e. showing a video to raise money. Social workers also made use of the VCR for presentations and group sessions.

This section of the report describes reasons why technologies are not used, or only used in a limited way. The table below indicates how frequently technologies are used.

TABLE INDICATING HOW OFTEN TECHNOLOGIES ARE USED.

* Two schools have not made use of their televisions, as they still have to be connected
** Two schools have not yet made use of their computers as they are not connected

The use of technologies at any one given time varies from school to school depending on the availability of resources.

Radios are the most under-utilised technology. Video recorders are the most highly used resource in the school in conjunction with the television to play mostly pre -recorded material. Tape recorders are also used fairly often (especially in urban primary schools for playing music and story tapes).

Photo copiers and printers are used daily (if they are not broken). Computers, where available, are used on a daily basis primarily by admin staff and generally by pupils for computer literacy.

Timetabling
A major reason cited for not using the radio and television was that programmes either clashed with the school time-table or programmes were broadcast outside school times. Furthermore, even when programmes were broadcast during school hours, the programme often lasted longer than the time allocated for a given period. Although some schools were willing and able to shuffle the timetable to accommodate pupils listening to / watching a programme, many principals did not like this option.

Respondents said that the non-availability of a catalogue advertising the programme and the time, particularly in remote rural areas where newspapers and magazines are not freely available, was also a reason why radio and television were not often used. Understandably, particularly when there is a need to reorganise timetables and venues, schools need advance warning about when programmes will be broadcast. In the U.K. broadcast times are fixed for years ahead so that primary schools can adjust their timetables gradually.

Despite not being able to tune in to many programmes as they are not broadcast during school hours, some feel that the afternoon programmes are very important to

.. Improve the culture of learning, many schools do not have afternoon studies, children can watch educational programmes at home.

Where there are facilities, children could watch at schools, if they do not have televisions at home.

Security
In the current climate of high crime, security of hardware at schools is an important issue to consider. Common items that are stolen in schools are building materials, doors, windows and gardening tools. In some schools thieves and vandals had gone as far as entering the school through holes made in the ceilings in attempting to steal hardware.

In most schools the school is responsible for security but in some schools, security expenses are paid for by the provincial education department. Schools around the ZION Christian City (ZCC ) depend on the general community to maintain security and order and high vigilance and monitoring is exercised.

The table below indicates the security measures taken by various schools.

SECURITY

* Some rooms did not even have windows but in the rooms where the equipment was kept there was burglar proofing

Security in the schools surveyed varied enormously, however no "high tech" security was employed. Many schools employed night-watchmen (very few schools have security guards that work day and night shifts) and had reinforced burglar -proofing, while some schools did not even have windows on some rooms. A striking example of the uneveness of security measures at schools was in Pietersburg: one school had five security guards whilst another school just a few metres across the road had none. Ten schools in urban areas have engaged the services of armed response guards who respond to the alarm system installed at the school. In most of the schools, where there were gates, they are kept locked and people can only enter or leave the school with permission of a teacher. In most urban schools a caretaker is employed. He lives at the school premises and is meant to keep watch over the school although he has no training as a security guard.

Storage and Access
The table below indicates where equipment is kept.

At most schools to minimise theft, equipment is kept in the strong room and only appointed teachers or administrative staff have access to it.

Teachers and administrative staff are responsible for the connection and supervision of pupils during usage of equipment. Generally pupils are not allowed to use the equipment in order to minimise risks pertaining to damages and theft. Some schools only allow students that are prepared to demonstrate responsibility and concern for school property to use the technologies.

Not yet [mature enough], perhaps the grade 12s but the juniors are no responsible enough. Our pupils haven’t learned that it is our school and not the teachers or government school.

In the absence of good security, some teachers take the televisions, radios, tape recorders and VCRS to their homes. Due to measures that are adopted for security reasons, access to hardware is often problematic. In the extreme example of the school that kept facilities in the supermarket, a teacher would need to drive to the supermarket (only two teachers had drivers' licences) and fetch the equipment, and generator, set it up and then return it to the supermarket. Similarly, when equipment is kept at teachers homes, it needs to be transported to and from the schools, not only is this is a security risk, but adds a burden to using the equipment. Generally the fact that technology is not kept in a media centre or room where they can be used, but have to be moved, may discourage teachers from making optimum use of hardware as it is necessary to move the hardware to the appropriate venue in order to use it. Unlike with some of the other technologies, radios are relatively easy to move and therefore this does not present a major problem.

There was a general call from principals to upgrade and provide security at schools because of theft, violence and vandalism to school property. Principals noted that it was risky to purchase hardware in light of the high incident of theft at schools. Despite these facts, as discussed further, few schools have taken out insurance policies for hardware as principals argue that there is no money.

Logistics
Out of a total of twenty four schools studied thus far 21 of the schools use ordinary class rooms for any media presentation, viewing, and discussion groups. Four schools made use of the school hall, six schools of the media centres in the school and one made use of the library, hall or classroom depending on the need; numbers and interest shown for that programme. At least thirty five pupils at model C and sixty at township and rural schools on average make use of the media at one given time. Schools with more than five computers make use of computer centres in the schools. Getting televisions and VCRs set up is time consuming and does not encourage their use.

As mentioned elsewhere in this document with regard to storage facilities twenty of the schools keep their hardware in strong rooms built of reinforced bricks and secured with steel doors and housed in the administrative block or the office. To gain access to the needed media the procedure varies from school to school. Some schools have arranged registers for teachers to sign in or out when collecting or returning materials, at some schools, the teachers are free to collect and return the materials at the end of the school day.

MAINTENANCE COSTS
Not only is it expensive to purchase hardware, but principals are concerned about the high maintenance cost of the various technologies. Principals are in charge of maintenance. Maintenance is done on a fairly ad hoc basis and schools had not allocated money from the budget for maintenance and repair of hardware and software.

Maintenance and repair of hardware is costly particularly because items such as computers, photo-copiers, VCRS, printers and televisions have a high breakdown rate as many of these items had been donated [second hand]. In many instances due to a lack of funds items lay obsolete / and broken and agreement could not be reached about whether schools should claim owning these items as they cannot be used.

The cost for the maintenance and repair of hardware varied from school to school and it is difficult to generalise about how much money is spent on this. In some cases if items broke they were not repaired and in one case it was reported that six thousand rands was spent for repairs over the last six months.

Principals could not estimate how much money was spent on maintenance and repair as, as one principal said, in some cases there is no breakdown being experienced ‘like a car in one year it has a good run, and in the following year it gives you helluva problems. " Most schools felt that the education department should be responsible for maintenance of the technologies because there were not enough school funds and the high cost of technology was draining the school funds. The department bureaucracy was blamed for being slow in responding to things that needed repairs and private companies were very expensive.

In model C schools for maintenance and repairs the principal would request that the governing body authorise money for this purpose but in former DET schools this could not be done as there is usually no money available so repairs and maintenance are ad hoc, and are not budgeted for.

Insurance
Despite the high rate of theft and insufficient security measures, most schools have not taken any insurance policies for hardware, citing that there are no funds available for this matter. Some principals argue that all property in the school belongs to the government and hence the government should pay for insurance. Another concern expressed by principals was that the insurers asked the school to specify what is insured and under what conditions e.g. all risk policy or break and entry as they would not pay if an item was lost in the play ground or classroom if there was no proof of burglary despite the item being lost or stolen .

Postal Services
The postal service is an important issue to consider in light of the fact that the SABC will need to send out programmes well in advance if schools are to make optimum use of broadcasting.

There was a general concern in schools that the postal service is not up to scratch and mail is not delivered and / or not delivered on time. In model C schools the post is hand delivered and in turn the schools send letters out by hand delivery [ non- administrative assistants ] particularly if the place is local. In urban [township ] and rural areas, most schools make use of rented postal boxes in either in the township or nearby suburbs as a measure of security . A teacher or a designated pupil collect the mail. The admin /clerks deal with all issues pertaining to mail. Rural schools tend to also make use of private bags.

If schools need to be supported by the SABC and have no telephones or other means to contact SABC, they will need to rely on the post and therefore it was necessary to look at not only the receiving, but the sending of post.

In some instances the school is found to have under budgeted for postal services. Principals make use of school funds to cater for post. Other items for example, reports and letters of invitations are handed over to pupils to take home or in some cases a teacher is asked to deliver or fetch mail from the department .

Professional development of teachers
In addition to the logistical problems of using radio, some respondents cited apathy from teachers and inappropriate preparations as one reason for the lack of use of radios. One principal summed this up by saying "There is no ingenuity or initiative on the part of teachers to use it". One principal felt that a reason why teachers were reluctant to use radio and television was that they were underqualified and they feared that "experts" on the radio and television would expose their inadequacies.

In most schools nearly all staff members, except administrative staff, lack computer skills and there is an urgent need to train teachers as well as pupils on how to use a computer. Some schools are planning to establish a computer room for training. People in the community as well as clerks and teachers would be asked to facilitate such training.

FUTURE PLANS
The principals interviewed see the need for more technologies in order to extend their usage to a larger audience within the school. Despite saying that radios, tape recorders, televisions and VCRS would be useful all schools, schools say that they do not have funds and there is little budgeting and planning to get more equipment. Schools without technologies are hoping for donations rather than purchasing equipment out of their own funds. No educational plans were mentioned about the use of the technologies but rather schools will continue to use the technologies in the way that they have been using them.

Political Context
•    Although it was not the brief of this report, in the current political climate of imminent retrenchments, the SABC needs to think about political ramifications of a schools broadcasting system. The prevailing view seemed to be that despite the usefulness of technology, they are a drain to the school coffers and

Money should rather be spent on upgrading the school, payment of teachers, upgrading of teachers, purchase of textbooks …not televisions or computers and insurance but also seeing that there are adequate toilets at the school.

Publicity and planning
•    Even in an ideal scenario where schools are well equipped, if teachers do not know what is on offer then the educational use of technology will not be maximised. In the U.K, the BBC education Broadcasting Services promotes and publicises programmes by free fact sheets and cheap booklets.
•    Times and length of programmes should be made accessible to schools in due time. It may be necessary to ensure that programme schedules get to subject teachers directly rather than going to principals. Of concern is the postal service which may mean that programmes do not reach schools well in advance.
•    If schools are not aware well in advance of what is available, this prohibits planning ahead for the use of live broadcasts. Even when useful programmes may be broadcast, teachers are often unaware that they are being broadcast. Given the logistical difficulties that apply in some cases, for example getting the hardware to the school when it needs to be used, arranging a room for presentation, it is understandable that planning ahead is a necessity.
•    There is a need for mutual timetabling and joint planning between schools and the SABC.
•    Schools need to set up an inventory of resources so that teachers know what is available.
•    At the moment many processes in relation to broadcasting at schools are ad hoc. There is a need for planning and the development of policy Schools should be assisted in developing working documents, well grounded in what is happening in the school, with a realistic implementation plan, a clear vision for the future and targets, audit of what is currently being done and an action plan to help schools move forward.

Professional Development
•    The success or failure of the initiative depends to a large extent on the skills and commitment of the teachers. Addressing the question of professional development is crucial. There is a need for initial orientation and training but professional development must be ongoing.
•    There is a need for professional development and support at both a technical and pedagogical level. The SABC needs to think of ways to support educators in the use of television and radio as educational strategies. Internationally, for example in Canada, Japan, Netherlands and the U.K. various strategies are in place to support teachers in the use of media at little extra cost(See Meyer, M. 1993. Educational Programmes on Television - Deficiencies, Support, Chances: Contributions to an International Symposium. Particularly chapter Two). The most common strategies are telephone help lines, notes, posters and booklets.
•    Broadcasting is unlikely to be fully utilised unless attention is given to the professional development of teachers in the selection, application and assessment in relation to teaching and learning.
•    Although it has not been systematised, principals say they need to urge teachers and learners to make more use of resources where they are available.
•    SABC should make contact with subject teachers by running seminars so that feedback can be given to SABC on the programmes and teachers can be given support and training on the use of the programmes. Workshops could be run on how to integrate what is learned from experience and research into coherent, clearly stated guidelines for planning and action.
•    Sharing of experiences is very important. This could be done through exchange of personnel or in seminars. Seminars and meetings with various subject teachers should be held on an ongoing basis for the purpose of feed-back and interchange of ideas.

Maintenance
•    Maintenance of equipment is a major concern at schools. If there is no money for the upkeep and repair of equipment, it may lie obsolete. It is important to develop a pool of technical skills for maintenance and repair of hardware. Schools may need help to estimate and budget for the upkeep of technologies, rather than this being an ad hoc process. If neglected, this could render a well conceived programme ineffective resulting in loss of investment in equipment.
•    It was suggested by the principals that a media technician be employed to service, repair and train other staff members on the proper use and maintenance of hardware and other items in order to save costs. To be cost effective, this resident technician should be employed to service clustered schools.

Security and Insurance
•    Security in schools is inadequate - hardware is expensive and adequate measures need to be taken in relation to security and insurance of items. Security should be upgraded in most schools and provided in schools that do not have security. Principals may need to investigate insurance polices.
•    Unfortunately it is inevitable that security measures will have an impact on pupils' access to resources, for example pupils may be restricted from using resources because of lack of supervision. Hardware is ultimately to help learning and a balance needs to be found that allows reasonable access to technologies but at the same time ensures equipment is secure.

Collaboration
•    Scarce resources make collaboration a necessity. One example could be district libraries where video and audio cassettes are housed. Suggestions need to be made about how collaboration can take place and how hardware and software can be organised and managed effectively.

Access
•    Decades of unequal provision of resources have left most schools seriously underresourced. The TELI document stresses that to redress imbalances of the past it is necessary for the equitable distribution of technological and other resources. Not only do schools not have technologies but the physical infrastructure is not conducive to use of technologies. It is critical to consider how not to further reproduce inequalities by only catering to those schools that have the necessary infrastructure. Furthermore, if hardware is donated to schools, it is clear that schools cannot take on the financial responsibility of maintenance, security and insurance.

Future Research and Monitoring
•    Further investigation using a larger sample is needed to determine if the findings of this research can be generalised.
•    To investigate pedagogical and more detailed issues it is necessary to speak to teachers in addition to principles. It is teachers who use the equipment and who may be in touch with some issues which principals are not aware of. Further detailed research could target teachers who are using media and investigate issues in depth.
•    Pilot projects around the expansion/ implementation of educational programmes should be embarked upon at selected schools, particularly those schools that have adequate security, make regular use of the technologies and have clear future plans. Models of good practice and use of hardware could be shared amongst schools.
•    Key SABC personnel at various levels may find it useful to visit schools, observe practice and familiarise themselves with the conditions of the schools. During these visits they could consult with both staff and students on the use of technology.