Apple provides a plethora of educational resources for use in the classroom and lecture hall. From educational seminars and online resources, to applications that exist purely to help people learn, the company is making great strides in bringing education to devices. A vast range of educational applications is made available to users via the App Store, covering almost everything from basic literacy programmes for children to time management skills for the professional.

The next move, and possibly the most exciting one in the South African context, is the availability of textbooks via the iPad. Textbooks are prone to disintegrating over time, getting lost en route to the classroom, or aren’t delivered at all. In September 2012, The Sunward Christian Academy, a private school located in Boksburg, embraced tablet technology and instituted an ‘e-school’ policy. From 2013, no paper textbooks will exist at Sunward, and the school has supplied free WiFi to its pupils within the school grounds. Not only does this prevent textbooks getting lost, it also saves money in the long run. As the Academy’s high school head Adele Huyzers told media representatives: “A parent buying textbooks for their child would spend around R3 500. Using e-books will cost around R800.”