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IN MANY SCHOOLS , WHERE ONCE WI-FI WAS LIMITED TO A HANDFUL OF CLASSROOMS , NOW ANY ROOM CAN BE USED AS AN IT SUITE .
Jacob Chacko Regional Business Head – Middle East , Saudi and South Africa , HPE Aruba
Why the education sector must address security in the rush to digitise
Jacob Chacko Regional Business Head – Middle East , Saudi and South Africa ( MESA ) at HPE Aruba , on the changing face of education and why the classroom of yesteryear is transforming to pave the way for exciting times ahead for the education industry in Africa .
There has never been a greater need to connect students , classrooms and buildings . Enrolment of students ( who are always more tech-savvy and more expectant than the year that preceded them ) continues to rise and the benefits of technology – better grades and greater staff well-being – are necessary if schools are to maintain high levels of performance during the challenging time of Digital Transformation .
What ’ s key , however , is that cybersecurity is taken seriously . Not in a way that restrains a school ’ s ambitions to innovate , but so that technology is controlled and managed with caution to protect the students . This will become increasingly important as schools and universities expand deployment of digital , collaborative and immersive learning environments across new and modernised buildings and campuses .
Here ’ s a closer look at some of the advances many schools are making today and the security measures that can and should , be taken to protect their data and reputation .
The changing face of education
There are exciting times ahead for the education industry . Typically , this sector is one of the last to make extensive change , but thanks to the ambitions of teachers keen to engage better with students , the classroom of yesteryear is starting to transform . In many schools , where once Wi-Fi was limited to a handful of classrooms , now any room can be used as an IT suite . New tech such as eLockers are being trialled as a way of empowering 38 INTELLIGENTCIO www . intelligentcio . com