Today marks the official launch of the Gauteng education department (GED) paperless classrooms pilot project - just in time of the start of the 2015 school year.

The education department in South Africa’s richest province has been engaged in efforts to do away with the duster chalkboard in classrooms. And this project aims to replace textbooks with e-books.

The R2 billion project aims to deliver tablets as well as internet connectivity to learners in high schools in the province.

According to the GED the classrooms of seven schools, which form part of the pilot phase of the project will be turned into ‘classrooms of the future’.

And to do this the department plans to roll out tablet devices to the schools selected as part of the investments in ICT and innovation projects in Gauteng schools.

Gauteng MEC for Education Phanyaza Lesufi told 702, “I truly believe this will eliminate time wasting in the classroom and tackle the curriculum immediately on day one.”

“I'm declaring the chalkboard and duster, history. They've played their part in history, now we need to move with the times, said Lesufi.

According to a report the department aims to convert 100 schools a year to paperless education centres by 2017.

Graeme Bloch, education analyst at University of Witwatersrand Public and Development Management School told ITWeb Africa that the department’s plans will in future encourage learning.

Bloch, however, raised concerns about the expense of the roll-out as well as the country’s current issues with electricity supply.

“I am pleased that he is trying it but I’m skeptical whether this could work all over the country,” said Bloch.