A spate of burglaries has forced the Gauteng Education Department to withdraw tablets handed over to schools in the province.

It has been reported that since the launch of the 'one-tablet-one-learner' initiative, criminals having been targeting the schools with the laptops.

The department's Twitter feed notes that of the 88,000 tablets handed over to learners, more than 3,000 have been stolen.

Gauteng MEC Panyaza Lesufi told the national broadcaster he has written letters to school principals to bring back all the tablets that the department has given to schools with immediate effect, so that the department can enhance security.

"There've been a series of burglaries to our schools to steal the tablets that we've given to schools, said Lesufi.

"I don't want to jeopardise the mid-year examinations because when these people break into our schools, even if they're looking for these tablets, they end up taking other things. It affects the entire schooling environment. So, the 88 000 tablets that we gave to our schools, unfortunately, regrettably, we're withdrawing them now," he told the national broadcaster.

On Friday morning the GED's Twitter account tweeted, "MEC @Lesufi announced yesterday that GDE would retrieve these tables 2install them with additional security features."

Providing tablets in classrooms for Gauteng pupils is part of the education department's R2 billion project aims to deliver tablets as well as internet connectivity to learners schools in the province.

Empowering Gauteng pupils with tablets in classrooms forms part of the education department's R2 billion project to deliver devices and internet connectivity.

The Department in South Africa's richest province wants to eradicate the duster chalkboard in classrooms.

It has been reported that the department aims to convert 100 schools a year to paperless education centres by 2017.