Will Lack Of Microsoft License Stall Learning In K-12 Schools – Gauteng, S.A?

Will Lack Of Microsoft License Stall Learning At K-12 Schools in Gauteng?

K-12 public schools in Gauteng are in a pickle as far as installing new Microsoft products to new PCs or fixing old Windows systems at the schools is concerned.

The reason behind this is the fact that the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) is yet to finalize its licensing contract with Microsoft. Although, Microsoft says, the license was renewed last year. As cited by MyBroadband, some public schools are complaining that they are yet to get the new Microsoft licenses.

The following was the response by GDE to the schools launching these complaints: “Kindly note GDE is currently finalizing the 5-year contract for Microsoft Licenses, which implies we currently do not have active licenses to distribute. Once this is finalized, we will project the plan how the schools will receive and utilize the concerned software.”

However, despite the assurances from GDE, some Gauteng schools are raising concerns over the lack of time frame of the apparent ongoing negotiations between GDE and Microsoft.

To make matters more confusing, Microsoft is giving conflicting statements about its licensing to the GDE. In a statement to MyBroadband, Microsoft says it can “confirm that the Gauteng Department of Education renewed their license last year for five years; and as such all K-12 public schools in Gauteng are validly licensed.”

Microsoft’s Ashleigh Fenwick said, “At this point, I am able to confirm that they have a valid license agreement, which is currently active; so I am unsure why they have issued this advisory.”

Now who is to be believed, Microsoft saying the license was issued last year, or GDE that it is negotiating on the licensing. All the while, K-12 public schools in Gauteng cannot install new Microsoft products on new PCs nor fix the old Windows PCs.

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