It’s not the device, it’s the design: Battling misconceptions of tech in education
Globally, there are concerns surrounding the impact of technology on children, specifically unregulated and unfiltered access to devices and social media. Governments and public agencies have responded with increased regulation.
Image source: Freepik
As of December 2025, children under the age of 16 in Australia are banned from using social media, while other countries, such as the UK and the Netherlands, are considering similar bans.
Speaking as a parent, these concerns are justifiable, especially as technology has the potential to overwhelm, distract and shape behaviour in ways that are difficult to reverse, particularly for impressionable minds.
After working nearly eight years in the industry, I’ve seen first-hand how easily constant connectivity can affect adults, let alone children. That has prompted me to be cautious, even sceptical, about technology’s role in early education.
But recently, I had an experience that challenged my own assumptions.
A vision of what’s possible in the classroom
On a recent business trip, I visited Apex School, an English-medium institution located in Stellenbosch. What I witnessed there stood in sharp contrast to many of the fears we associate with technology and children.
Apex serves learners from disadvantaged backgrounds, with a strong focus on accessibility. Many of the students had never worked on a laptop before entering the classroom. Yet the environment I walked into was calm, disciplined and focused. Technology wasn’t a distraction; it was a tool, clearly defined and purposefully used.
Within Apex’s blended learning model, learners take part in structured, student-led learning on digital platforms, while teachers and facilitators actively guide the process. The classroom dynamic is not about replacing teachers with screens, but about using technology to support deeper engagement.
Cloud-based software allows educators to monitor progress in real time, enabling them to identify gaps immediately and intervene during lessons, rather than discovering weeks later that a learner has fallen behind. Thanks to cloud solutions, support is timely, targeted and personal.
What struck me most was the level of ownership the learners showed. Children were engaging with content intentionally, not just passively consuming information. The technology didn’t dilute discipline; it reinforced it.
A model for enhanced learning
Beyond the core curriculum, Apex gives learners access to additional online courses aligned to their interests. Whether a learner shows curiosity in software development, marketing, interior design or medical-related subjects, the school’s controlled environment provides the opportunity for them to explore those pathways.
This is where blended learning begins to show its real-world value. In many traditional, rural or under-resourced schools, learners sit in classrooms where content has remained unchanged for years. Exposure to new industries, global perspectives or emerging careers is limited not by a lack of ambition but by a lack of access.
Blended learning changes that. When technology is introduced thoughtfully, it expands what education can offer without removing the structure and routine that young minds need.
For learners who may not have access to devices or connectivity at home, the school becomes a place where access is enabled safely and responsibly.
What I took away from my visit to Apex School was simple but important: technology itself isn’t the problem; unstructured use is.
Technology with purpose
When screens are introduced without boundaries, guidance or purpose, the risks are real. But when technology is embedded within a well-designed learning model, it can become a powerful equaliser, particularly for learners who might otherwise be left behind.
As a parent and someone who works directly with technology solutions, this balance matters deeply to me. The conversation shouldn’t be framed as technology versus childhood, or screens versus learning.
The real question is how technology is introduced, managed and contextualised. That’s achieved partly by providing the right resources to educators and institutions and by prioritising student-centred solutions.
What I saw in the classroom reminded me that technology, used correctly, doesn’t take away from learning or development. It can deepen focus, personalise education and open doors that traditional models often can’t.
That distinction is one we need to pay more attention to, and it’s how we transform the learning experience for children across South Africa.
About the author
Marce Heath, Commercial Marketing Lead at ASUS South Africa