THE provision of information technology is difficult when 50% of South Africa’s 37000 schools do not even have electricity, Education Minister Kader Asmal told MPs on Thursday. He also said 60% of the schools do not have telephone connections, while 24% do not have clean water. Asmal said there has to be a rationalisation of universities and teacher training colleges because many of these were built during the apartheid era for ideological rather than rational reasons. “There was a proliferation of institutions which were set up for macho reasons of prestige.” He denied ever saying there will be an immediate merger of universities or closure of colleges. He disclosed that the South African Qualifications Authority is looking at the purpose of the matric system.