Jethro Kuzwayo finds that learners in Gauteng are set to join the information superhighway
The Gauteng Department of Education has launched a multimillion-rand project to accelerate its existing programme so that all schools in the province will get at least two computers and access to the Internet. GautengOnline.com is a R500-million project which is due to go online this month.
In the short term about 240 000 matriculants will benefit from the project as they will acquire necessary skills to secure them employment in the Information Technology (IT) industry.
”Our short-term target is to ensure that all schools in Gauteng have at least 25 computers. By 2006 1,5million learners will be provided with computers and access to the Internet. All Gauteng schools will be encouraged to acquire their own personal e-mail addresses,” explains MEC for Education in Gauteng, Ignatius Jacobs.
Once this occurs, Gauteng will be able to compete favorably with other countries looking to attract foreign investment. Schools and communities will be tasked with the responsibility of security to ensure that computers are protected from thieves and vandalism. Grade 9, 10, 11 and 12 learners will benefit immensely from the project, as they will be accredited with certified qualifications in IT. This will equip them with the necessary skills and training to secure jobs.
An important aim of the project is to create a networked schooling system capable of harnessing the full power of IT to address the many challenges facing education.
Another goal is to ”ensure significant improvements to the administration systems and management information systems used by our department,” says Jacobs.
It also aims to tackle the challenges of computer literacy in schools and provide learners with free access to the Internet. Educators, learners and administrators will also benefit. Jacobs explains: ”Five teachers from each public school will be trained by professional IT personnel to use computers to improve the quality of their classroom teaching. In turn, teachers will train learners in how to become computer literate far more rapidly and effectively than if they had only occasional access to computers. Within the next six years the project will be running in all 29 000 schools in South Africa including private and farm schools.
”This will position our education system to achieve its objectives of the 21-century where the intelligence, talents, energy and enthusiasm of our learners will be utilised. We hope this will re-direct the energy and talents of learners from substance abuse and crime – thereby making them part of society’s efforts to create jobs and build our economy.
Another project of GautengOnline.com is to develop an educational portal on the Internet that will be linked to existing projects focusing on similar goals,” says Jacobs. This portal will provide access to three pilot curriculum delivery vehicles. The purpose of these pilot curriculum projects is to design models for improving access to and sharing of curriculum resources in classrooms across the province.
GautengOnline.com will undertake this pilot project with the assistance of other provinces.
For more information on Gauteng Online.com call Lebelo Maloka on (011) 355-1509 or 082 902 9880
— The Teacher/Mail & Guardian, March, 2001.
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