The acceleration of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in education has become an important mission aimed at aligning teaching techniques with the 21st Century. Minister of Basic Education, Mrs Angie Motshekga, joined by the Deputy Minister of Basic Education, Mr Enver Surty, the MEC for Education in Gauteng, Mr Panyanza Lesufi, the MEC for Education in the Western Cape, Ms Debbie Schäfer, senior managers from the Department of Basic Education and Provincial Education Departments, as well as a delegation from McKinsey South Africa, participated in the ICT in Education Workshop held at the Premier Hotel in Midrand on 03 March 2016.
The workshop was held in response to the National Development Plan (NDP) goals on ICT in education, and was presented along with the Operation Phakisa ICT in Education Lab outcomes, launched by President Jacob Zuma in September 2015. This marked an overdue turning point towards the transformation of teaching and learning through the appropriate use of ICTs as envisioned by the White Paper on e-Education, 2004.
The Outcomes Manager from the Department of Planning Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) in the Presidency, Dr Thabo Mabogoane, gave a presentation on Operation Phakisa Methodology, indicating that four Phakisa priorities, namely; the Oceans Economy, Health, Education and Mining have been rolled out already; with Agriculture identified as the next priority. Presenting the ten ICT in Education Lab Initiatives, he indicated that Government will, thereafter, monitor the implementation of these to draw lessons for future initiatives.
Dr Mabogoane indicated that “to achieve its ICT goals, South Africa must have a co-ordinated, enabling ICT strategy, which underpins a number of aspects, including a national e-strategy that cuts across government departments and sectors; reviews the market structure; analyses the benefits and costs of duplicating versus sharing infrastructure, given that the radio spectrum on which mobile networks depend on is limited; applies open-access policies to encourage sharing of certain elements of the fibre backbone network, without discouraging private long term investment; stimulate demand by promoting e-literacy; instituting ICT rebates and incentives; develop ICT applications in sectors such as health and education, as well as on the supply-side infrastructure and institutions; and effectively engage various institutions, including global ICT governance agencies, such as the International Telecommunication Union and the World Trade Organisation, on issues of regional integration and harmonisation.”
In her address Minister Motshekga said that the transformation of our education system into a 21st Century learning environment that provides our learners with the skills they need to succeed in today's information age economy is long overdue. “In this regard we developed a White Paper on e-Education in 2004. The vision of the 2004 White Paper was, and still is, to transform learning and teaching through ICTs and to produce ICT capable learners. This capability is defined as the ability to use ICTs confidently and creatively to help develop the skills and knowledge needed to achieve personal goals and to be full participants in the global community.”
“The White Paper said that in the context of developing countries, ICTs have the potential and capacity to overcome barriers such as fiscal constraints, spatial barriers and other capacity-related limitations to deliver quality education. The White Paper stressed that the expansion of ICTs is driving significant changes in many aspects of human endeavour throughout the world. It emphasised that both at micro and national levels, ICTs have increased the effectiveness and reach of development interventions, enhanced good governance, and lowered the cost of delivering basic social service,” Minister Motshekga highlighted.
The Minister remarked that the pace of implementing ICTs in basic education has been unsatisfactory and that provinces are at different levels of ICT integration in education. The more affluent provinces such as the Western Cape and Gauteng have made significant progress in providing some of their schools with ICT infrastructure. “Competing priorities and a lack of adequate resources have limited the ability of the majority of Provincial Education Departments from effectively providing ICT infrastructure to their schools,” added Minister Motshekga.
The Minister acknowledged the efforts and commitment of the private sector and NGOs in providing ICT infrastructure to schools. “Despite what may appear to be doom and gloom, the basic education sector has made strides in leveraging ICTs to strengthen teaching, learning and administration of the education system. The advancements made, thus far, can be attributed largely to the partnership between government, private sector, social partners and the NGO sector, by providing schools with ICT resources coupled with relevant teacher training. It is through such partnerships that we have achieved such milestones.”
“In his seminal book, The Internet Galaxy: Reflections on the Internet, Business and Society, Castells argues quite correctly that we are "entering, full speed, the Internet Galaxy, in the midst of informed bewilderment." Castells provides no glib solutions, but asks us all to take responsibility for the future of this new information age. We therefore have no choice but to heed the call to take full responsibility to deliver ICTs in education. The fate of future generations of learners is in our hands. We can ill-afford to fail them,” Minister Motshekga concluded.
