South Africa joins Group of Digital Education Transformation Countries
How can South Africa learn from the use of ICT in education in other countries? This is the question that informed Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga’s interest in accepting an invitation for South Africa to join the World Education Transformation Countries.
South Africa, Finland, United Arab Emirates (UAE), India, the USA and Shangai State in China, rank among the first countries which joined the programme designed to foster shared learning on why and how countries at different levels of education change, and are redefining and transforming their education systems. This programme is supported by the Government of Finland, in collaboration with the Microsoft’s Worldwide Education Initiative.
“We all share different challenges and risks in the management of change and transformation of our education system. We have had difficulties with introducing ICTs in our educations system, let alone utilising ICTs. We are at a point where ICTs cannot be regarded as a choice nor a luxury.
Every child must use ICTs to learn. By joining this programme, we are not alone and we join hands with others who have had more experience with education transformation”, says Minister Motshekga in response to the announcement of the programme at BETT Middle East in Abu Dhabi, UAE today.
The Minister was leading a delegation from the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Department of Education, including MEC Neliswa Nkonyeni, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) and United Nations Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) to participate in a BETT Middle East and a Microsoft Executive Briefing in the UAE this week.
BETT Middle East ranks among the world’s largest educational technology exhibitions. During her visit, the Minister and her delegation had meetings with leaders of the UAE’s Smart Learning Programme and the Microsoft Worldwide Education Team and toured the various education exhibits at BETT.
The delegation was exposed to the value of predictive learning analytics, digital badging and assessments, game-based learning and introducing coding into the curriculum.
Her visit to the UAE follows a study tour to North Carolina, USA by a delegation of 20 representatives from the DBE, all nine Provincial Education Departments, the five Teacher Unions, as well as representatives of Microsoft, Vodacom and UNICEF.
It was through the Microsoft Imagine Academies programme and through an exchange of ideas with delegates from other countries around the world, that the South African delegation further deepened their understanding of the ICT in education space.
Learning from the experiences of countries around the world is part of various initiatives to improve the delivery of the Operation Phakisa ICT in Education Lab, a Presidential lead project, designed to fast-track quality and efficiency in the basic education enabled by digital technologies.
Enquiries:
Elijah Mhlanga
Cell: 083 580 8275
Troy Martens
Cell: 079 899 3070
