Conference
16 February 2007
The Western Cape Education Departmentâs (WCED) eight Business, Commerce and
Management (BCM) focus schools are attending an exciting, hands-on conference
with curriculum officials, lecturers, final year business student teachers from
universities and representatives from the world of business.
Education MEC Cameron Dugmore will deliver the keynote address tomorrow
morning (08h00) at the conference, which takes place at the Cape Peninsula
University of Technology (Bellville Campus) ICT Conference centre; it has
started this morning (Friday 16 February) and ends tomorrow afternoon.
This initiative is part of the WCEDâs overall strategic Human Capital
Development Strategy, which seeks to produce young people with relevant skills
and knowledge, to grow the economy and build communities.
Today the focus falls on creating a forum for networking between organised
business and these BCM focus schools in the interest of providing a mutually
beneficial partnership between these schools and businesses.
The eight focus schools will each report on the progress in their schools
over the past year, which will include such issues as the addition of new
classrooms, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) laboratories,
interactive whiteboards in classrooms; the building of teacher capacity through
of the attendance of computer literacy courses, accounting bridging courses as
well as Advanced Certificate of Education (ACE) courses in Accounting and
Business Management.
Different speakers will deliver insightful views on a range of topics, which
will include Ms Jenny Rault-Smith, Director: WCED Curriculum Development
(History, Vision and Mission of BCM focus schools), Mr Albert Schuitmaker on
behalf of the Cape Regional Chamber of Business and Die Afrikaanse
Handelsinstituut (public-private partnerships), Mr Reza Bardien of Microsoft SA
(innovative use of technology in education) and Mr Alan Mills, Africa Manager
of the Specialist Schools and Academy Trust of the United Kingdom.
The Saturday programme will focus on programme of the most current ICTs,
which can be effectively integrated in teaching, learning and assessment in
schools.
A total of 15 presentations, of which conference participants can select a
combination of their personal choices, will be presented by outside service
providers, such as Microsoft SA (demonstrations on Windows Vista and Office
2007), Pastel and Quickbooks (Accounting software packages), Rubricate, ICDL,
NetOp School, Khanya, Intel Teach to The Future, Edit Microsystems (interactive
whiteboard lessons and data conferencing), Banango Traders (business game
simulation), VTC (computer-based training software), and video-conferencing by
Adobe Reader Connect.
The eight BCM Focus Schools attending the conference are: Berg River High
(Wellington), Bernadino Heights High (Kraaifontein), Bridgton Secondary
(Oudtshoorn), Elsies River High (Elsies River), Esselen Park High (Worcester),
Gardens Commercial (Cape Town), ID Mkize Secondary (Gugulethu) and Zola
Business School (Khayelitsha).
The Three Young Tenors of Gugulethu and a brass band of the Frank Pietersen
Music Centre will provide the entertainment.
Enquiries:
Paddy Attwell
Cell: 083 261 7699
Gert Witbooi
Media Liaison Officer
Office of the MEC for Education Western Cape
Tel: (021) 467 2523
Fax: (021) 425 5689
Cell: 082 550 3938
Issued by: Department of Education, Western Cape Provincial Government
16 February 2007
