Gauteng is taking the first of what an industry observer hopes will be many steps in moving away from the traditional learning environment of "chalk and talk".
As the province heads back to school tomorrow, the Department of Education is set to launch the pilot project that marks the start of its bid to go paperless over the next few years. Writing in The Star this morning, education MEC Panyaza Lesufi notes the "Big Switch On" will go live at five schools in Gauteng.
The first of the schools to benefit from the ambitious, R2 billion project will mostly be those where parents are exempt from paying fees, the MEC writes. These schools will, for the first time, experience technology "to support effective teaching and learning in class". Gauteng's project, announced in the middle of last year, will see textbooks and chalkboards being removed from classrooms, and replaced with technology, within the next five years. More than 80 000 tablets have already been delivered to schools.
Right technology
Lesufi adds schools must be equipped with the right infrastructure and technologies to teach new-age skills and activities. "The schools should be able to use these technologies to achieve new levels of learning, and develop future workers who are apt with technology, knowledgeable, creative and analytic."
Connectivity for Gauteng schools was initially set to be provided through a project called Gauteng Online, but this idea was scrapped. Connectivity will now be enabled through the province's broadband programme, which is running ahead of schedule.
The R2 billion plan follows 2013's announcement by the province that the revamped Gauteng Online project, now the e-Learning Solution, would supply tablets and connectivity to 2 200 public schools in the province. Huawei Technologies won a R289 million contract to provide 88 000 10-inch tablets, while Cloudseed was awarded a R107 million contract to provide WiFi and 3G connectivity for a period of two years.
Vital first step
ICT veteran Adrian Schofield says Gauteng is taking one of several, little, steps away from the "chalk and talk" environment, which is positive and must be done. He notes the state needs to start somewhere, but the tech initiative must go hand-in-hand with the correct culture of teaching that allows students to learn, and apply, what they are being taught.
Lesufi writes the department is aware that teachers need adequate resources to aid them. "We know that where schools have a library, ICT, connectivity and quality teaching resources, pupils do better."
Another challenge, says Schofield, will be to scale up the project to cover thousands of schools in Gauteng - and the approximately 25 000 schools across the country. "All progress comes from taking lots of little steps. If they show it works, it must be scaled up, and rolled out in as many schools as possible."
Security plans
Already, several private schools have been insisting that learners be equipped with tablets, and many - including public schools - are moving into the era of the smartboard and tablets, including in the Eastern Cape.
Yet, government's previous bid to bring tech into schools was a failure, as PCs kept getting stolen. To combat this scourge, the department is co-ordinating with the police and community to protect equipment, Lesufi told EWN. "We have put the most sophisticated tracking devices in all the tools. The police are trying to put one in one of their systems as well. So, if you take a tablet from a child, we will be in a position to track it back."
Schofield notes tracking must go further than just making sure property is not stolen, and needs to include usage patterns. Yet, he is cynical as to whether such a system will prevent equipment leaking out of playgrounds. "Kids lose their shoes at school," he quips.
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