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Gauteng Online tender binned

Nicola Mawson
By Nicola Mawson, Contributor.
Johannesburg, 20 Mar 2013
The future classroom will see all learners having their own devices, such as tablets, smartphones, and netbooks.
The future classroom will see all learners having their own devices, such as tablets, smartphones, and netbooks.

The Gauteng provincial government has withdrawn a tender for the controversial R3 billion Gauteng Online project and is set to merge it with its province-wide broadband programme.

In January, the Gauteng Department of Finance advertised for proposals for "innovative solutions to deliver the Gauteng Online (GOL) schools programme".

It has now said the project is under "strategic review" in a bid to incorporate a comprehensive e-learning aspect, which was not part of the existing scope, and to merge the programme onto the Gauteng Broadband Network once it has been built.

The programme was initiated in 2002 through the Gauteng Department of Education and implemented by various service providers. In April 2007, GOL was transferred from the Gauteng Department of Education to the Gauteng Department of Finance, and the contract awarded to the SMM Telematics Consortium (SMMT).

The total budget for the project over a five-year period was R3 billion and, as of May last year, about R1.3 billion had been spent. This translates to approximately 65% that was spent on the project, while 71% of the project deliverables have been achieved, with the rest of the project set to be completed by the end of this financial year.

Rethinking

However, in a statement issued by the MEC for finance, Mandla Nkomfe, the province says it has now cancelled the tender, but will put interim measures in place in the interests of learning and to ensure the smooth transitioning.

"This review is a result of the Gauteng Provincial Government's revised objectives on the programme to ensure that learners and teachers both maximally benefit from the project," says the statement.

The department has been involved in thorough engagements with all stakeholders concerned; the Gauteng Department of Education, schools and governing bodies on how best to roll out this initiative, taking into account the previous challenges that have been encountered, it says.

The project has been dogged by controversy for several years, with the Democratic Alliance (DA) arguing it has been a failure as PCs are not replaced when stolen, and schools are not connected to the Internet.

Gauteng finance says the engagements led to the realisation that the project needs to be redesigned to have a dual outlook, while it was previously focused solely on learners. It has now been agreed that other aspects will also be included, such as it providing a "fit-for-purpose" ICT capability, which would support teaching, e-learning and give learners an opportunity to use ICT for learning activities, it says.

"We also note that e-learning is becoming a fundamental aspect in the entire education system and employment life; therefore, it should supply skilled learners for further study and employment opportunities," says finance.

Joining forces

The department notes the provincial government is in the process of building a broadband network to handle all Gauteng bandwidth. The project also aims to offer affordable rates for citizens.

Finance says there will be gradual migration from the GOL's network solution to the Gauteng Broadband Network (GBN). "After migration, the GOL programme will become an integral component of the GBN and will provide Internet and allied services to Gauteng residents living within the vicinity of the schools."

The broadband project is part of Gauteng's G-Link initiative, which was previously known as the Blue Umbrella project, but stalled in recent years despite being on the cards since around 2008. G-Link is central to the province's efforts to build a knowledge economy and some municipalities had already started rolling out the project.

Finance says the future classroom will see all learners having their own devices, such as tablets, smartphones, and netbooks, that would have all their e-books as well as their curriculum content readily available, being both grade- and language-specific.

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