Deputy education minister Mosibudi Mangena says a draft white paper on 'e-education` is in the final stages of approval - and in it the Education Department will declare its aim to ensure that every South African learner in general and further education is "ICT-capable" by 2013.
Mangena said in his budget speech in the National Assembly yesterday that just five years ago, information and communications technology was not part of the mainstream in education, with some higher education institutions lacking access to essential features of Internet-based research.
"Today, they are regarded as a critical part of the delivery infrastructure for a modern education system," he said.
Pointing out that SA has a broadly favourable environment for ICT, Mangena said: "Linked to ICT is the concept of e-education, which aims to accelerate the achievement of national education goals. E-education enables us to connect learners to other learners, as well as teachers and professional support services. The challenge is to transcend the mere exchange of information, and to transform the technology into a range of learning activities that meet our educational objectives."
Mangena said e-education included the development of computer literacy and the skills necessary to operate various technologies, which would soon be essential for everybody. He added that e-education also had to encourage the ability to apply ICT skills to access, manage, integrate, evaluate and create information.
"We must add value through technology, and not just do the same things more efficiently. A learning society both uses and creates new knowledge, and we must encourage innovation in this field.
"Without doubt, e-education has the potential to greatly enhance access to lifelong education and training opportunities, which will in turn contribute towards improving the quality of life."
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