DA: Education needs ICT overhaul

DA Gauteng education spokesperson Khume Ramulifho has highlighted ICTs as the way forward in the education sector.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) proposed that the Gauteng Education Department should aim to provide ICTs as a teaching tool in all subjects.

Speaking on the Committee Oversight Report on the Education Department, Ramulifho congratulated the department for receiving an unqualified audit for the financial year under review.

However, he said there are still questions that deserve answers. Many of these questions are around the lack of ICT skills and infrastructure in education.

“The focus is on the provision of quality basic education. The emphasis should be on ICT as we are all aware that is the way to go in this 21st century.”

The focus of the schooling system must be to equip learners with the necessary skills to meet the challenges they face when they are at school and when they leave school, said Ramulifho.

He said it's a great idea for public schools to receive ICT facilities, computer laboratories, interactive whiteboards, network server upgrades and data projector devices.

The DA applauds the Teacher Laptop initiative, but is sceptical that there are no plans to use these facilities as assistive devices to enhance quality learning, due to poor management.

Ramulifho also highlighted the need for teacher training in a knowledge society.

“Professional development of teachers in this field is central. There are teachers who are excited to know and use these assistive devices. The benefits to learners are huge if they get exposed to these facilities.”

He added that in order to implement the curriculum effectively, teachers need adequate training and support to learn how to navigate and apply e-resources, which should be provided online so teachers can download the full curriculum and support materials.

Ramulifho noted the importance of the Gauteng Online project for this purpose.

However, in terms of innovative learning, he said the department has no plan.

“Gauteng Online is currently considered a waste of resources.” The value of tenders issued in respect of Gauteng Online since 2001 is R2.47 billion.

He added that Gauteng Online is off-line, despite reports that it is up and running. “When I visited schools, many of them complained that this initiative was just a waste of resources.”

The GSSC did not respond to ITWeb requests for comment by the time of publication.

The Gauteng Online schools project is a provincial initiative to build a province-wide school computer network. The project aims to create 25-seat computer labs with Internet and e-mail capabilities at all public schools in the province, to be used for curriculum delivery.

E-learning and ICTs play only a small role in the Department of Basic Education's (DBE) comprehensive turnaround plan for school education, called Action Plan 2014: Towards the Realisation of Schooling 2025.

Basic education minister Angie Motshekga said one of the outcomes that the department wants to see in every school by 2025 is that from grade three onwards, all learners must be computer literate since much learning happens through the use of computers.

The DBE has also confirmed that a portion of the R1.1 billion that was given to it by the European Union (EU) last month will be set aside for ICT in education and e-education.