Gauteng Online, the Gauteng Education Department`s project to provide all schools in the province with computers and Internet access within the next five years, took a step forward on Friday with the announcement of a 25-school pilot project.
[VIDEO]"The 25 schools span the breadth of the educational spectrum in the province, from upper income and Afrikaans schools through to farm schools.
Ignatius Jacobs, Gauteng MEC for education, said the schools chosen for the pilot were specifically selected to represent the full range of socio-economic, historical, geographic and educational conditions in the province.
"R500 million has been set aside over the next three years for this programme. The amount for this fiscal year is R100 million. However, we are expecting considerable savings to come through support from our industry partners."
[VIDEO]Jacobs said a project of this magnitude is not possible without the full participation of the ICT industry. "As a matter of fact, the need for public-private partnerships, wherein the industry plays a leading role in the supply and standardisation of ICT technology, is spelt out in several global, national and provincial policy directives. The pilot project and the roll-out of the full Gauteng Online programme will put to test the commitments of various partners."
He added that the process of selecting ICT partners is still underway, and he could not reveal the names of the ICT partners before the Tender Board reaches a decision. He said the names of strategic partners would be available within the next two weeks. Details of the types of systems to be implemented at the pilot schools were also not available.
[VIDEO]The Gauteng Online project, which was announced by Jacobs in his February 2001 policy speech, plans to equip all schools in the province with 25 computers each, as well as providing the 1.5 million learners in the province with Internet access and personalised e-mail addresses by 2006.
The pilot project will be completed by February next year and Jacobs said definitive decisions would be made before the new financial year in April.
[VIDEO]Although unaware as to how many of the schools are currently without facilities such as electricity, he said the Gauteng Online project would by necessity have to provide these infrastructure requirements as well. Jacobs said the budget allocated to the project would have to cover these expenses, unless an existing financial allocation is in place within the department.
"One of the critical outcomes of the pilot project is to establish the exact capital expenditure required in the various socio-economic categories of schools, ranging from the very low to the very high."
Charting the way
The 25 schools that have been chosen to pilot the Gauteng Online project:
Laerskool AG Visser
Laerskool Uniefees
Westbury Primer
Job Maseko Primary
Goede Hoop Primary
Ikaneng Primary
Rand Gold Primary Farm School
Pholosho Primary
Hoerskool Oosterlig
Dan Kutumela
Modiri Technical School
Riverlea Secondary
Nirvana Secondary
Eastbank High
MOM Sebone Secondary
Aha-Thuto Secondary
Sizanani Thusanang Comprehensive
Minerva Secondary
Leshata Secondary
Villa Liza Primary
Echibine Secondary
Phulaneng Primary
Mablomong Intermediate
Elandspark School
Sizwile School for the Deaf
Jacobs noted that the department is in the process of determing the savings that could be realised by using the infrastructure to train educators as well as learners. "We want to build our own ICT training capacity. In this regard, the Gauteng Department of Education presently has teachers` training centres in Alberton, Benoni, Lenasia and the Johannesburg College of Education with a combined capacity of 127 ICT workstations. As part of Gauteng Online, we shall increase this capacity."
Jacobs said learners who faced particular difficulties would also be included in the project.
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