KZN teachers licensed to drive

Johannesburg, 13 Dec 2007

Three-hundred-and-fifty KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) computer teachers have received their International Computer Driving Licences (ICDL). The ICDL is internationally recognised as a global standard in end-user computer skills.

KZN head of computer-assisted teaching Estelle Llewellyn says some "teachers who were well versed with computers still stated how much they had learned. Many said they considered it a privilege to have been afforded this opportunity, and some have been brave enough to ask when they start the advanced ICDL course."

ICDL KZN regional manager Charmian Wrightman says even though all the teachers either have a degree, an HDE [Higher Diploma in Education] or FDE [Further Diploma in Education], the ICDL will enhance their professional qualification and form the foundation of preliminary training for the advanced ICDL qualification.

"The hope now, with the implementation of the ICDL as an additional qualification, is that standards of computer training within KZN schools will improve," Wrightman says.

"One of the educators, who has been teaching for the past 22 years, said he did not realise how much there was to learn and enthused as to how beneficial he believed the programme was," she adds.

"Not only has this programme taught educators different ways to access information from their computers and afforded them the opportunity to enhance their computer literacy, but most educators commented on how much more confident they now feel in the classroom."

Raising the bar

ICDL SA CEO Jennifer van Niekerk says the ICDL Foundation has worked to raise the level of ICT skills in society for the last decade.

"Studies have proven that, after completing the ICDL certification, users can save time and money for their employers. Not only is this good news for the DOE [Department of Education], but it bodes well for the learners who are the future business leaders of this country.

ICDL certification (known as the European Computer Driving Licence in Europe) is available in 150 countries globally and has been translated into 38 languages. The ICDL has been adopted by governments, international organisations, the international business community and, more recently, the Department of Correctional Services.

In addition, the Department of Communications has also shown an interest in the ICDL qualification, by sponsoring 2 000 unemployed candidates to participate in the programme through further education and training colleges.

Wrightman says 500 teachers enrolled for the course in March. Seventy percent of the group received the minimum pass rate of 75% per module during the first round of the certification last month.

"Top achiever, Thulani Moyane, of Inanda Comprehensive High School, scored a remarkable 98.3%, while Jennifer Reddy, Amanulla Ibrahim and Shaun Strydom achieved 97.6%, 97% and 96.7%, respectively," she says.

"The project has been such a success, that subject advisors in the DOE have advocated that the ICDL certification be an additional qualification to the professional qualifications of all their computer subject educators," Wrightman adds. "Plans are afoot to implement the advanced ICDL for all computer educators next year."