Retraining teachers from the four provinces, who use Java as part of the IT curriculum, to now start using Delphi, will cost approximately R950 000. This was revealed in a circular issued by the Department of Basic Education (DBE), in which it justifies its decision to use Delphi as the standard programming language for the curriculum.
The circular breaks down the cost into training workshops for Grade 11 and Grade 12 teachers, respectively. According to the circular, the Grade 11 workshop will focus on "Delphi IDE, Delphi syntax and Delphi and database", while the Grade 12 workshop will focus on "Delphi and database and Own class".
The circular notes that while teachers using Java will need Delphi training, the "concepts are the same and training will only need to focus on the new environment. Also, teachers who have been in the system for more than 10 years taught Pascal in the past and should adapt very easily to Delphi."
The DBE also says Embarcadero offers free licences to Delphi schools and learners for a limited period, providing they register annually to benefit from this offer.
The DBE last week announced that from January 2014 and November 2014, the department will only use Microsoft Office to implement the computer applications technology (CAT) curriculum, and Delphi as the programming language that will be used to teach the IT curriculum. This drew widespread criticism from the ICT industry, with commentators saying the decision takes SA backward, limits choice and goes against government's open source policy.
Re-evaluation
Meanwhile, the Digital Portfolio Committee of the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry has decided to produce a paper within the month as a means of lobbying for re-evaluation of the decision at a national level.
The committee held a meeting yesterday to discuss the decision by the DBE, which included participants representing small businesses, educational institutions, professionals and ICT practitioners, including software developers.
According to a statement issued by the chamber, there was a strong consensus that the decision made by the department will have negative ramifications and the portfolio committee will further lobby for the decision to be re-evaluated and if possible reversed.
"Key concerns raised by the group included the lack of industry consultation; the unintended consequences of the decision, not least of which is the anti-competitive nature of the decision and how this benefits two large US corporations at the expense of others; the fact that this move is in direct conflict with the existing free and open source software policy; and the concern that this decision will relegate our learners to a future of global irrelevance in the marketplace."
Roderick Lim Banda, chairman of the Digital Portfolio Committee, says standardisation on one technology or programming language for education and assessment in computing and software skills is problematic. "It is much like trying to study medicine based on the kidney as the only part of the human anatomy. If the issue is a lack of teachers and resources, or the need for standardising teaching and assessments, we feel that there are alternatives," he says.
It was pointed out by representatives in education that there needs to be a shift in mindset from creating end-users or consumers of technology, to teaching learners to be producers and developers of technology solutions, says the statement.
"The participants who were attorneys or had legal and policy backgrounds have committed to assist to look at the issue further from a legal and process perspective. The general sense of the discussion was that the matter was too important to leave as is and that steps will be taken to ensure businesses have a voice in the re-evaluation of the decisions made," says Lim Banda.
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