The Gauteng education authorities have allocated R200 million for the rollout of GautengOnline to schools in the province this year. The project aims to provide all schools in the province with a minimum of 25 computers each, as well as providing more than 63 000 educators with e-mail addresses by 2006.
A clear list of standards for hardware, software and networks has been finalised. We will use R200 million to rollout the first phase of the project. The R200 million will also be used to leverage private sector resources to deliver the said targets.
Ignatius Jacobs, MEC, Education
MEC for Education Ignatius Jacobs said in presenting the Gauteng Department of Education`s R9 billion budget for 2003/2004 this week that around 1100 schools had been targeted to benefit from its GautengOnline project this financial year.
Jacobs said: "The roll-out of GautengOnline will continue in 2003/4. A clear list of standards for hardware, software and networks has been finalised. We will use R200 million to rollout the first phase of the project. The R200 million will also be used to leverage private sector resources to deliver the said targets."
The Department reports that 36 schools are currently piloting the project. With all standards now in place and partners coming aboard to assist, it expects to roll out the programme to 1 100 schools this year. With a total of around 2 500 schools in the province, the Department says the project is fully on track.
Science Edutainment Centre
As part of its drive to promote maths, science and IT education, the Gauteng provincial government has also opened a Science Edutainment Centre at Johannesburg`s Newtown Cultural Precinct. Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa said in launching the centre yesterday that it would support the Gauteng Provincial Government`s Mathematics, Science and Technology strategy and promote scientific literacy.
Shilowa said: "One of the issues concerning foreign companies is the question of skills levels and competencies of all levels of the provincial workforce. If Gauteng is to build on its position as the economic, industrial, financial and IT hub of the country, region and continent, then we need to do more to develop appropriate skills."
"We have the opportunity to play a leading role in research and development in numerous fields, including medical, aeronautics, telecommunications, computer science and the automotive industry. To do all these, we need a new brand of a learner - skilled in analytical thinking, continually questioning and reasoning current methodologies and always looking for better ways of doing things."
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