SA learners, educators to get the best of the Net

South African learners and teachers in disadvantaged communities will soon have their own e-mail accounts and Web sites when Oracle South Africa launches Think.com as part of the Digital Partnership initiative. Think.com is a free Web-based environment for primary and secondary students and teachers, developed by Oracle Corporation, the world`s largest enterprise software company.

The Think.com environment is designed to assist schools in using state-of-the-art technology for learning. By participating in Oracle`s Think.com, members can create their own Web sites, interact with other members through free e-mail accounts, and collaborate on projects. The roll-out of Think.com, in conjunction with free Internet connectivity for participating schools, are key components of the Digital Partnership programme organised. This programme will be launched in October, following the completion of the pilot project.

SA will be the first country in Africa to use Think.com. Think.com is already in use by more than 10 countries around the world. A pilot project is currently under way in SA, in which learners from 12 schools are engaged in book and poetry reviews in collaboration with learners in schools in Northern Ireland.

"Think.com, as part of Oracle`s Education Initiatives, is an integral part of Oracle`s commitment to bring state-of-the-art Internet resources into classrooms worldwide," says Kelvin Reynolds, managing director of Oracle South Africa. "The Digital Partnership has presented us with an ideal vehicle for making Think.com available to learners and teachers, to create an environment that allows students and teachers to develop technology skills while adding enthusiasm to traditional curriculum such as reading and writing by allowing global collaboration with students from around the world."

According to Lyndall De Marco, International Director of the Digital Partnership: "Think.com is an important addition to the Digital Partnership. Our mission is to provide affordable access to resources at e-learning centres where teachers and the community can be trained. Think.com adds significant value to our efforts by giving teachers access to a global community of professionals."

By June next year the Digital Partnership South Africa hopes to have distributed 30 000 computers to 2 000 schools and resource centres - claimed to be the biggest single project of its kind in the world.

"Think.com is a valuable addition to the corporate social investment activities at Oracle South Africa," says Reynolds. "Our energies are committed to supporting sustainable projects that will enrich the education of teachers and help prepare learners to enter the working world with confidence and skills that will help them grow their careers and prosper."