SA Learners to benefit from R20-million IT education project

Two hundred schools across South Africa and an untold number of learners will enter the information age, in a project touted as the African continent's largest privately funded information technology education initiative. Thintana, a consortium of Telkom's strategic equity partners - SBC International and Telekom Malaysia, announced the Thintana i-learn initiative today.

Thintana's R20-million to establish Thintana i-learn answers the national education minister, Kadar Asmal's recent call for education partnerships. The project, which will be managed by SchoolNet SA, forms part of Thintana's commitment to invest R120-million from 1997 to 2002 on a series of educational programmes that will improve technology learning and bring future generations into a knowledge-based society.

The initiative will roll out over the next two years in 200 schools and community centres from across all nine provinces, and will see the installation of 3000 new and recycled Internet-enabled computers and 200 servers. The strength of the project has attracted the partnership of worldwide computing software leader, Microsoft, funding the cost of software to the value of R 5 900 000. "It has taken two years to bring the Thintana i-learn initiative to fruition. Our key focus is to create a project that will be sustained by professionals over the course of time, which is why we have commissioned SchoolNet SA to manage the project. They are well known for developing and supporting the use of information and communication technologies in education in SA, and will ensure that the project provides continual learning by students using the tools of the project," said Thintana Manager and Telkom chief operating officer, Tom Barry.

A total of 3200 teachers and facilitators will be trained in educationally integrated computer literacy and the effective use of computers in education. Additionally some 400 teachers will be trained in technical and network administration skills. Reacting to the Thintana announcement, national education minister Kadar Asmal commended the consortium. "It is estimated that no fewer than 10% of the poorest performing schools in the country benefit from development programmes run as partnerships between governmental organisations and SA business, offshore donors and local NGO's. It is only through these kinds of partnerships that we can begin to rise to the challenges we face in education, particularly technology and communication. Thintana's i-learn initiative has risen to this challenge and has set the benchmark for corporate involvement in the technology education process."

Asmal also pointed out that South Africa still battled to balance tertiary education with the country's requirements. "The Thintana i-learn programme will not only play a vital role in expanding our learners' access to computer technology, but will hopefully also encourage a larger percentage of them to study for careers in science and technology."

Thintana was formed in 1997 as the joint social-responsibility vehicle of SBC International and Telekom Malaysia, Telkom's two strategic equity partners.