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Local public schools get online presence

Paula Gilbert
By Paula Gilbert, ITWeb telecoms editor.
Johannesburg, 01 Apr 2016
Maxeke Secondary School in Evaton is one of the schools that now has a school Web site.
Maxeke Secondary School in Evaton is one of the schools that now has a school Web site.

Ten Gauteng public schools now have an online presence, after the launch of the Schools Online Presence Project by the .ZA Domain Name Authority (ZADNA).

The schools have been provided with Web sites, built by Web designers located in their own communities, and teachers and support staff have been given school e-mail addresses for the first time.

"Having a dedicated school Web site and e-mail address is no luxury," says Vika Mpisane, CEO of ZADNA.

"Building a world-class education system for the majority of South Africans means not compromising on the best available technology. ZADNA is pleased to be able to direct the funds generated from .ZA domain name registrations to a project that uplifts needy schools through a .ZA Internet presence."

The project's first schools were selected by ZADNA with guidance from the Gauteng Department of Education, and the project plans to expand over time.

The project results from ZADNA's analysis of some of the school ICT initiatives by the public and private sectors. This showed most included computer laboratories, teacher computer training and the distribution of tablets to learners. It also found a substantial number of schools still did not have dedicated Web sites and e-mail addresses.

Mpisane believes Web sites are important marketing and online visibility tools for schools, and serve as a central point for disseminating information to learners, educators, parents and other stakeholders.

The new Web sites will also enable the schools to centralise their social media presence by having their social media channels (such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter) redirecting from the Web sites. The schools may also expand the Web sites into administrative interfaces by linking databases with student profiles and providing intranets for educators.

The Department of Basic Education pointed out as far back as 2012 that 30% of South African schools have ineffective governing bodies, with many parents simply not involved in their children's education.

"Parents can now use their computers, tablets and mobile phones to easily keep abreast of school activities through the Web sites," says Mpisane.

Bigger plans

ZADNA's Schools Online Presence Project will continue to identify schools requiring Web site support, while partnering with community-based Web developers who can help make the government's vision of connected schools a reality.

"Our selection of Gauteng schools is purely based on the fact that we felt that, in the short-term, it would be easy to manage communication with schools that are geographically close to ZADNA's operational base. The goal is to work with more provinces and other public and private entities to encourage schools' online presence within the .ZA namespace," explains Mpisane.

ZADNA is responsible for the costs of designing and hosting the Web sites, and providing e-mail addresses to each school's staff members. The authority plans to continue the sponsorship for at least two years per school.

Lakeview Primary School principal MV Bilankulu says having a dedicated Web site is a valuable additional service for the school.

"It complements our vision to become a technology-driven school and to ensure every learner in Lakeview Primary School is able to use technology to do their school work. We can only challenge ZADNA to do more of the same for other schools as well," he says.

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