Still no internet for many pupils

82.5% schools have no access or any digital technology

THE digital revolution sweeping through the world remains a pipedream for the Eastern Cape department of education, with the revelation that only 945 out of a total of 5 421 public schools in the province have been connected to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to date.

This means 4 476, 82.5% of Eastern Cape schools, have no internet connection or access to the latest technology.

This shocking statistic emerged from Bhisho legislature questions for oral reply put to education MEC Mandla Makupula by DA member of the legislature (MPL), Edmund van Vuuren.

Makupula told the legislature that there had been no budget for ICT connection in the past two financial years.

His reason: “School connectivity has never been the responsibility of the department [ECDoE].”

The department said it “far exceeded all its projections in ensuring that the dream of connectivity for our schools is indeed realised”, according to spokesman Malibongwe Mtima.

Makupula, in his legislature reply, does acknowledge the benefits for pupils and teachers that come with ICT.

According to Makupula, some benefits of ICT include:

● Easy collaboration of access and sharing of learning material;

● Learning that continues beyond the classroom walls;

● Ability for learners to compete with their counterparts from anywhere in the world;

● Allows teachers to tailor lessons and presentations according to their students’ learning styles which includes detailed explanations through email, virtual chatrooms and online tools and apps for learners to use. “This personalised instruction helps each pupil to excel at their own pace”;

● Accelerated project completion as learners would, through ICT leverage, access a rich online database, and keep track of deadlines and submit projects instantly upon completion. “These efficiencies would not be possible without ICT connectivity for schools”;

● Making education more interactive from sending an email to conducting a video interview to competing in an online mathematics competition. Makupula acknowledges that “internet for schools allows students to meet people from around the world, peers from other schools, business leaders, industry experts, and other valuable networking and learning opportunities; and

● Increased learner engagement. Mtima yesterday said there were some successes: “These include ensuring that all our schools have SA SAMS [SA School Administration Management System] connectivity because to date all our 5 604 schools in the province are connected.”

SA SAMS is not the same as ICT, as its purpose is to help with record-keeping, reporting and stats analysis.

“Apart from that, 3 416 of our schools from the Foundation Phase to Intermediate and Senior Phase have been connected for e-learning purposes up to the end of March. This has been matched by the provision of laptops to over 40 000 teachers,” said Mtima, who described e-learning as a tool given to teachers to help them teach pupils.

On the actual ICT connectivity Makupula told the legislature that “the department will also engage the mandated state organs on roll-out plans for school ICT connectivity and report back to the portfolio committee on education”. —