Changing learning landscapes
Keep up – or risk being left behind
The world is changing at an unimaginable pace, accelerated by growing economic demands, technological advances and, of course, the global Covid-19 pandemic. According to the World Economic Forum, an estimated 65% of children in primary school today will end up working in jobs that do not yet exist.
The importance of developing change-resilient, tech-savvy learners became noticeably evident during South Africa’s first hard lockdown, when learners and students of all ages were forced to stay at home. A lucky few were able to continue learning, using online platforms and e-learning solutions.
The disruptions caused by the pandemic make it likely that education in its traditional sense will be phased out in the near future, as more people become accustomed to the efficiency, convenience and additional benefits available through either synchronous learning opportunities such as virtual classrooms, or asynchronous solutions like selfpaced e-learning courses. The pandemic changed the fundamental way people access and engage with education.
This, coupled with the fact that children need to prepare for a future where work will likely be done remotely, means it is more necessary than ever before to bridge the digital divide, facilitate access to online opportunities and include digital literacy as a feature in school curriculums.
Even before the pandemic, in 2019, the Department of Basic Education trained almost 44 000 teachers in computer skills, and through a partnership with the University of South Africa (UNISA) made use of more than 20 ICT laboratories nationwide to train teachers in digital skills such as coding. While available at many private schools, offerings like coding have also been piloted in a number of public schools to help prepare learners to deal with the inevitable disruptions to learning and work.
The National Development Plan, when addressing how to improve education, training and innovation,
specifies that “quality education encourages technology shifts and innovation that are necessary to solve present-day challenges”.
The Department of Basic Education has highlighted key focus areas to promote equal and quality education for South African scholars in keeping with global digital best practice. These include: implementing a curriculum with skills and competencies for a changing world in all public schools; completing an Integrated Infrastructure Development Plan, informed by infrastructure delivery, regular maintenance and resourcing; continuing to improve and strengthen education provisions of learners with special education needs; gradually increasing the number of workbooks available in interactive formats; equipping all students
with the skills they need to survive and thrive in the fourth industrial revolution; and providing end-toend information communications technologies (ICT) solutions for schools by developing and distributing digital content for online and offline learning.
It has also committed to provide young people with the tools they need, including tablets and data, in order for them to access online learning opportunities. In June it was announced that R206-million had been set aside by the provincial government to provide matric learners in Mpumalanga with tablets to help improve their learning experiences.
This is definitely a step in the right direction, but South Africa’s children will not be able to fully participate in the digital revolution as global citizens
if the cost of data and the reliability and availability of internet connections and mobile networks are not addressed. This infrastructure is vital in ensuring a successful shift to online learning and the prioritisation of digital literacy and digital skills to allow learners to participate in the workplace of the future.
In both urban and rural areas unstable internet access and a lack of electricity still act as a barrier for children in both traditional education systems and in online learning environments.
If the education system does not adapt to the changing world it finds itself in, South Africa risks having, not only a large youth population that is unemployed, but a youth population that will be largely unemployable going forward.