Page 26 - Thetha Issue 6

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Abrehot means ‘enlightenment’
in Amharic and the uptake is
phenomenal, with up to 2000 users
at a time.
Another good example is
Uganda, where public libraries,
staffed by public librarians with
e-training skills, are becoming
the go-to places for people who
want to learn digital skills. The
libraries are achieving recognition,
attracting trainees from all walks of
life, and are receiving donations of
computers, internet connections
and data packages to create places
of access for the community at large.

Waste of resources
The ongoing expansion and
improvement of data infrastructure
in Uganda is playing a major role in
the country’s economic development
and boosting the contribution of the
information and communications
technology (ICT) sector to
educational advances. Kenya is
creating a similar environment.
South Africa is fortunate to have
libraries in every city and town, but
they are not being properly used
or used at all. Our libraries should
be vibrant Wi-Fi hubs for learners Professor Darelle van Greunen
and students in every community.
They should play a key role in “South Africa is fortunate to have
enhancing education, literacy levels
and language ability, and contribute libraries in every city and town, but
to nurturing a culture of education
through providing access to they are not being properly used or
knowledge. Unsuitable material can used at all”
be blocked.
There is certainly advancement
in digital access in many of our
urban schools, but the e-readiness Less lip service education in government schools.
movement is far too slow within the The challenge is not that we don’t This helped us to refine the app so
South African schooling context, and have strategies; it’s that we lack that it can be rolled out to all 26 000
we must be urgent and innovative implementation, and this must change. schools towards the end of this year.
about expediting this. To assess and evaluate the At the same time, the Department
Since 2013 government has e-readiness of all government of Basic Education needs to make
pledged to deliver free broadband schools in South Africa, the Centre sure it has the budget to expedite
access to 90% of South Africa by for Community Technologies (CCT) the process, not only to assist the
2020 and 100% by 2030 through its at Nelson Mandela University helped schools to become ICT ready, but
SA Connect campaign. The goal of to develop an eReady ICT Maturity also to train the educators. There is
South Africa’s 2004 White Paper on Assessment tool in the form of an no point in having high-tech schools
e-Education was for every learner easy-to-use app. In 2020, the app without trained teachers to support
in the country to be ICT capable by was rolled out to 8000 of South this. For every year we do not achieve
2013, and for teachers to use ICT Africa’s 26 000 government schools to e-readiness in our schools, our
to enhance teaching and learning. understand the level of intervention learners, particularly in the rural and
Neither have been achieved. required to enable ICT-based township areas, fall behind.

26 | Thetha Edition 6 | 2022