| 2. ICTs in South African schools
In 2004, the Department of Education published the White Paper on e-Education, committing themselves to the development of ICT capabilities amongst all school children from Gr. 1 -12 by 2013 (Department of Education 2004). As it stands, the main goal of this policy is to enable South African learners to “confidently and creatively develop the skills and knowledge they need both to achieve personal and economic goals and to participate effectively as a member of the global community” (Department of Education 2004:18).
Attaining these ideals could prove daunting as the infrastructure that is currently available in schools to support ICTs is insufficient. A 2004 study revealed that less than half of the schools in South Africa) had access to electricity (Department of Education 2004:18). The availability of computers in schools was also minimal, with only 26.5% having computers for learning and teaching, and only 59% with access to telephone lines. Taking into account the three prerequisites for telecommunications’ connectivity, i.e. electricity, exchange telephone lines and two or more computers, it was found that only 15% of the schools complied.
Availability and access to computers also varied amongst the different provinces, with some being well equipped and others having virtually no equipment, as indicated in the following slide.
Table 1: Draft white paper on education: transforming education and learning through information and communication technologies (ICTs).
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