Publication: Survey of ICT and Education in Africa : South Africa Country Report
Date
2007-06
ISSN
Published
2007-06
Author(s)
Isaacs, Shafika
Abstract
This short country report, a result of
larger Information for Development Program (infoDev) -
supported survey of the Information and Communication
Technologies (ICT) in education in Africa, provides a
general overview of current activities and issues related to
ICT use in education in the country. In all the different
facets of the ICTs for education prism, South Africa boasts
more than a decade of accumulated experience from its wide
range of projects and programs pioneered by noteworthy
champions across the stakeholder spectrum of communities,
the private sector, civil society, donor, development, and
government agencies. A variety of tested models on ICT
access, digital content development, teacher training and
professional development, optimal usage, partnerships, and
resource mobilization have encouraged significant learning
among innovators, practitioners, and policymakers. The scale
of all these interventions to date has led to at least 22
percent computer penetration in all public schools. While
South Africa has a policy on e-education only for the
schools and Further Education and Training (FET) college
sectors, herein too lay animated debate on the optimal ways
to implement the policy. Over the coming period, with South
Africa acting as host for the 2010 World Cup and the
national government embarking on accelerated economic growth
strategies, the race is on to move to broadband and promote
ubiquitous ICT access. South African education institutions
in general, and the schools and FET college sectors in
particular, are set to grow significantly in ICT access,
teacher training, and professional development and usage.
However, major challenges still need to be overcome, such as
the lack of a comprehensive policy on ICTs in education that
covers all sectors in education, the continued need for
leadership and co-ordination of various initiatives, the
promotion of enhanced learning through optimal usage of the
technologies, and, above all, the need to demonstrate the
value of the investment in ICTs through improved performance
of learners and teachers and improved employability in the
changing labor market.
Citation
“Isaacs, Shafika. 2007. Survey of ICT and Education in Africa : South Africa Country Report. InfoDev ICT and Education Series. © World Bank, Washington, DC. http://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/53a3591c-ad6f-5b43-85c6-cf4867865e27 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”