Cape Town – Hundreds of Western Cape schools will be connected to high-speed broadband this year while thousands of classrooms will be transformed into smart classrooms as part of a R1.2 billion e-learning project.
At a press conference yesterday Education MEC Debbie Schäfer said the Western Cape Education Department would, over the next five years, invest “heavily” in the project, which would help to equip pupils with “skills of the future” and had the potential to make a major contribution to improving the quality of teaching and learning.
She said 366 schools would be connected to high-speed broadband by June this year and 1 250 schools by July next year.
“The implementation of the broadband will then enable the Western Cape government to provide Local Area Networks in schools. School sites will be fitted with a wireless distribution network (wi-fi) for internet and inter-connectivity within a school.”
The computer laboratories of 126 schools would be upgraded this year and Schäfer said 3 350 classrooms at 248 schools would be converted into smart classrooms during this financial year.
The classrooms would be equipped with a laptop for the teacher, a data projector and other devices, and be linked to the network.
Schäfer said the project would not succeed if teachers didn’t know how to use the technology. “We have therefore begun to roll out a comprehensive training programme to educators and principals who will be affected by the smart school project.”
Teachers started training at the Cape Teaching and Leadership Institute last month. An online catalogue of digital education resources for teachers, parents and pupils will be made available on the department’s website.
Pilot projects will be conducted to determine which devices and programmes work best for different needs and at large scale.
Western Cape Premier Helen Zille said the plan was primarily aimed at poorer schools.
Best international practice was based on children bringing their own devices to schools, but many children here would not be able to afford them.
“We are going to have to look at ensuring that the kids who really can’t afford devices are given devices, but then we need to look very carefully at how we ensure that there is the least possible incentive to steal them.”
The department hopes to get support from the private sector.
Brian Schreuder, a deputy director-general in the department, said much research had gone into the project and models from all over world, including the US and Uruguay, had been looked at.
“There’s always the challenge of simply putting technology in and thinking the technology is the solution. That’s not the Western Cape’s approach. The Western Cape’s approach is that the technology is a tool to enhance teaching and learning.”
Cape Argus
Ilse Fredericks Education Writer [email protected]