Uncategorized
GAUTENG MEC for Education Panyaza Lesufi has revealed that his department will continue to champion ICT and implement its paperless classroom programme.
Over the years, the GDE has championed skills development and ICT adoption in schools across the province via the paperless classroom programme.
The initiative aims to address educational needs in the 21st century by supplying electronic devices to learners and teachers, as well as enabling access to e-learning programmes, to digitally upskill and prepare the future workforce.
At the same time, classrooms are equipped with smart boards, computers, printers and other ICT equipment that is used in teaching and learning.
The GDE’s efforts, however, have been hindered by a series of robberies of computing equipment. Shortly after the programme was introduced in 2015, schools became prime targets, and criminals started setting up syndicates in communities to steal smart boards and other ICT devices.
He said thus far the programme continues to be relevant to addressing the educational needs in the 21st Century, including challenges brought by the Covid-19 Pandemic since the academic year 2020.
Lesufi was outlining his department’s budget vote speech for the 2022/23 financial year at the Gauteng Provincial Legislature in Johannesburg.
The ICT and paperless programme rollout is in line with the GDE Education Roadmap 2019-2024 and acknowledges the potential that the ICTs has in enhancing daily teaching in the classroom.
According to Lesufi, the ICT implement
ation will target two categories of schools: full ICT schools and no-fee-paying township secondary schools.Lesufi said government was building on the gains that the GDE has already made with the intention to:
* Consolidating the Grade 12, 11, 10 and 9 implementations by;* Converting outstanding Classrooms to be tech-enabled, that is classrooms installed with LED
Boards; * Grade 12 and 11: A total number of 130 classrooms are outstanding from the previous financial years. The requirements will be classroom renovation and the provision of the ICT solution to all the classrooms. In terms of ICT solution, the LED boards and digital content are available. The dependency is classrooms renovation; * Grade 10: A total of 1243 has been completed and 2 100 classrooms are still outstanding from the previous year. The requirements will be classroom renovation and the provision of the ICT solution to all the classrooms. In terms of ICT solution, the LED boards and digital content are available. The dependency is classrooms renovation.* Grade 9: In line with the implementation plan, a total number of 282 classrooms has been completed and 2 511 classrooms are outstanding. The budget for the 2022/23 F/Y will be utilized to procure 1 000 LED Boards which will partially cover the outstanding classrooms;* Providing the outstanding Grade 9 teachers with the Teacher Devices;* Grade 10 and 11 Learners (Grade 11 in the academic year 2023) in the identified 64 x ICT Schools allocated with Learner Devices. The intention is also to increase the selected 64 schools to 74 No/Fee Paying Secondary schools with Grade 10 Learner Devices. Lesufi said that the complete outstanding Full ICT Schools are in progress. “We complete the planning for Grade 8 implementation in the financial year 2023/24,” said Lesufi. Lesufi added that another key component to building a resilient system is to focus on technical and vocation education, including academic streams that improve post-schooling opportunities. The MEC added that in 2022/23, the Department will continue with its goal of establishing and phasing in 35 Schools of Specialisation schools across the five regions of Gauteng. “We have worked toward progressively increasing the number of schools of specialisation to ensure geographic coverage of the specializations by regional development imperatives. Our current work with the schools is focused on identifying ways of advancing the specializations,” said Lesufi. “To date, 21 schools have been launched in 16 schools spanning all corridors. Plans are afoot to launch a further 5 in the period ahead; 1 in each corridor. For 2022/23, the focus will be on the Tembisa Commerce and Entrepreneurship School of Specialization in the Eastern Corridor, with a focus on Hospitality, Transport, Manufacturing, Logistics, as well as preparing for the launch of 4 more schools in the next financial year.” Last month, the Department of Basic Education announced that it plans to introduce new school subjects to the curriculum. According to the department, a full-scale implementation of coding and robotics for Grade R, 3 and 7 would be made available in the 2023 academic year. “The coding and robotics pilot for Grades 4-6 and for Grades 8 is planned for 2022 and will be followed
by a Grade 9 pilot in 2023. The full-scale implementation for Grades 4-6 and Grade 8 is planned for 2024, and Grade 9 in 2025,” said the department. The subjects would form part of the curriculum at different school levels from Grade R to Grade 9. The department added that the introduction of the new subjects form part of a broader push to better prepare South African students for the working world. Coding and robotics subjects are aimed at guiding and preparing learners to solve problems, think critically, work collaboratively and creatively, and function in a digital and information-driven world.
INSIDE EDUCATION