Lesley Stones
29 November 2001
Gauteng initiative aims to fast-track education, end digital divide
AMBITIOUS plans to provide internet and e-mail access to the 2400 schools in Gauteng are gaining momentum, with several technology companies preparing to bid for the R500m contract.
Latest to express their interest are Johannesburg-listed MGX Holdings and Sun Microsystems. Acer, IBM, Mustek, Sahara and Unisys have already formed competing consortiums to bid for the deal.
The GautengOnline initiative, in the pipeline for months, was criticised as a needless extravagance when so many schools lack basics such as electricity, water or books.
Gauteng education department devised GautengOnline to fast-track education through the use of technology and destroy the digital divide.
Of the R500m budget, R100m is expected to be spent in the first year. Costs include supplying software and educational material and providing every teacher and 1,5-million pupils with e-mail addresses by 2004. An average of 25 networked computers will be installed in each school.
"The challenge in education cannot just focus on building more classrooms and providing adequate toilets," said education MEC Ignatius Jacobs. "It must be complemented with innovative and challenging programmes in education reform and transformation."
A project this big was impossible without the full participation of the industry, he said. A pilot project would test the commitment of potential partners, including their financial support to whittle down costs of the project.
Democratic Party MP David Quail criticised the project, saying the R500m could be better used to build 2600 classrooms. There was a serious lack of teachers with computer skills.
Aletha Ling, CEO of strategy and new business at MGX, said: "GautengOnline is one of the most important investments the province can make in its future. Providing internet and email access to teachers and learners is a key step towards bridging the digital divide."
She said the project was the greatest collaborative venture tackled by government and the technology sector, and the largest of its kind to be tackled in Africa.
Gauteng finance and economic affairs MEC Jabu Moleketi said the project would include computer literacy training for 63000 teachers and 1,5million students and developing online curriculums.
The project was not without its risks, he admitted. "If GautengOnline is going to be a successful catalyst for sectorial growth then competition must be put in place to improve affordability, availability, accessibility and quality. Let the games begin, but let us ensure that risk is spread among all of the stakeholders."
Gauteng provincial government had put its head on the chopping block and was well aware of the financial risk, said Moleketi. It also took a social risk, as the project would have stressful, if positive, effects on communities by changing their culture.
Companies anxious to win the contract have committed to installing proof of concept systems in a handful of schools by the end of March.
The bid by MGX and Sun is based on Sun's networking computers, dubbed Sun Ray, which offer the same functions as personal computers but without their costs and complexity. Stefano Mattiello, MD of Sun Microsystems SA, said: "The Sun Rays will be powered by Sun servers, which are powerful enough to support a near-limitless number of users."
A rival Mustek-led consortium is setting up five pilot sites. Computers they are using will run Linux and Microsoft operating systems so the education department can compare offerings. If the project succeeds, SA's other eight provinces are expected to introduce similar programmes.
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