All SA students ICT-capable by 2020?

Mangena said in his budget speech in the National Assembly yesterday that just five years ago, information and communications technology was not part of the mainstream in education, with some higher education institutions lacking access to essential features of Internet-based

research.

Today, they are regarded as a critical part of the delivery infrastructure for a modern education system, he said. Pointing out that SA has a broadly favourable environment for ICT,

Mangena said: Linked to ICT is the concept of e-education, which aims to accelerate the achievement of national education goals.

E-education enables us to connect learners to other learners, as well as teachers and professional support services.

The challenge is to transcend the mere exchange of information, and to transform the technology into a range of learning activities that meet our educational objectives. Mangena said e-education included the development of computer literacy and the skills necessary to operate various technologies, which would soon be essential for everybody. He added that e-education also had to encourage the ability to apply ICT skills to access, manage, integrate,

evaluate and create information. We must add value through technology, and not just do the same things more efficiently. A learning society both uses and creates new knowledge, and we must encourage innovation in this field.

Without doubt, e-education has the potential to greatly enhance access to lifelong education and training opportunities, which will in

turn contribute towards improving the quality of life. www.itweb.co.za