Teachers to get laptops

By Paul Vecchiatto, ITWeb Cape Town correspondent

Cape Town, 12 Feb 2008

Education minister Naledi Pandor wants every one of the country's 340 000 teachers to have a laptop.

Pandor told a Parliamentary media briefing this morning she plans to put the proposal before Cabinet and National Treasury by year-end. Even with a bulk discount, the price tag will run into several hundred million rand.

"I want an infusion of information technology throughout the education system, which will include ensuring that every teacher has a laptop computer," she told journalists.

She did not elaborate further, but hinted the issue will be part of the Parliamentary debate after her budget vote later this year.

Pandor added that the Department of Education (DOE) is also concerned about teachers who have developed IT skills being poached by the private sector and other government departments.

The minister said encouraging teachers to gain IT skills is part of an overall proposal to provide incentives for teachers with scarce skills and encourage them to teach in areas where such skills are lacking, with emphasis on rural areas.

"We are also encouraging the provinces to give life to the e-learning white paper and this includes teaching ICT skills in primary and high schools."

Pandor acknowledged the private sector's assistance in developing IT skills learning throughout the country. "We have benefited from companies such as IBM, which have supplied 'computer boxes' that children play with while encouraging them to learn IT skills."

The DOE has identified 18 future Further Education and Training Colleges (two per province) that will be dedicated to training students in ICT skills. "These colleges will respond to industry's needs and expand the pool of essential skills," Pandor noted.

From this year, mathematics literacy will be compulsory for all students and 800 extra maths teachers have been recruited, many of whom will work at the "Dinaledi" schools - facilities specifically earmarked for teaching maths and science. The pass target is 50 000 students.