Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, joined by the Gauteng Department of Education MEC Angie Motshekga, will usher an innovative world of mobile e-learning and, at the same time, plotting the course for the future of corporate social investment in South Africa.
A township school in Mabopane, Gauteng, South Africa will take the first tentative steps into this programme.
The Abel T Motshoane High School in Mabopane is the site of a pilot project for the Intel-powered classmate PC mobile e-learning solution, a collaborative initiative between the Gauteng Department of Education and key industry players.
This will be the first deployment of a mobile e-learning environment in South Africa using the classmate PC, as well as the first school in the country to make use of the new WiMax wireless broadband access technology.
Two grade 8 classes of the school, which serves a total of about 1 000 students, will receive specially designed classmate PCs, providing students and teachers with access to technology in an effort to improve the education process and enhance the skills of learners.
The classmate PCs are completely mobile units that that are capable of networking wirelessly with the school's network infrastructure, as well as with the Internet via WiMax, providing students and teachers with access to a rich set of tools for enhanced learning.
WiMax is expected to enable true broadband speeds over wireless networks at a cost point to enable mass market adoption. It is the only wireless standard today that has the ability to deliver true broadband speeds and help make the vision of pervasive connectivity a reality. Intel and Telkom signed a WiMax Carrier Trial Agreement in 2005 and have since collaborated on the WiMax trial and evaluation. Telkom is providing an 802.16d WiMax link to the school, which offers a speed of 512Kbit/s Downlink and 256Kbit/s uplink.
Features of the classmate PCs include rugged design, teacher and parent control to monitor the students' activities, and theft control, which render the units unusable should they be removed from the school's network environment. The units are powered by Intel processors, full networking capabilities, Microsoft Windows XP operating system and access to rich educational content.
The Gauteng Department of Education will appoint and place up to 1 000 learners and interns over a three-year period. Fifty young IT people across the province have been given an opportunity to be part of this groundbreaking programme by being offered internships. These young people will provide IT support to Abel T Motshoane High School; already seven of them have been allocated to the school.
Says Devan Naidoo, Intel South Africa Country Manager: "What is particularly unique with this project is not only the fact that it is the first time that the classmate PC pilot has been launched in this country, but also that it is the first collaborative corporate social investment (CSI) project in South Africa."
In the case of Abel T Motshoane High School, the Gauteng Department of Education partnered with D-Link, EMS Industrial, IBM, Intel, LearnThings Africa, Microsoft, Mindset, Pinnacle Micro and Telkom Foundation to roll-out a complete end-to-end solution that encompasses all aspects of ICT and education, from the hardware, connectivity and educational content, all the way to providing teachers with the training to gain the most benefit from the solution.
Through this collaboration, government and key players in the private industry have co-ordinated their efforts in order to bring together a solution for education that considers all aspects of e-learning.
Many traditional social investment efforts end up wasted as companies are unable to provide a comprehensive solution to meet the needs of the community. While donating a number of spare PCs to a school may be seen as altruistic, few schools have the resources to actually use these donations effectively, with the end result usually being a stack of unused PCs gathering dust in a corner. This approach is fragmented, expensive, limits the developmental impact and sustainability of the project and creates a management nightmare for the education department.
In addition, without adherence to certain standards, recipients usually end up with a hodgepodge of IT equipment of varying age, capability and usability. The end results are delays in the deployment of ICT centres in schools throughout the country. Says Angelina Motshekga, Gauteng MEC for Education: "The government alone cannot eradicate this backlog. We need the private sector to hold hands with us as we undertake this enormous task".
As a result of the implications that access to ICT will have on skills development in South Africa, the Deputy President of South Africa, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, has expressed her support for the project.
The key to a collaborative CSI is to take a holistic approach. Instead of a single company trying to shoulder the responsibility alone, the collaborative approach sees a group of companies, each able to donate something of value, working in conjunction with the government in order to create a solution that fits into the government's plans for education, as well as meets the needs of the community as a whole. The knowledge from this pilot will be used to scale the solution more broadly in an effort to support the government in its drive to bridge the digital divide through better education for all.
Addendum 1: Quote Sheet
Lenhle Daka, Executive Government Relations & BEE, IBM South Africa
"For us at IBM, collaboration is the mother of innovation that matters. The classmate PC project practically demonstrates what level of innovation can be attained when we partner as industry stakeholders with the government to improve education in our schools. Importantly, this project is aligned to our strategic objective of using technology as an enabler of education. At the same time, it will help steer the youth towards technology and engineering fields as we develop high quality, technical skills which are crucial to growing South Africa's economy and ensuring we are globally competitive."
Devan Naidoo, Country Manager, Intel South Africa
"A co-ordinated programme provides benefits for all role players. The Education Department is able to lay down guidelines and standards for donations and to co-ordinate these donations in line with its own plans and policies for education; donor companies gain recognition from the government for their efforts, obtain bragging rights while at the same time ensuring their efforts remain cost-effective and efficient; and the recipient schools gain an ICT infrastructure that supports a teaching and learning environment that is both impactful and sustainable. While most companies recognise the need for social investment, it is important for them to recognise that they need to join forces with their peers as well as the relevant government departments if they are to make a real difference."
Ashley de Klerk, Public Sector Director, Microsoft SA
"It is a pleasure to take part in the launch of the Intel-powered classmate PC pilot for learners, which continues to drive Microsoft's commitment to foster digital inclusion and promote access to technology, for every citizen in South Africa. The power of technology is the greatest social and economic enabler and we at Microsoft believe it will remain the key to promoting sustainable growth and development for our country. We're excited to have trained the first batch of teachers, contributed our software, the Partners in Learning teacher training model and the innovative Digital Literacy Curriculum to this initiative."
Venn Parsonson, Manager Government Division, Pinnacle Micro Systems
"When the forces of government and the private sector collaborate, great things can be achieved. Pinnacle's commitment to the educational sector is driven by the understanding that unique problems require unique solutions. It is this philosophy that drives us to combine affordable technology in a limited infrastructure environment, to give our children an internationally recognised learning platform that will transform our nation for the future. We cannot expect our children to compete in a globalised economy without the correct skills set."
Nkhetheleng Vokwana, CEO, Telkom Foundation
"Today's learners are tomorrow's workers or, to put it more pertinently, today's learners are tomorrow's knowledge workers. For in an era of connectivity, it is vital for individuals and disadvantaged groups to have access to, and skills to use, Information and Communication Technologies such as computers and the Internet, and are therefore able to participate and benefit from the ever-growing knowledge society in which we live."
Addendum 2: Sponsor Contribution Sheet
D-Link
D-Link provided 4 x DI-624 D-Link 802.11g wireless router with 4 x 10/100Mbps LAN Ports and 1 x DES 1008D D-Link 8-port 10/100Mbps switch. The DI 624 enables the school with wireless access.
Contact person:
Tobie van Schalkwyk
D-Link Africa Country Manager
Mobile: 083 276 1627
E-mail: Tobie@d-link.co.za
EMS Industrial
EMS Industrial undertook the infrastructure repair at the school, namely cabling, electricity, paving, plumbing, windows, flooring and painting.
Contact person:
Pieter van Vuuren
Mobile: 082 494 0607
Tel: 011 908 5250
E-mail: pieter@scm.co.za
IBM
IBM will be responsible for Reading Companion Programme and TryScience Software. Reading Companion is an English Literacy interactive programme. TryScience is an online Science Experiment site with experiments from over 600 worldwide science centres.
Contact person:
Mapule Ratshefola
IBM Corporate Citizenship and Corporate Affairs Manager
Mobile: 082 404 3231
Tel: 011 302 9111
E-mail: mapulem@za.ibm.com
Intel Corporation
Intel donated 100 Intel powered classmate PCs to the school as part of the Intel World Ahead Program. Intel also provided teacher training, digital education content through the Skoool.co.za portal, technical expertise to design the solution and will be rolling out the Intel Teach Program to all teachers at Abel Motshoane.
Contact person:
Parthy Chetty
Intel Education Manager
Mobile: 083 642 0177
Tel: 011 806 4530
E-mail: parthy.chetty@intel.com
Learnthings
Learnthings will be responsible for providing school content (English, mathematics, science, business studies and ICT) for grade eight learners at Abel Motshoane.
Contact person:
Andre Christian
Learnthings Education Manager
Tel: 011 719 4121
E-mail: andre@learnthings.co.za
Microsoft
Microsoft provided both the software and training aspect of the solution by contributing the following:
* Partners in Learning Teacher Training (based on the PIL Teacher Training Model) of Grade 8 teachers at Abel T Motshoane High School who will be responsible for implementing the classmate project;
* Digital Literacy Curriculum e-learning IT Literacy courseware for all 100 classmate laptops for children, plus two laptops for teachers;
* Microsoft School Agreement Software (licences and media) donation for 100 classmate laptops and two teacher laptops;
* Technical services for the installation of software at the school
Contact person:
Reza Bardien
Academic Programmes Manager
Tel: (011) 361-7153
E-mail: rbardien@microsoft.com
Mindset
Mindset will be donating digital content that comprises maths, science, English and life sciences.
Contact person:
Sam Mpherwane
Schooling Project Manager
Tel: 086 100 6463
E-mail: samm@mindset.co.za
Pinnacle Micro
Pinnacle Micro has contributed the following: Importation and storage of classmate PCs; set-up, upgrade and network registration; two teacher laptops; one server; one printer; two teachers' PCs for installation into security desk; one security desk; infrastructure costs, including electrical rewiring, paving and painting; engineering time; three-year on site warranty; technical services for the implementation of Mindset software; one trolley for transportation of classmate PCs and headsets for the classmate PCs.
Contact person:
Tony Mollagreen
Pinnacle Micro
Mobile: 083 229 9347
Tel: 011 265 3000
E-Mail: tony@pinnacle.co.za
Telkom Foundation
Telkom Foundation provided a WiMax Micro base at Kameeldrift, one CPE (Customer Premise Equipment), survey and planning, Martis backhaul for the Micro base station to the Internet edge, connectivity and modem.
Telkom Foundation will also cover connectivity costs for 12 months, commencing August 2007 until end July 2008. Telkom Foundation will also ensure the school has E-rate once the sponsorship of connectivity costs expires.
The maintenance provider (Pinnacle) will be first point of contact for the school should there be any faults. Should Pinnacle determine that the fault is with link, they will then refer the customer to the Telkom call centre - Tel 0800 375 375.
Contact person:
Mulligan Pearce
Executive: Brand Management
Tel: 012 311 2159
E-mail: pearcemg@telkom.co.za
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