Setbacks delay GautengOnline

By Bontle Moeng, ITWeb trainee journalist

Johannesburg, 21 Jan 2005

GautengOnline, the project to roll-out PCs and Internet connectivity to every school in Gauteng, has extended its deadline by three years, amid implementation problems and PC theft. The project`s Web site was also shelved for some time.

The Gauteng government, through the Department of Education, initiated the R500 million GautengOnline project in 2001, aiming to provide every school in the province with 25 computers and ensure every pupil has an e-mail address.

In December 2003, the Department of Education announced that by March 2004, at least 1 100 of Gauteng`s 2 500 schools would have Internet-enabled PCs. Almost a year after that deadline, the department has admitted it has still not managed to connect all the 1 100 schools.

"Internet connectivity has been established in almost all of the 1 100 schools. The plan for this year is to complete 150 additional schools," says Dr Dick Rayner, GautengOnline project manager for e-learning.

"2007 will now be the deadline for the project part of GautengOnline but the delivery of the curriculum is an ongoing operation. In addition, the GautengOnline computers have a planned lifespan of four years and will thus have to be replaced in a second roll-out."

The theft of computers and damage to classrooms are among the problems causing implementation delays, says Rayner. "In addition, a large number of schools have poor infrastructure, resulting in escalating costs of refurbishment."

Rayner notes that the project has made real progress in some areas. "More than 18 000 educators have commenced instructor-led ICT training. This is continuing and will encompass up to 22 000 in this phase. The Gauteng Department of Education monitors the progress through a programme management office."

Rayner says talks have also taken place this week on ways to reactivate the GautengOnline site.

"The Web site was decommissioned as part of the rationalisation of Web pages and the launch of the national portal, www.thutong.org.za. GautengOnline.com has now been set as a default Web site in schools and will be active in the next few days."