25 Feb 2021

The advent of COVID-19 has made it critical for the Ministry of Basic Education to expedite the use of ICT to facilitate teaching and learning in schools. Minister of Basic Education, Mr Fidelis Molao said his ministry used various digital channels to deliver education, including television and radio. He said his ministry planned to have digitised the curriculum and its delivery by the end of the 2023/24 financial year, funds permitting.

“This is in view of the fact that currently the ministry has started working on the development of e-content as well as the training of teachers on e-content delivery,” he said. Mr Molao further explained that the ministry continued to connect all schools to the electric grid as well as providing Internet connectivity to facilitate ICT interactive teaching and learning. He highlighted that the ministry planned to provide all secondary school teachers and learners with individual ICT devices by March 2022 and all primary school teachers and learners from Standard 5 to Standard 7 by March 2023.

He also explained that the plan included all primary schools being provided with functional mobile ICT labs to facilitate teaching of basic ICT skills and exposure to e-learning for pupils in pre-primary to Standard 4 by March 2023.  Mr Molao, however, said the plans were subject to availability of funds.

He explained that the provision of relevant e-content and functional connectivity to all schools was expected to be in place and accessible by teachers and learners in all schools by March 2024. Member of Parliament for Kanye North, Mr Thapelo Letsholo had requested the minister to brief Parliament on the delivery of education in public schools through digital channels taking into account the limited financial resources and COVID-19 in particular.

He also asked when government would have fully digitised the curriculum and its delivery, and when teachers and pupils would have the necessary resources for digitised delivery of the curriculum. ends