The Department of Communications, in partnership with Department of Basic Education has been rolling out end-to-end ICT solutions to selected 1650 schools. Telkom SA has been selected to provide the installations and equipment to the participating schools in the country. As part of the complete solution which includes internet access (education site only), hardware (computer equipment) and training to schools. The Department has a Memorandum of Understanding with Intel South Africa to provide free teacher training on the equipment provided. Each school would have received a kit of 20 laptops, and internet connectivity. There are different types of connectivity; some schools have ADSL lines; some WIFI access points and others satellite connectivity. All these computers should have logins to the computers and this is supposed to be available to each school.

The training is provided to two ICT literate teachers and one senior management person from each of the participating schools. ICT literate teachers are requested to attend training as this will ensure that the two day training is maximised to assist the school in designing a professional development plan for the rest of their staff.

The model is that school representatives will attend training; SchoolNet trainers will model how training is meant to be facilitated when representatives go back to their schools; some time must be devoted to helping representatives come up with an action plan for teacher training at their school. All teacher representatives will achieve the SACE endorsed certificate when they show that they have trained at least 10 additional members of their staff. For the rest of the staff to attain this certificate we will need to see evidence (trainer report; attendance register and teacher artefacts) that show that the entire course was completed at the school.

Below is an overview of the two briefing workshops held with the Mpumalanga Department of Education and the North West Department of Education:

Mpumalanga Department of Education

SchoolNet’s, Ms Omashani Naidoo visited the Witbank Education Centre to brief fourteen Computers in Education (CIE) officials on the project and the role that officials would be playing. The model that we implemented is documented aboive, however Officials were taken through the course and the process that they should use to follow up with schools, report on the implementation of the schools action plans as well as on challenges experienced with equipment.

North West Department of Education

SchoolNet’s, Ms Omashani Naidoo travelled to Vryburg, where Dr Ruth Mompati Education Centre is situated. Eighteen centre managers from Dr Ruth Mompati and Bohlabela districts were represented. They receibved the same briefing as per the Mpumalanga session. Ms Naidoo also used this opportunity to take all officials through Intel Easy Steps programme which is available to

enhance the digital literacy skills of women and girls.