The 24 January 2020, marks the second International Day of Education. The United Nations General Assembly adopted this day in 2018 as a means to focus attention on the role of Education in achieving Peace and Sustainable Development. The International Day of Education is firmly rooted in the Sustainable Development Goal 4 which aims to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”.
It is globally believed that digital skills and the use of digital technologies for learning can contribute to closing the various gaps in Education. Through access to digital infrastructure, connectivity, digital curriculum resources, and digital learning, we will be better equipped to achieve quality education for all.
With the conversation of #4IR on the tip of our tongues, educational technologies have the affordance and potential of addressing many educational inadequacies. On this International Day of Education, we celebrate SchoolNet South Africa and its contribution over the past twenty-three years to provide professional development and support to teachers, learners, senior leadership in schools, education officials, and digital skills to out of school youth and communities in under-served areas throughout the country.
We know first-hand that professional development opportunities in South Africa are deeply varied and currently are displayed in different forms; it can be limited to attending meetings and conferences, advocacy around new ideas, or as is the case in many instances, is a one-size fits all training session that dulls the brain and crushes the soul with impractical methods that are not easily implementable in the classroom.
Research has shown and our practice depicts that professional development should engage teachers and school administrators as learners themselves, and accompany them on the path as they grow, both personally and as professionals, to do their jobs even better, and make a positive difference in the lives of children so that they can achieve their full potential.
For more information about our work and partners, please feel free to browse our website and follow us on Instagram and Twitter using our @SchoolNetSA handles. You can also stay up to date with all the latest developments in ICT in Education in South Africa, by following our Facebook page.
#InternationalDayOfEducation #educationday #schoolnetsa
