The Status of ICT Access and Usage in South African Schools: Comparing the Rural and Urban Schools in the Mpumalanga Province Mlitwa, N. & Nonyane, J.,

The Status of ICT Access and Usage in South African Schools: Comparing the Rural and Urban Schools in the Mpumalanga Province

Mlitwa, N. & Nonyane, J., 2008

3. Problem

Our background research suggest that:• Lack of access to basic educational resources have a negative effect on the quality of education

• Rural (vs urban) schools are still severely under-resourced, even in the new South Africa.

• Lack of resources, including ICT resurces contributes to the poor quality of education

• The background of rural pupils (in schools without ICT) does not support easy adaption into e-Learning at tertiary level

2. Motivation 1. IntroductionAuthors work broadly on e-Learning in HE.

We learnt in one of our studies that learner background informs adaptation (or lack of) to computer-based learning at tertiary level.

We wondered whether school conditions are conducive to exposing pupils to ICT, so as to ready them for easy adaption into e-Learning at tertiary level.

• While considering how to go ahead, we noted headlines of poor matric results in 2006.

• Most poor results were in rural & largely black schools. At the same time, excellent results in many urban schools were noted & praised.

We became curious & wondered “to what extent does access to resources contribute to the status quo”. We focused on the ICT resource.


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4. Background: on the following slide

. . . Problem (Continued)With the full understanding of the commitment:• At international level (the UN Millenium Goals, 2015) to half illiteracy by 2015, through among other things, the use of ICT in education;

• The NEPAD e-Africa Commission initiative that promotes the computerisation of Schools in Africa; and

• South Africa’s very own e-Education legislation that clearly seeks to computerise all schools,

We wanted to understand what the status of ICT access is between urban & rural schools

Case studies in several provinces in South Africa were conducted in 2007.

This study reports on the case study in Mpumalanga Province.


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Source: www.blundells.org Abundant Resources in Urban Schools

Poor Matric results in under-resourced schools suggests a positive co-relationship between inadequate resources and poor performance. RESEARCH QUESTION: In the presence of the e-Education Policy, (1) what is the real situation in rural schools, (2) how can poor resources including a lact of ICT access be explained, and (3) ultimately be addressed.

We found the following background, in the New South Africa, to be disturbing:

Source: City Press, 21 May 2007 in www.images24.com Lack of Basic Resources in Rural Schools


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5. Methodology

To address question 1: what is the real situation in schools, we conducted a case study in Mpumalanga Province:

Table 1. Research samples : Qualitative interviews

Name of School Location Primary = P** Secondary = S*

Official Interviewed

Lowveld Nelspruit S Deputy Principal UrbanKlipspringer Nelspruit P Principal

Mchaka Cunningmore “B” Bushbuck Ridge Area

S Principal RuralTiyimeleni Cunningmore “B” P Principal

James Khoza Cunningmore “A” S Deputy Principal

Bunny Khoza Kildare “B” S Educator

N’wakupana Kildare “B” P Deputy Principal

Saringwa Cunningmore “B” P Principal

Luka Croquet Clawn S Educator

J.J Matsane Somerset P EducatorExplanatory notes: *Secondary school: School catering for formal education for grades 9 to 12**Primary school: is a level of childhood education for learners from grade R to 8


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Findings to question 1, were further interoagted to address questions 2 & 3:how can poor resources including a lack of ICT resources be explained, and ultimately be addressed.

We built on Keats (2007) - to develop a framework for understanding implementations of ICT initiatives in Social settings.

Many people understand the significance of technology in improving social processes such as education. As Keats argues, however:

... Methodology Continued

“It is a very common mistake to focus on technologies

Even IT people often do this…

And often when they don't think they are doing so!”


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SLIDE 7


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A framework to make sense of implementations of ICT initiatives in Social settings – built on Keats (2007):

... Methodology Continued

Actual technology, a relevant & working format, be delivered to beneficiaries. Physical environment should support adequate functionality (space, energy, lights, right software, technical support, etc.

Relevance to what intended beneficiaries needAddressing social & physical obstacles to needs realization (attending to literacy, technical support, affordability, safety).

Clear steps to ensure goal realization Identify & address procedural & physical obstacles Making the physical & social environment conducive Ensuring the physical implementation of initiative at all levels

Presence of clear policy & commitment to the objective at all levels (national, provincial, & school level). Coherence in objectives of policies across initiative levels/ activity points Mutually supportive & coherent procedures towards initiative realisation

• Leadership - a central magnet that pulls the four pieces together. • Be effective at all layers: national, provincial, school level, all pulling towards one vision.• It shapes the vision, process, attends to people needs, physically delivers tools, and coordinate measures for a continuous functionality for the realization of the common vision.


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6. Findings to Question 1Table 2. Summary of results on the interviews conducted in the Mpumalanga Province

Schools # of Teachers # of Learners

ICT Resources: Indicators Learning program/s

SourceDeputy Principal = DPPrincipal = PEducator = Ein

schoolComp. literate

# of Computers

Purpose of use

Has Internet

Technical Support

Lowveld 55 20 1175 200 admin 8, teaching 192

Yes Provided by Company (CMS)

Computer aided design(CAD)

W. Steyn (DP) Urban

Klipspringer 15 3 333 6 admin 3, teaching 3

Yes Provided by Company

None J.D Hogg (P)

Mchaka 19 5 565 2 admin 2 No None None M.P Mabuza (P) Rural

Tiyimeleni 8 0 265 1 admin 1 No None None T. Hlatswayo (P)

James Khoza 27 19 854 18 Admin 8, teaching 10

No Has Technician None N. Ntimane (DP)

Bunny Khoza 29 4 970 21 admin 2, rest not used yet

No None None I. Ntlamu (E)

N’wankupana 15 3 604 1 admin 1 No None None V.E Nyambi (DP)

Saringwa 10 0 282 0 None No None None B.M Khumalo (P)

Luka 26 6 800 3 admin 3 No Has Technician None M.Mothapo (E)

J.J Matsane 11 2 403 21 Admin 3, teaching 18

No None Painting C. Khoza (E)


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… Findings to Question 1, continued.

Table 3. Causes and implications of access or no access to ICT resources in Selected Schools in the Mpumalanga ProvinceICT Resources Causes Implications Source *Has computers Donations (Dept. sports & Culture, DELL,

Telkom, PatCom College, Arise Business College).Grants (Spar).Own funding. Govt. & Transnet.

Learners are active, independent, & creative.Downloading information & researching on Internet. Presentation of information properly. Save time planning lessons; also saves money. Teacher & learner interact more; Learners become computer oriented. Connect to areas across the world.

N. Ntimane, W. Steyn, J.D Hogg, C. Khoza, M.P Mabuza

Has no computers Lack of funds; No donor contact detailsBasic infrastructure main priority from school funds (e.g. Electricity & classrooms). Vandalism & theft.

•Loose out on e-learning; also Low learner performance.•No access to Govt. services.•No Computer Science subject. •No school & community empowerment; also Not cost effective.

M.Mothapo, M.P Mabuza, T. Hlatswayo, B.M Khumalo

Has Internet Own funding. Download up to date information.Learners & teachers communicate around the world.

J.D Hogg, M.Mothapo, M.P Mabuza, W. Steyn

Has no Internet Lack of infrastructure (electricity and telephone lines); Lack of funds.Vandalism & theft.

Lag behind as technology is changing. Plan lessons manually.

M.P Mabuza, V.E Nyambi, C. Khoza

Comp. Literate Teachers

Own funding either from (school or educators) at higher institutions (Hoxane College of Education). Train each other.

Plan lessons effectively, do schedules.Use rubric software & generate rubrics.Impact on learner performance

J.D Hogg, W. Steyn, N. Ntimane, C. Khoza.

Comp unskilled Teachers

•Lack of funds and time. •No technological interaction with learner•Poor presentation of lesson

M.P Mabuza, J.D Hogg, T. Hlatswayo

Has Technical Support

Own funding.Provided by company (CMS).

Easy & quick to fix problemProblem with companies; also adds financial strainHas policy

W. Steyn, N. Ntimane, J.D Hogg, C. Khoza

No Technical Support

•Lack of funds, Lack of relevant contacts, poor infrastructure (roads).

•Delay of service•Time consuming

C. Khoza, M.P Mabuza, V.E Nyambi

Explanatory notes: * Interviews conducted in September 2007 at the Mpumalanga Province.


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Despite a documented DoE commitment in terms of the e-Education policy - to computerise schools, rural schools remain under-resourced. Is the policy successfully implemented?

We were looking answers to this uncertainty in question 2. Using our framework to understand findings to question 1, the leadership aspects across all levels is clearly questionable.

The national vision is clear, but its articulation is not equally clear at schools level.

The needs of the people (intended beneficiaries) must be clearly identified & addressed to ensuring successful implementations (re - our framework).

A lack of literacy among teachers, inadequate space to store and use computers, and security challenges suggest inadequate attention to this aspect of implementation.

Our framework suggests physical delivery of relevant & functional tools.

A lack or undersupply of these in many schools, or the supply of computers without programs suggest inadequacy of tools.

It is therefore logical to explain inadequate resourcing of rural schools with computers and other resources – in terms of poor policy implementations at government and schools levels.

From these analysis, conclusions are drawn in the following slide.

7. Findings to question 2


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8. Conclusion

Findings show rural (and largely back) schools to be severly under-resourced.

Most either lack the physical infrastructure, software and skills for teachers and learners to use computers.

Where computers exist, they are often quantitatively inadequate compared to the number of learners.

In the best case, this often leads to more than five (5) learners sharing 1 computer per lesson which means that a single learner cannot take explorative initiatives without disturbing other learners.

In the worst case, it means all learners, and no computers.

• The realization of the United Nations Millennium Goals to enhance literacy and education by 2015;

• The World Summit on Information Society declarations on advancing the use of ICT for education in schools;

• The NEPAD e-School Initiative undertakings to computerize all schools in Africa, and

• The e-Education Policy in South Africa – to computerize all schools…All remain utopian for the rural school under the status quo!!


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… Conclusion, continued

Key factors necessary for a socio-technical initiative such as the e-Education project to succeed are evidently lacking. There is a gap in leadership processes between the national, provincial, and school levels.

Whilst the e-Education (national) policy exists, a lack of clarity at school levels suggests inadequacy vision at schools leadership level.

It further questions leadership efficiency at various government levels. For example, attention to conditions necessary for processes to succeed, i.e. classrooms, electricity, security need attention.

To conclude then, a redress of development inequalities should be fast-tracked, beyond the policy agenda, into a tangible program of action by all stakeholders in respective education sectors.

Providing ICT resources (infrastructure, skills and technical support) should be embedded with computer skills for educators.

Technical support, and measures to protect the infrastructure are also necessary if the objectives of the computerization of all schools is to move from a dream into reality – for rural schools.

The authors will encourage reference to their analytical model discussed in this work in implementing the e-Education policy.

Documents

The Status of ICT Access and Usage in South African Schools: Comparing the Rural and Urban Schools in the Mpumalanga Province Mlitwa, N. & Nonyane, J.,