The revelations at the Basic Education Portfolio Committee Meeting this week showed that the pledge to have all schools connected to ICT has fallen short by 83 percent.
The records show that only 4,195 schools out of 24,453 are on the run to make the ICT declaration a reality, scooping only 17 percent.
Part of the policy on ICT and education in South Africa reads:
“Every South African learner in the general and further education training bands will be ICT capable (that is, use ICTs confidently and creatively to help develop the skills and knowledge they need to achieve personal goals and to be full participants in the global community) by 2013.”
In some instances, the study revealed that there was actually a decline in schools that had ICT infrastructure for both teaching and learning.
“This is extremely concerning given the need for computer literacy skills for learners in finding jobs when they leave school. In a changing, modern economy, this could be the difference between success and failure. It could also be an opportunity for learners who are faced with under-performing teachers to access the information themselves,” the statement from the Department of Basic Education said.
