Virtual government schools: The answer to education infrastructure budget cuts?
Classroom demand for 2024 exceeds available space at schools across the country.
Compounding the problem is the slashing of school infrastructure allocations by R1.7-billion, which according to Equal Education, could have easily provided 2,991 additional classrooms.
And while technology could enable more students to participate in basic education without having to build more classrooms, this has been rejected by government.
Recently, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga stated that ed-tech is not a panacea and that technology for coaching teachers or providing laptops hasn’t yielded positive results.
“But what she fails to recognise is that devices and connectivity, in and of themselves, will not create effective learning. None of us in the sector believed they would,” said Dr Corrin Varady, CEO at IDEA.
He explained that currently, government’s ed-tech roll-out is measured and evaluated solely on the number of schools equipped with internet connectivity and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) devices like computers, laptops, and tablets.
“It also looks at whether they have performed better because of those devices. However, these are essentially just libraries of textbooks and resources that are now available digitally but are not used by either learners or teachers,” added Varady.
“There is impetus towards creating outcome-based formal e-learning programmes, but they are not being developed or implemented by government, so how can this produce improved results?
“We need to be measuring the impact of e-learning solutions on students’ ability to learn and teachers to teach, not whether a device went to a school or not.
“The only way for ICT devices to have the desired impact is for their rollout to be accompanied not only by the deployment of a feedback-driven, outcome based digital curriculum to students, but also the provision of training and support to teachers so that they, in turn, can educate their pupils on how to use these tools optimally,” emphasised Varady.
To remedy the situation and provide more democratised learning, he urged government to offer virtual schools and virtual school models.
“These would cater for learners who are most able to take on virtual learning, making room for those who are at risk to attend in-person schools.
“It has long been said that the move to virtual schooling is inhibited by the digital divide, but what if we were to start bridging this with smaller cohorts to get the virtual school model functioning.”
“The digital divide is not a uniquely South African challenge,” highlighted Varady.
“But other countries are stepping up to accept that digital remote or online learning modalities are a necessary compliment to the school system.
Varady concluded: “Ultimately, if government doesn't adopt the virtual schools concept, it will be unable to provide the number of schools, seats and chairs, let alone teachers, required for all the students entering the education system now and in the future.
* IDEA is an edtech platform that seeks to democratise education by harnessing the power of technology.
** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL