What about these National Strategic Imperatives?

Knowledge can be defined as:

Information and skills acquired through experience or education

The understanding of a subject

A Human Society

Knowledge should bring:

justice,

solidarity,

democracy and

peace

It should provide universal and equitable access to information. Information and communication technology (ICT) must be integrated in order to build the Knowledge Society.The Knowledge Society needs new kinds of Knowledge that cannot reduce to traditional disciplines

The school in the knowledge society involves anew conception of teaching, training, interactivecontent and interactive tutoring.

The school of the future is about extending themarket model, “re-schooling” and “de-schooling”.

In the knowledge society new competencies are required.

A teacher has to deal with new knowledge

Discover new ways for accessing knowledge

Teachers are the key agents in the education system

It is our common responsibility to train and recruit teachers, and,

To involve all teachers in international networks.

Knowledge of :

Technology,

New pedagogical possibilities,

New management of time and space,

New knowledge, new networked form of

knowledge and ,

New expectations of Society.

Enables all children and

all people to access knowledge

and to benefit from being

educated. Educators have a

major mission. Particularly,

it is the responsibility of all

educators and decision-

makers around the world to

help take part in the

developments of ICT in

Education.

Education is a key issue in the

Knowledge Society!

TheKn

owled

ge

Society

Shortages of qualified teachers threaten the

achievement of “Education for all”

(EFA)

Expanding early childhood care and education

Providing free and compulsory primary education to all

Promoting learning and life skills for young people and

adults

Increasing adult literacy by 50 percent

Achieving gender parity by 2005, gender equality by 2015

Improving the quality of education

The active efforts of all South Africans,

Reconstructing the economy ,

A growth in employment,

An improvement in the quality of education, training, innovation and a healthy population,

An inclusive rural economy, human settlements,

Health care for all,

Building safer communities and

Fighting corruption.

Improving the quality of

education therefore requires

careful management and support

from all people who

are involvedPoor-quality

education can deny learners employment opportunities

Firstly within the households and the communities.

Secondly there must be an improvement in the

management of the education system.

Thirdly they aim to improve the

competence and capacity of school

principles

Fourthly and more importantly teacher

performance must have the appropriate

content and pedagogical support.

Get rid of all nutrient deficiencies in children under 18 months

. Also all children should have at least two years of pre-school education a

And at least 80 percent of children should complete 12 years of schooling and achieve 50 percent and above in literacy, mathematics and sciences.

Designing a nutrition intervention for pregnant women and young children to avoid malnutrition.

Improving the further education and training graduation rate to 75 percent by 2030

And significantly expanding further education.

To increase the higher education participation rate from 17 percent to 30 percent.

The actions towards the targets with regard to schooling include increasing teacher training by expanding Funza

Lushaka Bursaries to attract learners into teaching, especially those with good maths, science and language grades.

Also... To regularly test teachers in subjects they

teach to determine their level of knowledge and

competence and link teacher pay to learner

performance and improvements. Then the schools

performing very poorly should receive the closest

attention.

And... The further education and training system must

strengthen and expand the number of colleges in order for the

participation rate to also increase, by building new universities

in provinces such as Mpumalanga and the Northern Cape and

the also providing full assistance covering tuition, books

accommodation and living allowance in the form of loans and

bursaries to all students who need it.

Goals

“Ed

uca

tion

for all”

The fact that all teachers will thus require the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes,

The necessary support, to integrate ICT into teaching and learning,

And support in their various roles as mediators of learning, interpreters and designers of learning programmes, leaders, administrators, scholars, assessors and subject specialists.

In ICT development takes place by bringing in certain essential principles, this document reflects a holistic approach to teacher development in ICT.

It acknowledges that ICT skills cannot be practised without their context.

The White Paper on e-Education outlines them as follows:

Appropriation

Adaptation

Adoption

Entry

Innovation

The teacher is computer literate and is able to use computers. Although frustrations are common in the introduction of ICT and may influence teachers to lack confidence.

The teacher is able to use various ICT, including computers, to support administration, teaching and learning, and is able to teach learners how to use ICT.

In the Adaptation level the teacher is able to use ICT to support everyday classroom activities at an appropriate NCS level, assess the learning that takes place and ensure progression.

He/she is able to reflect critically on how ICT changes the teaching and learning processes and to use ICT systems for management and administration. Productivity increases at this level.

The teacher has a holistic approach towards the ways in which ICT contributes to teaching and learning.

He/she has an understanding of the developing nature of ICT, and an awareness to the structure and purposes of the NCS.

He/she has the experience and confidence to reflect on how ICT can influence teaching and learning strategies, and to use new strategies.

The teacher is able to develop new learning environments that use ICT as a flexible tool, so that learning becomes collaborative and interactive.

With regard to ICT Professional Aptitude, the teacher has the confidence, flexibility and vision to develop learning approaches that use ICT, and understands that ICT is essential for entire school development.

Department of Education. (2004). White Paper on e-Education. Government Gazette. (No. 26734).

Education international. (2008).Education For All by 2015. Response to the Global Monitoring Report. www.ei-ie.org

Hindle, D. (2007). Guidelines for Teacher Training and Professional Development in ICT.

Cornu B. (2001). Being a Teacher in the Knowledge Society. Presentation (INRP, CNED-EIFAD, France).

References