To achieve this, government spends relatively more on education than the US and the UK. In all, around 15% of South Africa’s total budget is spent on basic education.
But the Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the single biggest trend that is preventing our education system from reaching its lofty ambitions: the growing digital divide in the country, which leaves most students unable to participate in virtual learning scenarios or to benefit from advances in education that will prepare them for life in the real world.
Forget about emerging technology trends in the education space, like artificial intelligence and augmented reality in the classroom. That’s for a decade or two down the line. For South Africa in 2021, there’s only one real trend in town that warrants our attention.
The NDP painted a picture of how government and service providers would draw up joint plans to roll out broadband infrastructure to schools, saying the most crucial enabler of technology would be high-speed broadband. At the same time, government’s vision of digital inclusion is to ensure that no South African citizen is excluded from the benefits of a digital economy and knowledge society.
We clearly have some work to do in this regard. It’s also worth noting that while technology has the potential to help our education system overcome many of its challenges, including a lack of access to learning materials, bridging the country’s digital divide is not only about providing internet access.
Equity is driven by three pillars: infrastructure, broadband and devices. Only once there is consistent and sustainable equity in access to digital tools and platforms across all three pillars, can we begin to change national policy and redesign final tasks to truly redefine education.
Spark Schools’ own experience during the lockdown bears out the notion that access to devices in the home is just as important as internet access. Often, smartphones, tablets and laptops are supplied by workplaces to parents, and these devices leave the home the moment a parent goes to work, leaving the students unable to access learning materials and resources. We need a broader approach.
Technological innovations often outpace the ability of policymakers to innovate on related policy issues. However, there are several steps that we can take in 2021 to start laying the foundation for equity in digital access, and an education system that delivers the outcomes envisaged by the NDP.