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South Africa
SchoolNet South Africa
SchoolNet SA is a Section 21 company. It was established in November 2020 as a non-profit educational organization that creates learning communities of educators and learners who use Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to enhance education in South Africa. It arose from the work of several provincial schools networks working in the country. SchoolNet South Africa operates with core funding from the international donor sector, as well as a range of project specific funding from the South African corporate sector.
SchoolNet SA has a strong implementation focus and out of this has developed a broad range of experience, including planning, negotiation, roll out and evaluation of educational ICT projects. As such SchoolNet SA offers services specifically in the areas of:
- Strategy consulting.
- Project planning.
- Developing project partnerships.
- Educator Development consulting and delivery.
- Technical specifications and planning.
Objectives
SchoolNets objective is to assist in the development of a national educational network which forms the knowledge backbone of the countrys information highway. SchoolNet SA and its partners will meet the challenge of transforming the education system from an industrial model to a knowledge-based model and thereby making this country globally competitive.
SchoolNet SA has been/is involved in a number of projects. These include:
- Telkom 2020 Schools Project - introducing computers, Internet-access points and teacher training to schools.
- World Links For Development (WorLD).
- iEarn South Africa.
- ThinkQuest.
- NetDay - refurbishes computers and helps schools to lay cabling for LANS and get connected.
- Global Teenager Project.
- Open Society Foundation Project working in the Northern Province and Eastern Cape in the area of online content and curriculum resource material.
- Nortel Phumelela Networks Project - the establishment of three provincial hub sites in the Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and Gauteng provinces.
- Thintana Project implementation of over 200 new computer centres in historically disadvantaged areas throughout South Africa.
- Telkom Super centres. Operate along side Thintana but acts more as Community telecentres.
- Bridges to the Future.
- DIMA (Digital Media Association).
- Intercultural Understanding Networking African and Finnish Schools.
- Intel® Teach to the Future Programme.
In addition to the above, SchoolNet SA has played an active part in the development of the Educators Network (EDN). EDN is an educator ICT professional development programme. It is open to all educators in and beyond the boundaries of South Africa. EDN is based on an online learning model together with ongoing support from learning communities, mentors and a technical help desk. Due to the cost constraints of connectivity, the materials are primarily CD-based. There are currently 15 different modules grouped into the following broad categories:
- A start-up module.
- Administrative and Classroom Use.
- Use of the Internet.
- Teaching and Learning Strategies.
- Working with ICT while engaging in a project-based approach.
- Subject-specific modules.
- ICT Leadership and Planning.
SchoolNet SA offers a number of services including:
SchoolMail: a multi-user email service for schools.
- DNS: SchoolNet SA oversees domain name administration for the school.za domain.
- The Electronic Schoolbook: SchoolNet SA hosts The Electronic Schoolbook, a comprehensive list of Southern African schools connected to the Internet.
- Connectivity, website hosting and other services are provided by the regional schools networks.
Website: http://www.schoolnet.org.za
Contact Details:
P.O.Box 78626
Hougton
2041
South Africa
Phone: +27 11 645 6400
Facsimile: +27 11 484 4449
eMail: [email protected]
Rod Grewan (Executive Director), [email protected]
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