Draft White Paper on e-Education - South African Government ...

Chapter One: IntroductionThe use of ICT in society and education1.1 A global revolution is taking place in education and training. It is driven by thechanging nature of work, the realities of the information age, new globalpartnerships and an awareness of the need for equal distribution of educationalopportunities.1.2 Education systems have an obligation to deliver on public expectations ofquality education for economic growth and social development. Qualityimprovement and the enhancement of excellence are often perceived to beantithetical to increased access to equity and redress. In the context ofdeveloping countries, in particular, efforts to achieve the former are thwarted by,among others, fiscal constraints, spatial barriers and other capacity-relatedlimitations to delivery. As demonstrated in various contexts, information andcommunication technology (ICT) has the potential and capacity to overcomemost of these barriers.1.3 The expansion of ICT is driving significant changes in many aspects of humanendeavour throughout the world. At both micro and national levels, ICT hasincreased the effectiveness and reach of development interventions, enhancedgood governance and lowered the cost of delivering basic social services.1.4 As in other spheres of social and economic development, ICT has improved thequality of education and training. It is for these reasons that Government hasbeen quick to seize on the importance and practical benefits of ICT as a key forteaching and learning in the twenty-first century.1.5 The ICT revolution has had an impact on curriculum development and deliveryand continues to pose new challenges for education and training systemsaround the world. These challenges can be summarised into three broad areas,namely: