Date: 05/05/2005
Source: Northern Cape Provincial Government
Title: Peters: Opening of Refentse Primary School multimedia centre
Address by Honourable Premier Ms Elizabeth Dipuo Peters at the official opening of the multi-media centre, Refentse Primary School, Groenwater Village, Postmasburg
Programme Director
MEC for Education – Mr Gomolemo Archie Lucas
Honourable Mayor – Ms Katrina Kasper
Our Partners and Friends from MTN
Head of MTN’s Education Portfolio – Mr Rudi Matjokana
Manager External Communication – Ms Pearl Majola
Regional Chief of MTN (to be confirmed)
Distinguished Guests
Departmental Officials
Educators
Learners
Ladies and Gentlemen
We sincerely extend a hearty welcome to everyone gathered here this morning.
We learn from history that when countries are under threat or in a state of mass conflict, their rulers are able to re-organise total populations into war machines.
In this country, as well as in this province, we are a nation at war with unemployment, poverty, ignorance, illiteracy and HIV/AIDS, to name but a few.
If we want to be counted among the winning nations of the world, we must organize ourselves, especially our young people, who are the future leaders of our province and country, into legions working towards peace, education, prosperity, jobs, self-respect and self-esteem for every citizen.
It is for this reason that I indeed feel greatly honoured and privileged to be a part of this occasion where as public and private partners we are gathered in a show of strength and confidence in our future.
The contribution by MTN towards the development of our human resources has been one the most powerful means of restoring our people’s sense of self-worth.
We are grateful in the extreme that MTN has been among the leading companies in our country and province, that have over time, supported a number of our educational as well as our social initiatives.
Partnerships such as this one with MTN, greatly contribute towards the development of our human capital by providing a solid foundation for our children to gain educational qualifications in the disciplines that will enable our province to compete favourably in the economic development of our country.
As government and as the Education Department, we are committed to ensuring that we succeed as a province in developing a relevant and appropriate human resources base to serve us in a fast changing world and to meet our mandate as the lead department in the Provincial Skills Development Strategy.
If we are to succeed in all these endeavours, we must have young, hot and breathing bodies sitting behind desks all over our province, successfully learning Maths, Science, and technology related subjects, including of course the languages.
We are therefore grateful to have private sector partners such as De Beers to help us succeed in our endeavours.
By ploughing back into the communities that sustain their business, they not only ensure that they continue to advance their business interests, but also guarantee that they develop the human resources with the relevant skills to place the future administration and management of their business in capable hands.
Initiatives like the MTN Project, should challenge all other major companies to intensify their efforts in assisting with the provision and improvement of quality education in our province.
It is clear that government alone would not be able to bridge the backlog and gaps in education that are the legacy of our painful and scarred past.
Programme Director,
One of the major challenges we face today is to ensure that our education system functions in our gateway subjects, namely Maths, Science and Technology.
Our social partners can only go as far as assisting in providing the material resources.
We as the community have to take greater responsibility of guaranteeing that the resources provided, are taken care of and utilised effectively to ensure that we succeed as a province.
The partnership between MTN and our government is amongst the most significant developments in our schools and in our Province in terms of bridging the digital divide. Modern change is particularly driven by developments in Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
Digital media has revolutionised the manner in which society goes about its daily business and these advances have impacted dramatically in the way teaching and learning is now taking place.
The provision of telecommunication infrastructure available for learning and teaching is gradually increasing, and many learning institutions are exploiting the benefits of ICT to enhance the quality of teaching, learning and management.
The core business of our schools is to prepare our youth for lifelong learning. In recent years, there has been a clear shift towards equipping our learners with a full range of skills, knowledge and life expectations to better prepare them for the rigors of adult life.
It is for this reason that our department sees this partnership between MTN and ourselves, as a very positive development in our education system.
We believe that the introduction and further development of ICT in education will prepare our country to meet the challenges of the 21st century and beyond.
It will also enable the learners to enhance their learning experience through the use of computers and hopefully achieve maximum enjoyment of their studies as well.
The opening of the Multi-Media centre in this area, ladies and gentlemen, should not be seen as an end in itself but as an important milestone in our journey to making science and technology accessible to all.
In order for our society to also benefit from globalisation, investment in the relevant skills development for our people, especially for our young people, like you, is a necessary precondition.
This occasion therefore brings together a group of people and institutions that our country and particularly, our province needs, to make an important difference in the future of our children and our education.
We are here today to share with you in your joy and pride at this wonderful ceremony. This new development demonstrates the school’s understanding of the need to integrate science and technology in education.
The aim of the e-education white paper, is to ultimately ensure that all schools have access to internet facilities by 2013 to facilitate teaching, learning and the management of schools.
Programme Director,
The real benefits of ICT lie in its ability to create effective and efficient social and economic networks, which improve communication and exchange of information.
We applaud the support of private sector companies such as MTN, for taking an active role in promoting technology, through such initiatives, in areas where we need to bridge the digital divide, most of in our rural areas.
Their partnership with us transforms the “digital divides” into “digital opportunities”.
Bridging the digital divide involves more than just placing computers in locations for easy access. It implies the effective utilisation of the available information.
Therefore, it is crucial that development efforts go beyond computers and connections, which are of course a necessary and vital step. We must ensure that those who have access to ICT enable people to utilise it to improve the lives of all the less fortunate of our people.
In education, ICT can and must be harnessed to improve efficiency, accessibility and the quality of the learning process.
Connected communities of learners can work better on group assignments; they can achieve better utilization of curriculum materials; and produce sustainable learning outcomes.
This partnership between MTN and our government is based on the correct logic that we have a collective responsibility towards the reconstruction of our country and therefore creating a better life to all our people.
The significance of the contribution and therefore the partnership between MTN and us cannot be valued in terms of Rands and cents only, even though MTN has invested R3.5 million in this project. As stated earlier the effect of this partnership is amongst the most significant because of the effect on the quality of life that would be derived from it by our schools and on people with its modernizing effect.
The effect of this is that it would enable our schools to access policies of the department pertaining to a number of issues regarding the transformation of education.
For the first time our educators will be able to communicate with the District Offices without having to hike from the distant areas in which they teach and educate our children.
With the pressing of a button we would become aware of requirements of substitute educators at the exact schools and grades for which they are required amongst others.
The same holds for the provision of learner support material and this would allow us to intervene where necessary in this respect before the situation impacts negatively on teaching and learning.
Comrades and Friends, if this does not constitute a revolution in education then we are too negative to see the positive changes occurring just in front of us.
This development here today will enable a child at Refentse who has only heard of Kimberley to befriend and exchange information with a Van der Merwe child at Diamantveldt whose imaginations of the rural poor is inhibited by the historical divide of black and white, urban and rural and have and have nots.
This is the extent to which this MTN partnership with our government and therefore our people can improve the lives of the people.
This initiative by MTN also in itself challenges other role players in the economy and the private sector in particular, to show the appreciation of the contribution of the ordinary people to the growth of their businesses.
And this business can only do through ploughing back what we got from the community and thereby create a proud heritage for our people and ourselves. Education is the axis around which the future prosperity of our province and country revolves.
As government we will continue to provide support to all our children throughout the province. We remain convinced that our people will acquire the necessary technological skills to enable us achieve our Provincial Growth and Development Strategy.
We remain committed to the provision of quality education, in the public sector, and the elimination of illiteracy as government. Hence we have been clear in stating that the computers and facilities in our schools must also be used to promote functional literacy amongst our communities.
This partnership between MTN and ourselves is blossoming and so is our miraculous journey into the 21st century as we offset decades of technological underdevelopment
I thank you
Ke a leboga.
Issued by: Office of the Premier, Northern Cape Provincial Government
5 May 2005
Source: Northern Cape Provincial Government
Title: Peters: Opening of Refentse Primary School multimedia centre
Address by Honourable Premier Ms Elizabeth Dipuo Peters at the official opening of the multi-media centre, Refentse Primary School, Groenwater Village, Postmasburg
Programme Director
MEC for Education – Mr Gomolemo Archie Lucas
Honourable Mayor – Ms Katrina Kasper
Our Partners and Friends from MTN
Head of MTN’s Education Portfolio – Mr Rudi Matjokana
Manager External Communication – Ms Pearl Majola
Regional Chief of MTN (to be confirmed)
Distinguished Guests
Departmental Officials
Educators
Learners
Ladies and Gentlemen
We sincerely extend a hearty welcome to everyone gathered here this morning.
We learn from history that when countries are under threat or in a state of mass conflict, their rulers are able to re-organise total populations into war machines.
In this country, as well as in this province, we are a nation at war with unemployment, poverty, ignorance, illiteracy and HIV/AIDS, to name but a few.
If we want to be counted among the winning nations of the world, we must organize ourselves, especially our young people, who are the future leaders of our province and country, into legions working towards peace, education, prosperity, jobs, self-respect and self-esteem for every citizen.
It is for this reason that I indeed feel greatly honoured and privileged to be a part of this occasion where as public and private partners we are gathered in a show of strength and confidence in our future.
The contribution by MTN towards the development of our human resources has been one the most powerful means of restoring our people’s sense of self-worth.
We are grateful in the extreme that MTN has been among the leading companies in our country and province, that have over time, supported a number of our educational as well as our social initiatives.
Partnerships such as this one with MTN, greatly contribute towards the development of our human capital by providing a solid foundation for our children to gain educational qualifications in the disciplines that will enable our province to compete favourably in the economic development of our country.
As government and as the Education Department, we are committed to ensuring that we succeed as a province in developing a relevant and appropriate human resources base to serve us in a fast changing world and to meet our mandate as the lead department in the Provincial Skills Development Strategy.
If we are to succeed in all these endeavours, we must have young, hot and breathing bodies sitting behind desks all over our province, successfully learning Maths, Science, and technology related subjects, including of course the languages.
We are therefore grateful to have private sector partners such as De Beers to help us succeed in our endeavours.
By ploughing back into the communities that sustain their business, they not only ensure that they continue to advance their business interests, but also guarantee that they develop the human resources with the relevant skills to place the future administration and management of their business in capable hands.
Initiatives like the MTN Project, should challenge all other major companies to intensify their efforts in assisting with the provision and improvement of quality education in our province.
It is clear that government alone would not be able to bridge the backlog and gaps in education that are the legacy of our painful and scarred past.
Programme Director,
One of the major challenges we face today is to ensure that our education system functions in our gateway subjects, namely Maths, Science and Technology.
Our social partners can only go as far as assisting in providing the material resources.
We as the community have to take greater responsibility of guaranteeing that the resources provided, are taken care of and utilised effectively to ensure that we succeed as a province.
The partnership between MTN and our government is amongst the most significant developments in our schools and in our Province in terms of bridging the digital divide. Modern change is particularly driven by developments in Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
Digital media has revolutionised the manner in which society goes about its daily business and these advances have impacted dramatically in the way teaching and learning is now taking place.
The provision of telecommunication infrastructure available for learning and teaching is gradually increasing, and many learning institutions are exploiting the benefits of ICT to enhance the quality of teaching, learning and management.
The core business of our schools is to prepare our youth for lifelong learning. In recent years, there has been a clear shift towards equipping our learners with a full range of skills, knowledge and life expectations to better prepare them for the rigors of adult life.
It is for this reason that our department sees this partnership between MTN and ourselves, as a very positive development in our education system.
We believe that the introduction and further development of ICT in education will prepare our country to meet the challenges of the 21st century and beyond.
It will also enable the learners to enhance their learning experience through the use of computers and hopefully achieve maximum enjoyment of their studies as well.
The opening of the Multi-Media centre in this area, ladies and gentlemen, should not be seen as an end in itself but as an important milestone in our journey to making science and technology accessible to all.
In order for our society to also benefit from globalisation, investment in the relevant skills development for our people, especially for our young people, like you, is a necessary precondition.
This occasion therefore brings together a group of people and institutions that our country and particularly, our province needs, to make an important difference in the future of our children and our education.
We are here today to share with you in your joy and pride at this wonderful ceremony. This new development demonstrates the school’s understanding of the need to integrate science and technology in education.
The aim of the e-education white paper, is to ultimately ensure that all schools have access to internet facilities by 2013 to facilitate teaching, learning and the management of schools.
Programme Director,
The real benefits of ICT lie in its ability to create effective and efficient social and economic networks, which improve communication and exchange of information.
We applaud the support of private sector companies such as MTN, for taking an active role in promoting technology, through such initiatives, in areas where we need to bridge the digital divide, most of in our rural areas.
Their partnership with us transforms the “digital divides” into “digital opportunities”.
Bridging the digital divide involves more than just placing computers in locations for easy access. It implies the effective utilisation of the available information.
Therefore, it is crucial that development efforts go beyond computers and connections, which are of course a necessary and vital step. We must ensure that those who have access to ICT enable people to utilise it to improve the lives of all the less fortunate of our people.
In education, ICT can and must be harnessed to improve efficiency, accessibility and the quality of the learning process.
Connected communities of learners can work better on group assignments; they can achieve better utilization of curriculum materials; and produce sustainable learning outcomes.
This partnership between MTN and our government is based on the correct logic that we have a collective responsibility towards the reconstruction of our country and therefore creating a better life to all our people.
The significance of the contribution and therefore the partnership between MTN and us cannot be valued in terms of Rands and cents only, even though MTN has invested R3.5 million in this project. As stated earlier the effect of this partnership is amongst the most significant because of the effect on the quality of life that would be derived from it by our schools and on people with its modernizing effect.
The effect of this is that it would enable our schools to access policies of the department pertaining to a number of issues regarding the transformation of education.
For the first time our educators will be able to communicate with the District Offices without having to hike from the distant areas in which they teach and educate our children.
With the pressing of a button we would become aware of requirements of substitute educators at the exact schools and grades for which they are required amongst others.
The same holds for the provision of learner support material and this would allow us to intervene where necessary in this respect before the situation impacts negatively on teaching and learning.
Comrades and Friends, if this does not constitute a revolution in education then we are too negative to see the positive changes occurring just in front of us.
This development here today will enable a child at Refentse who has only heard of Kimberley to befriend and exchange information with a Van der Merwe child at Diamantveldt whose imaginations of the rural poor is inhibited by the historical divide of black and white, urban and rural and have and have nots.
This is the extent to which this MTN partnership with our government and therefore our people can improve the lives of the people.
This initiative by MTN also in itself challenges other role players in the economy and the private sector in particular, to show the appreciation of the contribution of the ordinary people to the growth of their businesses.
And this business can only do through ploughing back what we got from the community and thereby create a proud heritage for our people and ourselves. Education is the axis around which the future prosperity of our province and country revolves.
As government we will continue to provide support to all our children throughout the province. We remain convinced that our people will acquire the necessary technological skills to enable us achieve our Provincial Growth and Development Strategy.
We remain committed to the provision of quality education, in the public sector, and the elimination of illiteracy as government. Hence we have been clear in stating that the computers and facilities in our schools must also be used to promote functional literacy amongst our communities.
This partnership between MTN and ourselves is blossoming and so is our miraculous journey into the 21st century as we offset decades of technological underdevelopment
I thank you
Ke a leboga.
Issued by: Office of the Premier, Northern Cape Provincial Government
5 May 2005
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