OVERVIEW ICT School
OVERVIEW ICT School pupils are going online. Esibusisweni Combined School in Iswepe in the Gert Sibande District Municipality is reaping the benefits of online technology for pupils studying mathematics and science. Located between the towns of Mkhondo and Ermelo, and consequently in the area where Mondi has forestry operations, the school is one of six across two provinces that is part of a distancelearning project run by Ligbron e-Learning System and supported by the paper and forestry company. The two subjects are required for careers in forestry and engineering, so Mondi also offers bursaries to aspiring academic performers from its operational footprint. The Mpumalanga Provincial Government has since 2022 been providing Grade 12 pupils and teachers in Quantile 1 to 3 schools with tablets and laptops. These devices are loaded with e-content but in 2024 an offline application has been added so that learning can continue without data or connectivity. Eight schools are leading a smart-school pilot project in a drive to achieve a paperless school. In May 2024, MTN announced that it intended rolling out 100 new 5G sites in its northern region, with 40 planned for Mpumalanga before year-end. In 2023, the company added 65 5G sites in the province. The MTN SA Foundation supports several schools in Mpumalanga as part of MTN’s Back to School campaigns. Eleven schools have multi-media centres, each with 20 computer desks, chairs and teacher stations. The computer laboratories have one server, a multifunctional printer, an interactive whiteboard, a data projector, a router and data connectivity to MTN for 24 months. One of the province’s new boarding schools, Izimbali Combined MST, also has a 40-seater laboratory courtesy of the MTN SA Foundation. ICT has been chosen as one of the University of Mpumalanga’s six critical research themes. Operating under the title of Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D), it intends to present easy adoption and use of ICT resources for the betterment of people’s day-to-day activities. Sub-themes are ICT in education, cybersecurity, Internet of Things and data analytics. The university offers a Diploma in ICT in Applications Development, a three-year course carrying 360 credits and a level-six qualification. ONLINE RESOURCES Seda Technology Programme: www.seda.org.za State Information Technology Agency: www.sita.co.za Universal Service and Access Agency of South Africa: www.usaasa.org.za SECTOR INSIGHT 5G sites are multiplying. Glencore Coal and partner Project Isizwe are celebrating estimated savings in data costs of more than R100-million in the communities where a free WiFi project is in operation. Having started with 10 hotspots in Ogies and Phola in the eMalahleni Municipality, the initiative was expanded to the Steve Tshwete and Emakhazeni municipalities where 30 hotspots now function. Communities are consuming more than 28 000GB of data for free every month. Project Isizwe is a non-profit organisation that partners with Internet Service Providers to provide equitable Internet access. ■ MPUMALANGA BUSINESS 2024/25 46 PHOTO: MTN
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