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While most parts of the world are in debates concerning Industry 4.0 – a subset of the fourth industrial revolution that pertains to the way in which we produce products, thanks to the digitisation of manufacturing – and some of its implications on society, the environment, business and education, our reality in South Africa shows that we are still exploring the affordances of the third industrial revolution.
This is a dispensation characterised as having profound impact on information and communications technology (ICT), knowledge and education, and the use of electronics, among other factors.
With this exploration comes a dire need for education and the education sector to re-imagine and redesign school-based practices.
This re-imagination should further be reflected in the building of schools and in developing teachers for the highly digital future.
The narrative, however, is different for disadvantaged schools in the industrial dispensation we find ourselves in.
Most township and rural schools – particularly in developing countries such as South Africa – do not have sufficient, if any, equipment that can enable them to extend learning to home in the unfolding of a black swan such as the Covid-19 coronavirus.
Taking this a step further, in a joint meeting that was set in 2018 regarding the provision of ICT connectivity for teaching and learning in schools across South Africa, the department of basic education as well as that of telecommunications and postal services pronounced that 46% – compared to 26.5% recorded in 2002 – of approximately 25 000 schools had some form of connectivity.
Effectively, we are looking at a 19.5% increment in a period of 10 years on aforementioned connectivity. Whether or not this increment is justified is a topic for another day.
Looking at these numbers, one can see that during events such as Covid-19, where gatherings are prohibited, learners whose only hope is in mainstream education continue to be in the periphery.
WhatsApp groups as well as accessing educational sites and applications may not be a go-to method as smartphones and internet connectivity in most rural and township areas are not as readily available or as efficient and seamless.
Playing catch-up may also not be ideal and won’t be as effective as most educational content needs scaffolding – a teaching method that enables a student to solve a problem, carry out a task or achieve a goal through a gradual shedding of outside assistance until the learner internalises the information and becomes self-regulated and independent.
In instances where schools do not have sufficient textbooks, or none at all, this technique is futile.
We need solutions that work, solutions that more responsive, and solutions that are purposeful. We need context-sensitive measures that speak to these solutions.
Ethical leadership – the kind that is intentional and responsive – in public administrative offices is at the heart of this.
And right in front of us is an opportunity to reflect and apply appropriate and context-sensitive measures not only for education practitioners and departments.
As concerned citizens, we are challenged to assist in informing educational reforms much more honestly and fairly.
The future of our disadvantaged schools depends on it.
*Mofokeng is studying towards her master’s in educational technology at the University of the Witwatersrand
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| City Press is an agenda-setting South African news brand that publishes across platforms. Its flagship print edition is distributed on a Sunday. |
