Western Cape Schools Set to Get Free Broadband - 30 March 2011

All schools in the Western Cape could soon have access to free broadband internet.  A prominent businessman had made the offer to the Western Cape Education Department, said Education Ministry head Paul Boughey at a pre-budget briefing yesterday.

Education MEC Donald Grant is expected to announce details of the offer and provide an update on information and communications technology (ICT) at schools across the province.

Boughey refused to provide details about the businessman.  He had offered the department access to a new under sea communication cable now being completed.

The provincial Education Department was conducting an audit of its ICT infrastructure at all schools.  The majority of schools have been equipped with computer labs through the department’s Khanya project.

Grant said 1 392 schools had already benefited from the project, with another 118 schools preparing to do so, and 195 still to receive this infrastructure.

The province had been allocated R13.3 billion for the 2011/12 financial year.  About 80 percent of this was spent on teachers’ salaries.

Boughey said Grant would also announce details of funding to poor schools to offset fee exemptions.