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11 April 2008

"Nepad e-Schools: Enhancing Education Delivery through Information and Communications Technologies (ICT)"

The Nepad e-Africa Commission in conjunction with the South African Government and other private sector sponsors will be hosting the Nepad e-Schools Stakeholder Conference at the Emperors Palace in Kempton Park.

The Deputy President of South Africa, Ms Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka is expected to deliver the opening address at the conference on 15 April 2008.

The conference will be held as follows:

Venue: Emperors Palace, Kempton Park
Date: 15 to 18 April 2008
Time: 09h00 to 17h00

High ranking African government and private sector officials, including Ministers, permanent secretaries, Nepad e-Schools country focal point persons, learners and teachers will attend the conference. Representatives from the African Development Bank (AFDB), African Union, World Bank InfoDev, private ICT companies, and regional economic communities (RECs) such as Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), SchoolNet, etc, are also expected to attend.

The Nepad e-Schools Initiative was adopted as a high priority Nepad information and communication technology (ICT) project by the Nepad Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee in March 2003. The aim of the e-Schools initiative is to harness ICTs to improve the quality of teaching and learning in African primary and secondary schools, where Africans learners are capacitated with ICT skills that enable them to participate in the global information society and knowledge economy.

The conference will review implementation of the Nepad e-Schools and discuss, with a view to adopt the Nepad e-Schools business plan, for the roll-out of the e-Schools initiative throughout Africa. Currently, Nepad has launched the e-Schools Initiative in 11 African countries in the initial phase of the project. The business plan recommends different models for the continental roll-out such as the management and administration, communication, financing, common quality standards and the effective use of ICTs and information tools, for the initiative.

President Thabo Mbeki launched the South African-leg of the Nepad e-Schools Project at the Maripe Secondary Schools in Mpumalanga last year. Other South African schools that are part of initiative include Lomahasha High School in Mpumalanga; Hendrick Makapan Secondary School in North West; the Ipetleng Secondary School in Free State, and Isiphosethu High School in KwaZulu-Natal and Thozamisa High School in the Eastern Cape.

African countries participating in the e-Schools initiative includes Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Egypt, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal and Uganda .

Media is invited at the opening ceremony and press briefing.

Details of the media briefing are as follows:

Venue: Emperors Palace, Kempton Park
Date: 18 April 2008
Time: 12:15

To confirm attendance, please contact:

Richard Mantu
Tel: 072 488 1520
E-mail: Richardm@doc.gov.za

For media enquiries, please contact:
Samuel Mikenga
Tel: 072 529 6769
E-mail: smikenga@eafricacommission.org

Albi Modise
Tel: 083 490 2871
E-mail: albi@doc.gov.za

Issued by: Department of Communications on behalf of Nepad
11 April 2008