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30 December 2008

Programme director
Premier
MECs
Director General of the province
Acting Superintendent-General and other leaders of the public service
Media representatives 
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen

As a responsible government we have major responsibility to communicate to the electorate what the government is doing for the people. Therefore the launch of this upgraded website www.ecdoe.gov.za is an exciting fulfilment of our dream and promise since the launch of the first government website in 2001.

The purpose of this new communication tool is to bring the government services, programmes and initiatives to our people 24 hours a day and for facilitating interactive, two-way communication and feedback both within the department and with external stakeholders. There is no need for people to travel long distances as they can access departmental programmes at Multi-Purpose Communities Centres (MPCC) and post offices through our website.

Information is power; there is no question about that, however, information only becomes knowledge when it has been transferred. Therefore the launching of this website is very much part of that process of ensuring the accessibility of government to the people. We are therefore delivering to the Batho Pele principle of information access and the Promotion of Access to Information Act which are clear democratic evidences that we want to empower our people with information so that they can access government services at their will.

Benefits of the website

This new website was first up and running in August 2008 for the learners, teachers, administrators and parents and the general public with the intention to give public information about online registration of unemployed educators, accessing of matric results, grade 12 past exam papers, contact details of public schools and their areas of learning, vacancies, tender bulletins, forms, policies of the department etc.

It was unimaginable 14 years ago to have a website for the department to assist rural children in getting information they need via the internet to complete their school projects. Government makes policies and needs to collect informed views from organisations and individuals. This website will provide this opportunity and provide another channel for the distribution of the background documents that people need in order to contribute to the debate. As a communication tool the website will also make the department more accessible to the general public than ever before and it will reinforce the vision and identity of our department. It is designed to meet a growing demand by our people to access electronic government information and government’s commitment to decentralising access to services.

What is our responsibility to make sure that the website is up-to-date?

Programmer managers are expected to have an input on the website by supplying public information to the website. Promotion of the website is everyone's task and not only the communications directorate. Staff members are urged to own this website. This website should assist the department in attracting educators working in foreign countries.

As we approach 2010 we need to position ourselves to the international standards so that our visitors will have confidence in us. We will therefore not only keep track and quickly respond to the proposals and constructive recommendations but also regularly update the website so that it does not reflect links which are non existent.

I ask therefore that the website specialists of our government regularly updates me of the concerns and indicate whether the website is fulfilling its function as a process of entrenching the system of democratic governance and popular participation in the system of government. I now officially have pleasure in launching this upgraded website of the Department of Education.

Thank you

Issued by: Department of Education, Eastern Cape Provincial Government
30 December 2008
Source: Eastern Cape Provincial Government (http://www.ecprov.gov.za/)