This research report is the culmination of the e-readiness/e-maturity research project that was commissioned by the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) in order to inform its future strategies and plans for implementing information and communication technology (ICT) in Gauteng schools. Over the past few years, the GDE has embarked on a significant drive to implement ICT in all of its schools. This was informed by international trends, National Policy, and the Gauteng Department’s e-learning framework, which called for introduction of ICT into all aspects of schooling. However, as tends to be the case with large-scale initiatives, there has been a gap between planned/intended and actual outcomes. Therefore, in line with good implementation practice, the GDE commissioned an audit to assess the status of ICT use in its schools as part of a process of reviewing its strategies and plans. This report provides the findings of the research study of ICT deployment and use in Gauteng schools and offers some recommendations for consideration by the Department.

This short report provides a few factual updates on information and communication technologies (ICTs) in schools. New information is obtained in particular from the 2009 to 2012 trends we are able to see in the General Household Survey (GHS) and the 2002 and 2011 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) trends. Moreover, a few patterns with respect to computer-related subjects in the Grade 12 examinations are presented.

This report provides an overview and contextual understanding of the ICT environment in education. It describes the different strategies and policies related to ICT development in education in South Africa. It further attempts to locate the ICT in Education survey within the e-Education landscape.
The access to computers, connectivity to the Internet and the skills level of the teachers are key factors in the use and integration of ICT in schools. These factors were addressed in the ICT in Education survey and described in this report. The report compares the key focus areas of the White Paper on e-Education (DBE004) with the data of the ICT in Education survey to highlight some of the key challenges faced in achieving the policy objectives outlined in the White Paper on e-Education (2004).